bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gonadotrophin‐Releasing Hormone Pulse Generator Activity in the Hypothalamus of the Goat
Authors: Ohkura S. , Takase K. , Matsuyama S. , Mogi K. , Ichimaru T. , Wakabayashi Y. , Uenoyama Y. , Mori Y. , Steiner R. A. , Tsukamura H. , Maeda K.‐I. , Okamura H.
Published: August 2009

Pulsatile release of gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) is indispensable to maintain normal gonadotrophin secretion. The pulsatile secretion of GnRH is associated with synchronised electrical activity in the mediobasal hypothalamus (i.e. multiple unit activity; MUA), which is considered to reflect the rhythmic oscillations in the activity of the neuronal network that drives pulsatile GnRH secretion. However, the cellular source of this ultradian rhythm in GnRH activity is unknown. Direct input from kisspeptin neurones in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) to GnRH cell bodies in the medial preoptic area or their terminals in the median eminence could be the intrinsic source for driving the GnRH pulse generator. To determine whether kisspeptin signalling could be responsible for producing pulsatile GnRH secretion, we studied goats, measured plasma levels of luteinising hormone (LH) and recorded MUA in the posterior ARC, where the majority of kisspeptin neuronal cell bodies are located. Rhythmic volleys of MUA were found to be accompanied by LH pulses with regular intervals in the ARC, where kisspeptin neuronal cell bodies were found. Exogenous administration of kisspeptin stimulated a sustained increase in LH secretion, without influencing MUA, suggesting that the GnRH pulse generator, as reflected by MUA, originated from outside of the network of GnRH neurones, and could plausibly reflect the pacemaker activity of kisspeptin neurones, whose projections reach the median eminence where GnRH fibres project. These observations suggest that the kisspeptin neurones in the ARC may be the intrinsic source of the GnRH pulse generator.
Effects on blood pressure after treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea with a mandibular advancement appliance – a three‐year follow‐up
Authors: ANDRÉN A. , SJÖQUIST M. , TEGELBERG Å.
Published: August 2009

Summary  Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a highly prevalent sleep disorder; it affects 4% of males and 2% of females. Hypertension has been shown to occur in 28–57% of OSA patients. There is a steady increase in evidence linking OSA to long‐term cardiovascular morbidity including hypertension. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether mandibular advancement oral appliance (OA) treatment of OSA affects the patient’s blood pressure (BP) in a 3‐month and a 3‐year perspective. Twenty‐nine consecutive patients, with verified OSA defined as apnoea index (AI) >5 per hour and/or apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) ≥10 per hour, received an OA as treatment. BP was measured on three occasions; before treatment, after 3 months of treatment, and after 3 years of treatment. BP was measured with an electronic blood pressure monitor. The treatment effect of OA was measured after 3 months by repeated somnographic registration while the patient was wearing the OA. A treatment response was defined as AHI < 10; this was achieved in 25 of 29 patients (86%) at the 3‐month evaluation. Significant reductions in blood pressure were attained between baseline and the 3‐month evaluation (P < 0·001) and these changes remained at the 3‐year follow‐up in both systolic BP of −15·4 ± 18·7 mm Hg and diastolic BP of −10·3 ± 10·0 mm Hg. OA therapy reduced blood pressure in both a 3‐month and a 3‐year perspective in patients with OSA.
Reduction in susceptibility to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri in transgenic Citrus sinensis expressing the rice Xa21 gene
Authors: Mendes B. M. J. , Cardoso S. C. , Boscariol‐Camargo R. L. , Cruz R. B. , Mourão Filho F. A. A. , Bergamin Filho A.
Published: August 2009

This work reports the evaluation of citrus canker resistance in transgenic lines of four sweet orange cultivars Hamlin, Natal, Pera and Valencia expressing the rice Xa21 R‐gene. The Agrobacterium‐mediated genetic transformation was performed and transgene integration was confirmed by Southern blot analyses. These analyses showed that the plants had undergone 1–3 independent transgene integration events. The genetic transformation efficiency was 18·6% for Hamlin, 8·3% for Natal, 3% for Pera and 11·3% for Valencia sweet orange. Transgene transcription was confirmed by northern blot analyses in most transgenic lines analysed. Transgenic lines of each of the cultivars were selected and propagated for resistance evaluation to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri. Transgenic lines with a higher resistance to citrus canker were identified for cvs Hamlin, Natal and Pera. The lowest diseased leaf area values were detected for transgenic lines of Natal and Pera, cultivars which are considered moderately resistant to citrus canker in the field, indicating an influence of cultivar genetic background on the effectiveness of the Xa21 gene in controlling the pathogen. Transgenic lines in which transgene transcription was not detected did not show any improvement in resistance to the pathogen. These results show the integration and expression of the rice Xa21 gene in citrus and the possibility of using R‐genes in controlling diseases in a heterologous genetic background.
Towards a new paradigm in mayfly phylogeny (Ephemeroptera): combined analysis of morphological and molecular data
Authors: OGDEN T.H. , GATTOLLIAT J. L. , SARTORI M. , STANICZEK A.H. , SOLDÁN T. , WHITING M.F.
Published: August 2009

This study represents the first formal morphological and combined (morphological and molecular) phylogenetic analyses of the order Ephemeroptera. Taxonomic sampling comprised 112 species in 107 genera, including 42 recognized families (all major lineages of Ephemeroptera). Morphological data consisted of 101 morphological characters. Molecular data were acquired from DNA sequences of the 12S, 16S, 18S, 28S and H3 genes. The Asian genusSiphluriscus(Siphluriscidae) was supported as sister to all other mayflies. The lineages Carapacea, Furcatergalia, Fossoriae, Pannota, Caenoidea and Ephemerelloidea were supported as monophyletic, as were many of the families. However, some recognized families (for example, Ameletopsidae and Coloburiscidae) and major lineages (such as Setisura, Pisciforma and Ephemeroidea among others) were not supported as monophyletic, mainly due to convergences within nymphal characters. Clade robustness was evaluated by multiple methods and approaches.
Seed dormancy dynamics and germination characteristics of Solanum nigrum
Authors: TAAB A , ANDERSSON L
Published: August 2009

Four experiments were conducted to study seed dormancy and germination requirements in Solanum nigrum. In Expt 1, seeds were stratified at different constant and stepwise rising temperatures and their germinability was tested at three germination regimes at weekly intervals. In Expts 2–4, seeds dry stored at 4°C and stratified at 5 and 15°C were tested at constant temperatures, as well as fluctuating temperatures with constant and increasing amplitudes. Results suggest that the rate of dormancy release increased with increasing temperatures ranging from 4.5 to 18.6°C. However, prolonged stratification at higher temperatures caused subsequent induction of dormancy. When tested at constant temperatures, stratified seeds germinated between 18 and 34°C, with the optimum between 26 and 30°C, while dry‐stored seeds showed no germination. Fluctuating temperatures, with amplitudes ranging from 5 to 15°C, promoted germination of seeds from all treatments. The dormancy dynamics and germination characteristics of the species will have implications for its survival and establishment. This information can be used to predict time of emergence and, thus, improve control of the species in weed management systems.
Comparative anatomy and phylogenetic distribution of the mammalian cecal appendix
Authors: SMITH H. F. , FISHER R. E. , EVERETT M. L. , THOMAS A. D. , RANDAL BOLLINGER R. , PARKER W.
Published: August 2009

A recently improved understanding of gut immunity has merged with current thinking in biological and medical science, pointing to an apparent function of the mammalian cecal appendix as a safe‐house for symbiotic gut microbes, preserving the flora during times of gastrointestinal infection in societies without modern medicine. This function is potentially a selective force for the evolution and maintenance of the appendix, and provides an impetus for reassessment of the evolution of the appendix. A comparative anatomical approach reveals three apparent morphotypes of the cecal appendix, as well as appendix‐like structures in some species that lack a true cecal appendix. Cladistic analyses indicate that the appendix has evolved independently at least twice (at least once in diprotodont marsupials and at least once in Euarchontoglires), shows a highly significant (P < 0.0001) phylogenetic signal in its distribution, and has been maintained in mammalian evolution for 80 million years or longer.
Discourses of anxiety and transference in nursing practice: the subject of knowledge
Authors: Evans Alicia M , Pereira David A , Parker Judith M
Published: August 2009

The nurses’ relationship to knowledge has been theorised in a variety of different ways, not the least being in relation to medical dominance. In this study, the authors report on one of the findings of a case study into nurses’ anxiety informed by psychoanalytic theory. They argue that the nurse’s subjection to the knowledge of the other health professional, inclusive of the doctor, can be a transference arising in the context of anxiety for the nurse. Grasped by anxiety, the nurse finds their own knowledge insufficient and in this moment can operate a transference to their non‐nursing colleague, who obligingly, responds. This transference is not present in the change‐of‐shift handover report though, when the other’s knowledge is suspect, even open to derision. Thus, this reference to the knowledge of the other is not consistently present in nursing and can be seen to be just one way that nurses organise themselves in relation to anxiety. Therefore, those wanting to break down the medical dominance of the nursing profession might consider other ways nurses might organise themselves in relation to anxiety, so that the political dominance of the other is not reinforced via transference to that other.
Pregnant with possibilities: drawing on hermeneutic thought to reframe home‐visiting programs for young mothers
Authors: SmithBattle Lee
Published: August 2009

Although the positive outcomes achieved in home‐visiting interventions targeting young, disadvantaged mothers are partly credited to therapeutic relationships, researchers rarely offer philosophical or theoretical explanations for these relationships. This omission is a conspicuous oversight as nurse–family relationships have figured prominently in public health nursing practice since its inception. In this study, I suggest that the contribution of therapeutic relationships to positive outcomes will remain theoretically undeveloped as long as clinical trials and nursing practice models follow the logic of techne. After describing how a scientific–clinical gaze misrepresents teen mothers and contributes to a rational–technical model of clinical practice, I draw on contemporary hermeneutics to describe how dialog and understanding are indispensable for clinical judgment and the judicious use of scientific knowledge. This hermeneutic corrective calls attention to the dialogical nature of truth and the relational skills that disclose meaning, preserve personhood, and support possibilities available in the life‐world. Dialogical understanding also disrupts the scientific–clinical gaze by disclosing the social disparities that are implicated in early childbearing and teen mothers’ long‐term prospects. The implications of this thought for legitimating and supporting the flexibility and clinical know‐how that ‘strays’ from protocol‐driven care is addressed.
The shaping of organisational routines and the distal patient in assisted reproductive technologies
Authors: Allan Helen , De Lacey Sheryl , Payne Deborah
Published: August 2009

In this paper we comment on the changes in the provision of fertility care in Australia, New Zealand and the UK to illustrate how different funding arrangements of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) shape the delivery of patient care and the position of fertility nursing. We suggest that the routinisation of in vitro fertilisation technology has introduced a new way of managing the fertility patient at a distance, the distal fertility patient. This has resulted in new forms of organisational routines in ART which challenge both traditional forms of nursing and advanced nursing roles. We discuss the consequences of this increasingly globalised approach to infertility through the lens of three national contexts, Australia, New Zealand and the UK to unpack the position of nursing within the new forms of organisational routines.
Variations in life history traits and flight capacity among populations of the light brown apple moth Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: GU HAINAN , DANTHANARAYANA WIJESIRI
Published: August 2009

Abstract
The empirical study of interpopulation variation in life history and other fitness traits has been an important approach to understanding the ecology and evolution of organisms and gaining insight into possible sources of variation. We report a quantitative analysis for variations of five life history traits (larval developmental time, adult body weight, adult lifespan, age at first reproduction, total fecundity) and flight capacity among populations of Epiphyas postvittana originating from four localities in Australia and one in New Zealand. These populations were compared at two temperatures (15° and 25°C) after being maintained under uniform laboratory conditions for 1.5 generations, so that the relative role of genetic divergence and phenotypic plasticity in determining interpopulation variation could be disentangled. Genetic differentiation between populations was shown in all measured traits, with the greatest divergence occurring in developmental time, fecundity and adult body size. However, these traits were highly sensitive to changes in environmental temperatures; and furthermore, significant interactions between population and temperature occurred in all traits except for flight capacity of female moths. Thus, phenotypic plasticity may be another cause of interpopulation variation. The interpopulation variation for some measured traits was apparently related to climatic differences found where the populations originated. Individuals of the populations from the warmer climates tended to develop more slowly at immature stages, producing smaller and less fecund moths but with stronger flight capacity, in comparison to those from the cooler regions. It seems, therefore, that natural populations of E. postvittana have evolved different strategies to cope with local environmental conditions.
Small mammal succession is determined by vegetation density rather than time elapsed since disturbance
Authors: MONAMY V. , FOX B. J.
Published: August 2009

Abstract
We examined post‐fire responses of two sympatric Australian rodents, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus and Rattus lutreolus, as coastal wet heath regenerated following two high intensity wildfires. Pseudomys gracilicaudatus, an early serai‐stage species, recolonized an area burnt in August 1974 after one year, but took only 3 months to recolonize another area following a wildfire in October 1994. Rattus lutreolus, a late serai‐stage specialist, took approximately 3.6 years to recolonize following wildfire in August 1974, but had recolonized after only 4 months following wildfire in October 1994. We suggest that this apparent anomaly is associated with the rate of recovery of vegetation density. When the relative abundance of each species was plotted as a function of vegetation density, the trajectories following the two wildfires were concordant. An implicit relationship exists between time since wildfire and vegetation density. We make this relationship explicit by quantifying cover requirements for each species, and show that it is the resource continuum borne of regenerating vegetation (rather than time per se) that is important in determining the timing of small mammal successional sequences.
Savannah woodland vegetation in the South‐East District of South Australia: the influence of evaporative aerodynamics on the foliage structure of the understorey invaded by introduced annuals
Authors: SPECHT R. L.
Published: August 2009

Abstract
Evaporative aerodynamics determine the foliage projective cover of the understorey of perennial tussock grasses and associated perennial herbs in the savannah woodland dominated by Eucalyptus camalduknsis on gleyed podsolic soils in the Mediterranean climate of the South‐East District of South Australia. By the mid 1940s, winter‐spring evapotranspiration from the ‘thin’ leaves (with low leaf specific weight) of introduced annual plants was depleting surface soil water and thus reducing the annual growth of the summer‐growing savannah understorey; perennial herbs between the tussock grasses were the first to succumb to this competition. During spring, the percentage of the ground covered by the savannah understorey was increased by 10% in the subhumid zone to 30% in the humid zone as the pre‐European perennial herbs between the tussock grasses were replaced by introduced annuals. Application of phosphatic fertilizer to the understorey increased the growth of introduced annuals, which formed a dense stratum during their winter‐spring growing season, increasing evapotranspiration and leading eventually to the extinction of the native perennial grasses. When the savannah understorey, invaded by introduced annuals in the mid‐1940s, was converted to improved pasture, the percentage of ground covered by the seasonal foliage was increased by 20–30%; 100% coverage of overlapping foliage resulted in the humid zone.
Recovery of South African fynbos vegetation following alien woody plant clearing and fire: implications for restoration
Authors: HOLMES PATRICIA M. , RICHARDSON DAVID M. , VAN WILGEN BRIAN W. , GELDERBLOM CAROLINE
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe recovery of fynbos vegetation after invasion by dense stands of alien trees, and clearing by either ‘burn standing’, ‘fell and burn’, or ‘fell, remove and burn’ treatments, was investigated in two watersheds in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Native plant density, cover, functional and biological guilds and species richness were compared with matched control sites that were not invaded, but were burnt in the same fires. Species richness was lower for invaded sites compared to controls, at all scales measured (up to 2000m2). Species area curves for invaded sites did not converge with those of controls, indicating that lower richness at smaller scales was not compensated by increased species survival at a larger scale. Indigenous plant density and cover were lower for invaded sites compared to controls. Overall, treatment differences were non‐significant, but the ‘burn standing’ treatment caused the least change to vegetation variables, and the ‘fell, remove and burn’ and ‘fell and burn’ treatments caused greater, similar changes. Changes to the guild structure of the recovering fynbos stands differed among treatments, and indicated that the ‘fell and burn’ treatment had the greatest negative effect on guild survival. In the ‘fell and burn’ treatment, which resulted in an exceptionally intense fire, only non‐mycorrhizal graminoids (predominantly myrmecochores) persisted relatively well. Because of practical problems associated with the ‘burn standing’ and ‘fell, remove and burn’ treatments, managers often have little option but to apply the ‘fell and burn’ treatment. Our results illustrate the dangers of this, and highlight the need for intervention before areas become densely invaded. They also highlight the need for effective biological control agents to reduce rates of spread of aggressively invasive species.
Energy versus risk: costs of reproduction in free‐ranging pythons in tropical Australia
Authors: MADSEN THOMAS , SHINE RICHARD
Published: August 2009

Abstract
Data from a 12‐year field study have allowed us to quantify ‘costs of reproduction’ in a natural population of water pythons (Liasis fuscus) in tropical Australia. Both sexes of pythons cease feeding during the reproductive season. For males, this involves fasting for a 6 week period. Adult males lose weight rapidly over this period (approximately 17% of their body mass) but regain condition in the following months, and do not experience reduced survival. In contrast, reproductive adult females cease feeding for 3 months, lose an average of 44% of their body mass over this period, and experience increased mortality. A causal link between reproductive output and reduced female survival is supported by (i) a decrease in survival rates at female maturation; (ii) a correlation between survival rates and frequency of reproduction, in a comparison among different size classes of adult pythons; and (iii) a lowered survival rate for females that allocated more energy to reproduction. Hence, both sexes experience substantial energy costs of reproduction, but a relatively higher energy cost translates into a survival cost only in females. Such non‐linearities in the relationship between energy costs and survival costs may be widespread, and challenge the value of simple energy‐based measures of 'reproductive effort’.
Stratified bacterial community in the bladder of the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana
Authors: Kikuchi Yoshitomo , Bomar Lindsey , Graf Joerg
Published: August 2009

Most animals harbour symbiotic microorganisms inside their body, where intimate interactions occur between the partners. The medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana, possesses 17 pairs of excretory bladders that harbour a large number of intracellular and extracellular symbiotic bacteria. In this study, we characterized the bladder symbionts using molecular phylogenetic analyses, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analyses of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries suggested that six bacterial species co‐colonize the leech bladders. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that these species belong to the α‐Proteobacteria (Ochrobactrum symbiont), β‐Proteobacteria (Beta‐1 and Beta‐2 symbionts), δ‐Proteobacteria (Bdellovibrio symbiont) and Bacteroidetes (Niabella and Sphingobacterium symbionts). Species‐specific PCR detection and FISH confirmed the localization of the symbiotic bacteria in the bladders. The Ochrobactrum, Beta‐1, Bdellovibrio and Sphingobacterium symbionts were consistently detected in 13 leeches from two populations, while infection rate of the other symbionts ranged between 20% and 100% in the two leech populations. Transmission electron microscopy observations of the bladders revealed epithelial cells harbouring a number of intracellular bacilli and an additional type of extracellular, rod‐shaped bacteria in the luminal region. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with group‐specific oligonucleotide probes revealed the spatial organization of the bacterial species in the bladder: the Ochrobactrum symbiont was located intracellularly inside epithelial cells; the Bacteroidetes were localized close to the epithelium in the lumen of the bladder; and the Bacteroidetes layer was covered with dense β‐proteobacterial cells. These results clearly demonstrate that a simple but organized microbial community exists in the bladder of the medicinal leech.
Eukaryotic diversity and phylogeny using small‐ and large‐subunit ribosomal RNA genes from environmental samples
Authors: Marande William , López‐García Purificación , Moreira David
Published: August 2009

The recent introduction of molecular techniques in eukaryotic microbial diversity studies, in particular those based in the amplification and sequencing of small‐subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA), has revealed the existence of an unexpected variety of new phylotypes. The taxonomic ascription of the organisms bearing those sequences is generally deduced from phylogenetic analysis. Unfortunately, the SSU rDNA sequence alone has often not enough phylogenetic information to resolve the phylogeny of fast‐evolving or very divergent sequences, leading to their misclassification. To address this problem, we tried to increase the phylogenetic signal by amplifying the complete eukaryotic rDNA cluster [i.e. the SSU rDNA, the internal transcribed spacers, the 5.8S rDNA and the large‐subunit (LSU) rDNA] from environmental samples, and sequencing the SSU and LSU rDNA part of the clones. Using marine planktonic samples, we showed that surveys based on either SSU or SSU + LSU rDNA retrieved comparable diversity patterns. In addition, phylogenetic trees based on the concatenated SSU + LSU rDNA sequences showed better resolution, yielding good support for major eukaryotic groups such as the Opisthokonta, Rhizaria and Excavata. Finally, highly divergent SSU rDNA sequences, whose phylogenetic position was impossible to determine with the SSU rDNA data alone, could be placed correctly with the SSU + LSU rDNA approach. These results suggest that this method can be useful, in particular for the analysis of eukaryotic microbial communities rich in phylotypes of difficult phylogenetic ascription.
Biofilms: the environmental playground of Legionella pneumophila
Authors: Declerck Priscilla
Published: August 2009

Legionella pneumophila, the aetiological agent of 90% of legionellosis cases, is a common inhabitant of natural and anthropogenic freshwater environments, where it resides in biofilms. Biofilms are defined as complex, natural assemblages of microorganisms that involve a multitude of trophic interactions. A thorough knowledge and understanding of Legionella ecology in relation to biofilm communities is of primary importance in the search for innovative and effective control strategies to prevent the occurrence of disease cases. This review provides a critical update on the state‐of‐the‐art progress in understanding the mechanisms and factors affecting the biofilm life cycle of L. pneumophila. Particular emphasis is given to discussing the different strategies this human pathogen uses to grow and retain itself in biofilm communities. Biofilms develop not only at solid‐water interfaces (substrate‐associated biofilms), but also at the water‐air interface (floating biofilms). Disturbance of the water surface can lead to liberation of aerosols derived from the floating biofilm into the atmosphere that allow transmission of biofilm‐associated pathogens over considerable distances. Recent data concerning the occurrence and replication of L. pneumophila in floating biofilms are also elaborated and discussed.
Acquisitions and Real Options: The Greenfield Alternative
Authors: Brouthers Keith D. , Dikova Desislava
Published: August 2009

abstract 

Although acquisitions are a popular way to enter new markets, empirical evidence tends to indicate few benefits accrue to acquiring firms. This might be the case because firms use acquisitions when they should be employing an alternative mode of expansion. Applying real options theory to this issue, we suggest that greenfield start‐up ventures provide a real option alternative to acquisitions for firms establishing new international subsidiary units. To test this notion we examine a sample of Western European firms entering the emerging economies of Eastern Europe. The evidence suggests that acquisitions are a good choice only when firms enter markets containing low demand uncertainty and when these firms possess acquisition‐based strategic flexibility. Overall, our analysis indicates that greenfield ventures appear to provide firms with a real option when making the acquisition decision.
Personal Values and Conflicting Motivational Forces in the Context of Imposed Change
Authors: Sverdlik Noga , Oreg Shaul
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT
Internal motivational conflicts that arise in the context of imposed change were investigated through a personal values perspective. It is suggested that in the context of imposed change different aspects of the same value dimension will tend to come in conflict. As demonstrated in two studies, this conflict is manifested in what at a surface level appears as a weak relationship between values and reaction to the change. In Study 1, a field study of 107 employees, individuals' dispositional resistance to change was controlled to disentangle the conflicting forces that employees experienced in response to a campus relocation. In Study 2, a laboratory study of 128 undergraduates, in addition to replicating the results of Study 1, the different motivational dynamics that exist in voluntary versus imposed change situations were demonstrated.
Psychological Needs as Basic Motives, Not Just Experiential Requirements
Authors: Sheldon Kennon M. , Gunz Alexander
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTSelf‐determination theory (SDT) posits 3 evolved psychological needs, for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Considerable research has established that all 3 experiences are important for well‐being. However, no SDT research has examined whether unmet needs have motivational force, an important criterion for establishing that certain experiences are indeed basic needs and motives (R. F. Baumeister & M. R. Leary, 1995). Three studies, using cross‐sectional, experimental, and longitudinal methodologies, supply evidence that felt deficits in autonomy, competence, and relatedness arouse corresponding desires to acquire the missing experiences. However, a positive surfeit of felt‐need satisfaction did not predict reduced desires for the corresponding needs. Implications for homeostatic, evolutionary, and humanistic perspectives upon basic psychological needs are discussed.
Recurrent Personality Dimensions in Inclusive Lexical Studies: Indications for a Big Six Structure
Authors: Saucier Gerard
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT
Previous evidence for both the Big Five and the alternative six‐factor model has been drawn from lexical studies with relatively narrow selections of attributes. This study examined factors from previous lexical studies using a wider selection of attributes in 7 languages (Chinese, English, Filipino, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, and Turkish) and found 6 recurrent factors, each with common conceptual content across most of the studies. The previous narrow‐selection‐based six‐factor model outperformed the Big Five in capturing the content of the 6 recurrent wideband factors. Adjective markers of the 6 recurrent wideband factors showed substantial incremental prediction of important criterion variables over and above the Big Five. Correspondence between wideband 6 and narrowband 6 factors indicate they are variants of a “Big Six” model that is more general across variable‐selection procedures and may be more general across languages and populations.
How is phonological processing related to individual differences in children’s arithmetic skills?
Authors: De Smedt Bert , Taylor Jessica , Archibald Lisa , Ansari Daniel
Published: August 2009

While there is evidence for an association between the development of reading and arithmetic, the precise locus of this relationship remains to be determined. Findings from cognitive neuroscience research that point to shared neural correlates for phonological processing and arithmetic as well as recent behavioral evidence led to the present hypothesis that there exists a highly specific association between phonological awareness and single‐digit arithmetic with relatively small problem sizes. The present study examined this association in 37 typically developing fourth and fifth grade children. Regression analyses revealed that phonological awareness was specifically and uniquely related to arithmetic problems with a small but not large problem size. Further analysis indicated that problems with a high probability of being solved by retrieval, but not those typically associated with procedural problem‐solving strategies, are correlated with phonological awareness. The specific association between phonological awareness and arithmetic problems with a small problem size and those for which a retrieval strategy is most common was maintained even after controlling for general reading ability and phonological short‐term memory. The present findings indicate that the quality of children’s long‐term phonological representations mediates individual differences in single‐digit arithmetic, suggesting that more distinct long‐term phonological representations are related to more efficient arithmetic fact retrieval.
The interaction between acoustic salience and language experience in developmental speech perception: evidence from nasal place discrimination
Authors: Narayan Chandan R. , Werker Janet F. , Beddor Patrice Speeter
Published: August 2009

Previous research suggests that infant speech perception reorganizes in the first year: young infants discriminate both native and non‐native phonetic contrasts, but by 10–12 months difficult non‐native contrasts are less discriminable whereas performance improves on native contrasts. In the current study, four experiments tested the hypothesis that, in addition to the influence of native language experience, acoustic salience also affects the perceptual reorganization that takes place in infancy. Using a visual habituation paradigm, two nasal place distinctions that differ in relative acoustic salience, acoustically robust labial‐alveolar [ma]–[na] and acoustically less salient alveolar‐velar [na]–[ŋa], were presented to infants in a cross‐language design. English‐learning infants at 6–8 and 10–12 months showed discrimination of the native and acoustically robust [ma]–[na] (Experiment 1), but not the non‐native (in initial position) and acoustically less salient [na]–[ŋa] (Experiment 2). Very young (4–5‐month‐old) English‐learning infants tested on the same native and non‐native contrasts also showed discrimination of only the [ma]–[na] distinction (Experiment 3). Filipino‐learning infants, whose ambient language includes the syllable‐initial alveolar (/n/)–velar (/ŋ/) contrast, showed discrimination of native [na]–[ŋa] at 10–12 months, but not at 6–8 months (Experiment 4). These results support the hypothesis that acoustic salience affects speech perception in infancy, with native language experience facilitating discrimination of an acoustically similar phonetic distinction [na]–[ŋa]. We discuss the implications of this developmental profile for a comprehensive theory of speech perception in infancy.
Categorization, categorical perception, and asymmetry in infants’ representation of face race
Authors: Anzures Gizelle , Quinn Paul C. , Pascalis Olivier , Slater Alan M. , Lee Kang
Published: August 2009

The present study examined whether 6‐ and 9‐month‐old Caucasian infants could categorize faces according to race. In Experiment 1, infants were familiarized with different female faces from a common ethnic background (i.e. either Caucasian or Asian) and then tested with female faces from a novel race category. Nine‐month‐olds were able to form discrete categories of Caucasian and Asian faces. However, 6‐month‐olds did not form discrete categories of faces based on race. In Experiment 2, a second group of 6‐ and 9‐month‐olds was tested to determine whether they could discriminate between different faces from the same race category. Results showed that both age groups could only discriminate between different faces from the own‐race category of Caucasian faces. The findings of the two experiments taken together suggest that 9‐month‐olds formed a category of Caucasian faces that are further differentiated at the individual level. In contrast, although they could form a category of Asian faces, they could not discriminate between such other‐race faces. This asymmetry in category formation at 9 months (i.e. categorization of own‐race faces vs. categorical perception of other‐race faces) suggests that differential experience with own‐ and other‐race faces plays an important role in infants’ acquisition of face processing abilities.
Using innate visual biases to guide face learning in natural scenes: a computational investigation
Authors: Balas Benjamin
Published: August 2009

Newborn infants appear to possess an innate bias that guides preferential orienting to and tracking of human faces. There is, however, no clear agreement as to the underlying mechanism supporting such a preference. In particular, two competing theories (known as the ‘structural’ and ‘sensory’ hypotheses) conjecture fundamentally different biasing mechanisms to explain this behavior. The structural hypothesis suggests that a crude ‘3‐dot’ representation of face‐specific geometry is responsible for the exhibited preference. By contrast, the sensory hypothesis suggests that face preference is the product of several generic visual preferences for qualities like dark/light vertical asymmetry, horizontal symmetry, and high contrast. To complement existing empirical results, the current study describes a computational investigation of how well both proposals actually support face detection in cluttered natural scenes. The results demonstrate that both models are capable of locating faces effectively, but that the model suggested by the ‘sensory hypothesis’ is more selective than the model suggested by the ‘structural hypothesis’.
Monolingual, bilingual, trilingual: infants' language experience influences the development of a word‐learning heuristic
Authors: Byers‐Heinlein Krista , Werker Janet F.
Published: August 2009

How infants learn new words is a fundamental puzzle in language acquisition. To guide their word learning, infants exploit systematic word‐learning heuristics that allow them to link new words to likely referents. By 17 months, infants show a tendency to associate a novel noun with a novel object rather than a familiar one, a heuristic known as disambiguation. Yet, the developmental origins of this heuristic remain unknown. We compared disambiguation in 17‐ to 18‐month‐old infants from different language backgrounds to determine whether language experience influences its development, or whether disambiguation instead emerges as a result of maturation or social experience. Monolinguals showed strong use of disambiguation, bilinguals showed marginal use, and trilinguals showed no disambiguation. The number of languages being learned, but not vocabulary size, predicted performance. The results point to a key role for language experience in the development of disambiguation, and help to distinguish among theoretical accounts of its emergence.
The emergence of a novel representation from action: evidence from preschoolers
Authors: Boncoddo Rebecca , Dixon James A. , Kelley Elizabeth
Published: August 2009

Recent work in embodied cognition has proposed that representations and actions are inextricably linked. The current study examines a developmental account of this relationship. Specifically, we propose that children’s actions are foundational for novel representations. Thirty‐two preschoolers, aged 3.4 to 5.7 years, were asked to solve a set of simple gear‐system problems. Participants’ motions and verbalizations were coded to establish the strategies they used. The preschoolers initially solved the problems by simulating the turning and pushing of the gears. Subsequently, most participants discovered a new representation of the problems: the turning direction of the gears alternates. Results show that the number of actions that embodied alternation information, during their simulation of the system, predicted the later emergence of the higher‐order representation (i.e. that the gears alternate turning direction). Thus, it appears that the preschoolers discovered a new representation based on their own actions. These results are consistent with the developmental embodiment hypothesis: actions are central to the emergence of new representations.
A NEW CONFIDENCE BAND FOR CONTINUOUS CUMULATIVE DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
Authors: Xu Xingzhong , Ding Xiaobo , Zhao Shuran
Published: August 2009

We consider confidence bands for continuous distribution functions. Following a review of the literature we find that previously considered confidence bands, which have exact coverage, are all step‐functions jumping only at the sample points. We find that the step‐function bands can be constructed through rectangular tolerance regions for an ordered sample from the uniform distribution R(0, 1). We then construct a set of new bands. Two criteria for assessing confidence bands are presented. One is the power criterion, and the other is the average‐width criterion that we propose. Numerical comparisons between our new bands and the old bands are carried out, and show that our new bands perform much better than the old ones.
A Unified Account of Object Clitics and Referential Null Objects in French
Authors: Grüter Theres
Published: August 2009

Abstract. It has traditionally been assumed that French is a non‐null‐object language on a par with English. Yet the analysis of adult French corpora has shown the consistent occurrence of referential null objects in speech and writing. These constructions, although clearly marked, put into question a major premise of syntactic analyses of object‐clitic constructions—namely, that sentences referring to a specific, referential object but lacking both a clitic and a postverbal object are necessarily ungrammatical. The goal of this paper is to present a revised analysis of object‐clitic constructions that is capable of integrating referential null objects. It is proposed that the zero morpheme constitutes the default realization of the accusative clitic head and is inserted if this head is underspecified for Case. The analysis extends naturally to account for predicatele, as well as to errors observed in child language development, in particular the overuse of masculine singularleas well as object (‐clitic) omission. It is proposed that the syntactic representation underlying clitic drop in child and adult French is identical, yet child and adult French differ with regard to the reason for the underspecification of the clitic head.
The Binomial Distribution in Shooting
Authors: Chalikias Miltiadis S.
Published: August 2009

The binomial distribution is used to predict the winner of the 49th International Shooting Sport Federation World Championship in double trap shooting held in 2006 in Zagreb, Croatia. The outcome of the competition was definitely unexpected.
What is Strong Correlation?
Authors: Kozak Marcin
Published: August 2009

Interpretation of correlation is often based on rules of thumb in which some boundary values are given to help decide whether correlation is non‐important, weak, strong or very strong. This article shows that such rules of thumb may do more harm than good, and instead of supporting interpretation of correlation – which is their aim – they teach a schematic approach to statistics. Therefore they should be avoided in a statistics course.
Improbable versus Unexpected Outcomes
Authors: Van Staden Paul J.
Published: August 2009

In this short note, the difference between improbable and unexpected outcomes is demonstrated via an example that uses the hypergeometric distribution.
Having a Whale of a Time
Authors: Du Feu Chris
Published: August 2009

A classroom practical exercise exploring the reliability of a basic capture‐mark‐recapture method of population estimation is described using great whale conservation as a starting point. Various teaching resources are made available.
Political Connectedness and Firm Performance: Evidence from Germany
Authors: Niessen Alexandra , Ruenzi Stefan
Published: August 2009

This paper investigates politically connected firms in Germany. With the introduction of a new transparency law in 2007, information on additional income sources for all members of the German parliament became publicly available. We find that members of the conservative party (CDU/CSU) and the liberal party (FDP) are more likely to work for firms than members of left-wing parties (SPD and The Left) or the green party (Alliance 90/The Greens). Politically connected firms are larger, less risky and have lower market valuations than unconnected firms. They also have fewer growth opportunities, but slightly better accounting performance. On the stock market, connected firms significantly outperformed unconnected firms in 2006, i.e. before the publication of the data on political connections. Differences in stock market performance were much smaller in 2007.
Putting Race and Gender Together: A New Approach To Intersectionality
Authors: Solanke Iyiola
Published: August 2009

European anti‐discrimination legislation explicitly calls for member states to consider a legal response to multiple discrimination, either additive (arising from many grounds) or intersectional (a result of an interaction of grounds). In traditional Anglo‐American anti‐discrimination frameworks the structure of separate statutes forces complainants to choose one ground or another. In Britain, cases such as Nwoke v Government Legal Service indicate a judicial willingness to recognise additive discrimination, while cases such as Bahl highlight the difficulties of dealing with intersectionality. This article suggests that to overcome current difficulties with intersectional discrimination, first the qualitative difference of intersectional claims must be clarified; secondly, the logic of immutability underlying grounds must be replaced by one which accommodates intersectionality; and thirdly, a method is required which enables courts systematically to incorporate social context into judicial decision‐making. With these three changes, the qualitative difference of intersectionality can be both understood and activated in the courts.
A Tort‐Based Approach to Damages under the Human Rights Act 1998
Authors: Varuhas Jason N. E.
Published: August 2009

This article argues that a strong case can be made for departing from the current approach to damages under the Human Rights Act 1998, and for the adoption of an alternative tort‐based approach. The article critically analyses the English courts' arguments against adopting a tort‐based approach and demonstrates that neither the Act nor the European Convention on Human Rights militate against such approach. It makes a positive case for a tort‐based approach, arguing that the law of damages in tort provides an appropriate model for damages under the Act as a matter of principle given the common functions and protected interests that underpin both areas of the law. Further, tort law offers an established and elaborate corpus of principles to draw on, which can readily and naturally be read across to the human rights context. A tort‐based approach would also promote consistency across English law, while generally affording greater protection to human rights than the English courts' current approach.
The United Kingdom's Immunity from Seizure Legislation
Authors: O'Connell Anna
Published: August 2009

The UK's Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has introduced legislation to provide immunity from seizure for cultural objects on temporary loan from other countries to approved museums and galleries in the UK. The legislation is aimed at facilitating the cross‐border lending of objects and bringing the UK into line with other countries such as the United States, France and Germany, that already afford such legal immunity. In the absence of immunity legislation in the UK, many museums and private lenders had been reluctant to loan their objects because of the risk that they might be seized by creditors seeking to settle financial disputes or by claimants contesting ownership of the works. This article examines whether the new law will be effective to provide museums and lenders with the protection they have been hoping for and asks whether it goes too far in depriving claimants of legal rights and remedies.