bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproductive biology and spatiotemporal patterns of spawning in striped marlin Kajikia audax
Authors: Kopf R. K. , Davie P. S. , Bromhead D. B. , Young J. W.
Published: October 2012

This study presents the first histology‐based assessment of the reproductive dynamics of south‐west Pacific striped marlin Kajikia audax. Maturity and reproductive status were assessed from histological sections of ovaries (n = 234) and testes (n = 243) of fish caught in commercial longline and recreational fisheries between 2006 and 2009. Spawning peaked in the Coral Sea during November and December at sea surface temperatures between 24·8 and 28·3° C. Lower jaw fork length (LLJF) at 50% maturity (LLJF50), a key variable for stock assessment, was estimated to be 2100 ± 102 mm (mean + s.e.) for females and 1668 ± 18 mm for males. Unlike large pelagic tunas Thunnus spp., the proportion of females increased with length and spawning fish formed multiple large‐scale aggregations within a broad latitudinal band. This study provides a starting point for biological parameters needed for stock assessment and conservation of K. audax and introduces the multiple aggregation spawning concept as a reproductive mechanism to explain genetic heterogeneity observed in some highly migratory species.
Jagged‐1‐mediated activation of notch signalling induces adipogenesis of adipose‐derived stem cells
Authors: Ba K. , Yang X. , Wu L. , Wei X. , Fu N. , Fu Y. , Cai X. , Yao Y. , Ge Y. , Lin Y.
Published: October 2012

Objectives

Notch signalling plays an important role in many cell activities, involving proliferation, migration, differentiation and cell death. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of such signalling on adipogenesis of mouse adipose‐derived stem cells (mASCs).

Materials and methods

Jagged1 (50 and 100 ng/ml) was added to mASCs to activate Notch signalling, 2 days before adipogenic induction. At 5 and 7 days after induction, oil red‐O staining was performed to evaluate lipid accumulation. Then real‐time PCR was performed to examine expression of Notch downstream genes (Notch‐1, ‐2, Hes‐1 and Hey‐1) and adipogenic transcription factor (PPAR‐γ). Expressions of Hes‐1 and PPAR‐γ at protein level were confirmed by immunofluorescence staining.

Results

Our data indicated that Jagged1 promoted adipogenic differentiation of mASCs. Moreover, Jagged1 also increased expression of Notch downstream genes and PPAR‐γ. Expressions of Hes‐1 and PPAR‐γ were found to be enhanced in Jagged1 pre‐treated mASCs when compared to controls.

Discussion

The results led to the conclusion that activation of Notch signalling had stimulated adipogenesis of mASCs in the presence of adipogenic medium by promoting expression of PPAR‐γ.
Who's Challenging Who? Changing attitudes towards those whose behaviour challenges
Authors: Hutchinson L. M. , Hastings R. P. , Hunt P. H. , Bowler C. L. , Banks M. E. , Totsika V.
Published: October 2012

Background

Although staff attitudes towards individuals with intellectual disability (ID) whose behaviour challenges may be an important part of a positive support culture, very little research has focused on the development of training specifically designed to change staff attitudes. Positive contact is hypothesised to be an effective way to change attitudes towards stigmatised groups.

Methods

We designed and developed a half day training package about the experiences of individuals whose behaviour challenges – Who's Challenging Who (WCW). The WCW package was delivered according to a manual by a trainer with ID and a professional without disability. Seventy‐six staff from a variety of organisations participated in one of 10 WCW training sessions and provided data on their attitudes and empathy towards individuals whose behaviour challenges prior to the WCW training and immediately at the end of training. Staff also completed a post‐training evaluation questionnaire.

Results

A training package was successfully developed collaboratively with individuals whose behaviour challenges, and received very positive evaluations from staff participants. Short‐term positive change was shown for empowerment and similarity attitudes, and staff empathy and self‐efficacy. These outcomes were associated with small to moderate effect sizes.

Conclusions

Meaningful short‐term positive staff attitude changes were found and the WCW training model was shown to be feasible. More robust research designs are needed for future evaluation. In addition, the function of an attitude change intervention such as WCW within organisations' training strategies requires further development.
The impact ofPrader–Willi syndrome on the family's quality of life and caregiving, and the unaffected siblings’ psychosocial adjustment
Authors: Mazaheri M. M. , Rae‐Seebach R. D. , Preston H. E. , Schmidt M. , Kountz‐Edwards S. , Field N. , Cassidy S. , Packman W.
Published: October 2012

Background

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), a complex multisystem genetic disorder, is characterised by developmental abnormalities leading to somatic and psychological symptoms. Symptoms ofPWSinclude infantile hypotonia and failure‐to‐thrive, followed by life‐long hyperphagia, developmental delays and moderate‐to‐severe behavioural problems and several physical problems that impact health. This study examined the effects of caring for a child diagnosed withPWSon the mothers and unaffected siblings. We assessed overall family functioning, the mothers’ psychological health, the psychosocial and behavioural functioning of siblings, and the quality of life of siblings.

Methods

Participants included 12 mothers and 13 siblings of a child with genetically confirmedPWS. Self‐report measures administered to the mothers evaluated overall family functioning (PedsQL–FamilyImpactModule), the mothers’ psychological health (BriefSymptomInventory), and the mothers’ perception of the sibling's quality of life (PedsQL–ParentProxy). Self‐report measures administered to the siblings evaluated their perceived quality of life (PedsQL) and symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (UCLA PTSD Index).

Results

Families/mothers/siblings with children withPWSshowed poorer perceived quality of life compared with general inpatient and outpatient samples of children with complex health conditions. Families/mothers/siblings with children withPWSreported difficulties in family functioning, communication problems, and an increased number of conflicts. They appeared to be experiencing significant behavioural distress symptoms, with higher than average levels of depression and feelings of isolation, anger and worry. Ninety‐two per cent of the siblings indicated moderate‐to‐severe symptoms ofPTSD. Compared with normative populations, siblings demonstrated poorer quality of life, with mothers perceiving more significant deficits in the sibling.

Conclusion

This study reaffirms thatPWSaffects the entire family system. Mothers and siblings would benefit from psychosocial support due to the multiple challenges of living with and caring for a child/young adult withPWS.
The human degree of care. Professional loving care for people with a mild intellectual disability: an explorative study
Authors: Hermsen M. A. , Embregts P. J. C. M. , Hendriks A. H. C. , Frielink N.
Published: October 2012

Background

Research has shown that care staff are not always able to offer quality care. Commercialisation and market forces within the care sector are often pointed to as an explanation for this shortcoming. In the present study, insight is gained into the possible connections between the commercialisation of care, on the one hand, and the shrinkage of possibilities and motivation to offer professional loving care, on the other hand, from the perspective of care staff working with people with mild intellectual disabilities.

Method

Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 28 care staff working with people with mild intellectual disabilities. Scientific research methods were combined with normative ethical reflection to examine the internal morals of the care staff.

Results

According to participating care staff, an affiliation with and recognition of the client form the basis for professional loving care. Care staff recognise that their profession is increasingly being built upon manageability and accountability, and this is making their jobs more difficult.

Conclusion

We conclude that care staff perceive the precedence given to the smooth running of production processes over investment in direct contact with clients to be a real threat to the quality of care. Concerns about declining motivation and loss of work satisfaction as a result of the commercialisation of care are only partly acknowledged by care staff. While shrinkage of space for professional loving care is recognised, one can hardly speak of declining motivation.
Sleep patterns in children with ADHD: a population‐based cohort study from birth to 11 years
Authors: Scott Nicola , Blair Peter S. , Emond Alan M. , Fleming Peter J. , Humphreys Joanna S. , Henderson John , Gringras Paul
Published: October 2012

Associations between sleep duration and disturbance in infancy and early childhood and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnoses were investigated. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a population‐based prospective longitudinal birth‐cohort study of children born in 1991–1992 in South‐West England, were employed. Eight thousand, one hundred and ninety‐five children were assessed using the Development and Well‐Being Assessment. One hundred and seventy‐three cases (2.1%) met criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Parental report at eight time points showed children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder slept less than peers. Absolute differences were small and mainly restricted to night‐time sleep, with no strong evidence of differences from controls, except at 69 months [5 years 9 months; 12 min (95% CI: 5–19), P = 0.001], at 81 months [6 years 9 months; 15 min (95% CI: 8–22), P < 0.001] and at 115 months [9 years 7 months; 11 min (95% CI: 4–18), P = 0.001]. The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder group had more night‐waking at every age, significant from about 5 years. When tracking children's sleep along a normative centiles chart, a shift in sleep duration from one centile to a lower centile was a useful predictor of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Age‐specific decreases of >1SD in sleep duration across adjacent time points was a significant predictor of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at 3–5 years (P = 0.047). In children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, shorter sleep duration and sleep disturbances appear early and predate the usual age of clinical diagnosis. The rate of change of sleep duration relative to an individual, rather than absolute sleep duration at any stage, may prove beneficial in identifying increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Untangling above‐ and belowground mycorrhizal fungal networks in tropical orchids
Authors: LEAKE J. R. , CAMERON D. D.
Published: October 2012

Orchids typically depend on fungi for establishment from seeds, forming mycorrhizal associations with basidiomycete fungal partners in the polyphyletic group rhizoctonia from early stages of germination, sometimes with very high specificity. This has raised important questions about the roles of plant and fungal phylogenetics, and their habitat preferences, in controlling which fungi associate with which plants. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Martos et al. (2012) report the largest network analysis to date for orchids and their mycorrhizal fungi, sampling a total of over 450 plants from nearly half the 150 tropical orchid species on Reunion Island, encompassing its main terrestrial and epiphytic orchid genera. The authors found a total of 95 operational taxonomic units of mycorrhizal fungi and investigated the architecture and nestedness of their bipartite networks with 73 orchid species. The most striking finding was a major ecological barrier between above‐ and belowground mycorrhizal fungal networks, despite both epiphytic and terrestrial orchids often associating with closely related taxa across all three major lineages of rhizoctonia fungi. The fungal partnerships of the epiphytes and terrestrial species involved a diversity of fungal taxa in a modular network architecture, with only about one in ten mycorrhizal fungi partnering orchids in both groups. In contrast, plant and fungal phylogenetics had weak or no effects on the network. This highlights the power of recently developed ecological network analyses to give new insights into controls on plant–fungal symbioses and raises exciting new hypotheses about the differences in properties and functioning of mycorrhiza in epiphytic and terrestrial orchids.
Review: Systemic inflammation and Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Holmes C.
Published: October 2012

There is a great deal of evidence suggesting an important role for systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The role of systemic inflammation, and indeed inflammation in general, is still largely considered to be as a contributor to the disease process rather than of aetiological importance although there is emerging evidence to suggest that its role may predate the deposition of amyloid. Therapies aimed at reducing inflammation in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease have been disappointing and have largely focused on the need to ameliorate central inflammation with little attention to the importance of dampening down systemic inflammation. Novel approaches in this area require a greater understanding of the effects of systemic inflammation on the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease and of the communicating pathways between the systemic and central innate immune systems.
Neural correlates of attentional bias for smoking cues: modulation by variance in the dopamine transporter gene
Authors: Wetherill Reagan R. , Jagannathan Kanchana , Lohoff Falk W. , Ehrman Ronald , O'Brien Charles P. , Childress Anna Rose , Franklin Teresa R.
Published: October 2012

Cigarette‐dependent smokers automatically and involuntarily orient attention toward smoking cues (SCs). This attentional bias is clinically significant, as it may contribute to relapse. Thus, identifying neural and genetic correlates of attentional bias is critical for improving interventions. Our previous studies show that the dopamine transporter (DAT) SLC6A3 genotype exerts profound effects on limbic responses to SCs. One potential mechanism underlying these effects is greater attentional bias for SCs. Here, we explored associations between attentional bias for SCs and neural responses to SCs among ‘sated’ smokers genotyped for the SLC6A3 polymorphism. Pseudo‐continuous arterial spin‐labeled perfusion functional magnetic resonance imaging images were acquired during SC exposure in 35 smokers genotyped for the SLC6A3 variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism (n = 16, 9‐repeats; n = 19, 10/10‐repeats). Participants completed a visual dot‐probe attentional bias task, which contained pictures of smoking and non‐smoking pictures, to examine whether genetic variation in DAT influences attentional bias and to investigate relationships between attentional bias and neural responses to SCs. Although attentional bias to smoking pictures was not significantly different between 9‐repeats and 10/10‐repeats, 9‐repeats showed a positive correlation between attentional bias and increased SC‐induced brain activity in the amygdala, whereas 10/10‐repeats showed an inverse correlation in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). In group comparisons, 9‐repeats exhibited positive correlations between attentional bias and SCs in the mOFC and amygdala, relative to 10/10‐repeats. Findings suggest that genetic variation in the DAT gene influences brain responses associated with attentional bias; thus, providing additional support for a SC‐vulnerable endophenotype.
Competing‐risks analysis in patients with T1 squamous cell carcinoma of the penis
Authors: Thuret Rodolphe , Sun Maxine , Abdollah Firas , Budaus Lars , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Iborra François , Guiter Jacques , Patard Jean‐Jacques , Karakiewicz Pierre I.
Published: October 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines recommend an inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) in patients with T1G2‐3 squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCP). To date, only four series reported the rates of cancer‐specific mortality (CSM) after primary tumor excision (PTE) without an ILND in patients with T1 clinically node‐negative (cN0) SCCP.

We examined CSM rates in cN0 patients with T1G1‐3 SCCP, in whom an ILND was not performed, relying on competing‐risks analyses.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify and compare cancer‐specific mortality (CSM) and other‐cause mortality (OCM) in individuals with stage T1G1–3 clinically node‐negative (cN0) squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCP) since there is no consensus regarding the need for an inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) in patients with T1G2–3 cN0 SCCP.

METHODS

Relying on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database, we identified 655 patients diagnosed with primary SCCP between 1988 and 2006.

Cumulative incidence plots were used to graphically depict the effect of CSM relative to OCM.

Competing‐risks regression analyses were used to quantify the risk of CSM or OCM after adjusting for age, race, tumour grade and surgery type.

RESULTS

The 5‐year CSM rates after a primary tumour excision without ILND were 2.6%, 10.0% and 15.9% in patients with respectively T1G1, T1G2 and T1G3 cN0 SCCP.

The 5‐year OCM rates were 29.5%, 27.3% and 29.3% in patients with respectively T1G1, T1G2 and T1G3.

Age failed to provide additional stratification.

CONCLUSIONS

The CSM rate was highest in T1G3 patients and appears to justify ILND.

Conversely, the CSM rate was lowest in T1G1 patients, which justifies active surveillance in this patient subset.

A moderate CSM rate at 5 years was recorded for T1G2 patients, which brings into question the benefits of ILND.
The demise of the clinical case study in family therapy journals
Authors: Rivett Mark
Published: October 2012

Podcast
Inclusive Financial Markets: Is Transformation Under Way in Kenya?
Authors: Johnson Susan , Arnold Steven
Published: October 2012

Policy emphasis on financial‐sector development has shifted away from microfinance and towards the development of ‘inclusive financial markets’. But, for inclusion to take place, policy must address barriers to access. This article analyses the socio‐economic, demographic and geographical factors associated with financial‐service use across formal, semi‐formal and informal financial services in Kenya between 2006 and 2009, including the new and rapidly growing mobile‐phone‐based payments service – M‐PESA. It finds that, despite an expansion of services, evidence of access barriers is now clearer than it was in 2006. However, there is some evidence that M‐PESA is reversing age as a barrier to inclusion, but, as yet, it is more of a complement than a substitute for formal services.
Taking Stock of Monitoring and Evaluation Arrangements in the Context of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers: Evidence from 20 Aid‐Dependent Countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Holvoet Nathalie , Gildemyn Marie , Inberg Liesbeth
Published: October 2012

Shifts in thinking and practice concerning aid have posed serious challenges in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for both donors and recipients, but progress in reform remains slow. An important first step in any initiative involving M&E capacity development is the diagnosis of the systems' current status. This article presents a diagnostic checklist that captures issues of M&E policy: indicators, data collection and methodology; organisation; capacity‐building; participation of nongovernmental actors; and use. It applies it to a review of the PRSP M&E arrangements of 20 aid‐dependent countries in sub‐Saharan Africa to demonstrate comparative strengths and weaknesses.
Poverty Reduction and Growth Interactions: What Can Be Learned from the Syrian Experience?
Authors: David Anda Mariana , Marouani Mohamed Ali
Published: October 2012

The aim of this article is to analyse in depth the interactions of growth and poverty in Syria, which undertook reforms to reduce the government's involvement in the economy. During the 1996–2004 period, growth was pro‐poor in ‘weak absolute’ terms but not in either relative or ‘strong absolute’ terms, owing to the increase in inequality. This can be explained partly by tax policies, but also by an unequal distribution of investment at the regional level. There was also a widening of the gap between urban and rural areas, mainly owing to a pattern of growth in which oil played an increasing role and agriculture a decreasing one. Agricultural and land‐policy reforms could have had a negative impact on poverty, despite their positive effect on productivity.
Family‐focused physical activity, diet and obesity interventions in African–American girls: a systematic review
Authors: Barr‐Anderson D. J. , Adams‐Wynn A. W. , DiSantis K. I. , Kumanyika S.
Published: October 2012

Obesity interventions that involve family members may be effective with racial/ethnic minority youth. This review assessed the nature and effectiveness of family involvement in obesity interventions among African–American girls aged 5–18 years, a population group with high rates of obesity. Twenty‐six databases were searched between January 2011 and March 2012, yielding 27 obesity pilot or full‐length prevention or treatment studies with some degree of family involvement and data specific to African–American girls. Interventions varied in type and level of family involvement, cultural adaptation, delivery format and behaviour change intervention strategies; most targeted parent–child dyads. Some similarities in approach based on family involvement were identified. The use of theoretical perspectives specific to African–American family dynamics was absent. Across all studies, effects on weight‐related behaviours were generally promising but often non‐significant. Similar conclusions were drawn for weight‐related outcomes among the full‐length randomized controlled trials. Many strategies appeared promising on face value, but available data did not permit inferences about whether or how best to involve family members in obesity prevention and treatment interventions with African–American girls. Study designs that directly compare different types and levels of family involvement and incorporate relevant theoretical elements may be an important next step.
“But One Needs to Work!”: Neoliberal Citizenship, Work‐Based Immigrant Integration, and Post‐Socialist Subjectivities in Berlin‐Marzahn
Authors: Matejskova Tatiana
Published: October 2012

This paper examines how middle‐aged and older post‐Soviet immigrants in eastern Berlin navigate the neoliberalized landscape of work‐based integration in face of their long‐term unemployment. I first show how these immigrants' own insistence on the centrality of paid work for their feeling integrated contributes to their experience of collective despondency and enrollment in exploitative quasi‐markets, including workfare. Focusing on this insistence, I examine how it draws strength primarily from their continued subscription to the conceptions of self as deeply socially embedded, and of work as a practice of such an embedding, adopted through their Soviet‐era socialization into the culture of dispersed personhood and obligation to work, rather than from their adoption of neoliberal concepts of citizenship in Germany. Contributing to geographies of post‐socialist experience of neoliberalized regimes of citizenship and immigrant integration, this paper thus highlights how some of the aspects of post‐socialist subjectivities dovetail unexpectedly with the neoliberal project.
Intervention Research as Management Research in Practice: Learning from a Case in the Fashion Design Industry
Authors: Radaelli Giovanni , Guerci Marco , Cirella Stefano , Shani Abraham B. (Rami)
Published: October 2012

Research in the field of management and organizational sciences has yielded a deeper understanding of many emerging business issues. However, the relevance of the contributions has been increasingly criticized, in both the academic and public spheres. We propose the intervention research approach – originally developed by the research group at Ecole des Mines de Paris – as a design science approach able to address both the relevance gap issue and the growing complexity of management practice. It is argued that increasing our understanding of management requires research that is more insightful, influential and immediately applicable. This in turn requires closer collaboration between management and researchers during the inquiry process, which is not always easy to achieve. An illustrative case study of an intervention research project focusing on creativity, conducted inItaly in collaboration with a fashion company, demonstrates how intervention research can be rigorous and relevant to practitioners, and how it can advance theoretical knowledge in management science.
Efficient GPU Data Structures and Methods to Solve Sparse Linear Systems in Dynamics Applications
Authors: Weber Daniel , Bender Jan , Schnoes Markus , Stork André , Fellner Dieter
Published: October 2012

We present graphics processing unit (GPU) data structures and algorithms to efficiently solve sparse linear systems that are typically required in simulations of multi‐body systems and deformable bodies. Thereby, we introduce an efficient sparse matrix data structure that can handle arbitrary sparsity patterns and outperforms current state‐of‐the‐art implementations for sparse matrix vector multiplication. Moreover, an efficient method to construct global matrices on the GPU is presented where hundreds of thousands of individual element contributions are assembled in a few milliseconds. A finite‐element‐based method for the simulation of deformable solids as well as an impulse‐based method for rigid bodies are introduced in order to demonstrate the advantages of the novel data structures and algorithms. These applications share the characteristic that a major computational effort consists of building and solving systems of linear equations in every time step. Our solving method results in a speed‐up factor of up to 13 in comparison to other GPU methods.
Romaphobia Among Serbian Adolescents: The Role of National In‐group Attitudes and Perceived Threat
Authors: Ljujic Vanja , Vedder Paul , Dekker Henk
Published: October 2012

This study employed the integrated threat theory to examine Serbian adolescents' attitudes towards the Roma. The sample consisted of 687 secondary school students (mean age 17), of whom 53% were females. In a survey‐based study, we assessed adolescents' national in‐group attitudes (i.e., nationalism), their feelings toward the Roma, and their perception of economic and symbolic threat. Findings suggest that perceived threat to either real resources or worldviews of the dominant group was related to more negative attitudes towards the Roma minority. Further, Romaphobia was positively related to adolescents' nationalism and this relationship was partially mediated by perceived economic and symbolic threat. The theoretical and educational implications are discussed.
Peer Acceptance and Friendships of Students with Disabilities in General Education: The Role of Child, Peer, and Classroom Variables
Authors: de Boer Anke , Pijl Sip Jan , Post Wendy , Minnaert Alexander
Published: October 2012

To understand the difficulties students with disabilities experience in their social participation in general education, this study examined which child, peer, and class variables relate to peer acceptance and friendships. In a cross‐sectional study, sociometric data were gathered for students without disabilities (N = 985) and students with disabilities (N = 65), together with personal related variables of students with disabilities, attitudes of peers towards students with disabilities, and classroom information. Using separate social networks for both boys and girls, the findings of the logistic multilevel regression analyses showed different outcomes for peer acceptance of boys and girls with disabilities. The implications of the findings are discussed in the light of possible interventions to improve peer acceptance and friendships of students with disabilities in general primary education.
If you can’t eat what you like, like what you can: how children with coeliac disease and their families construct dietary restrictions as a matter of choice
Authors: Veen Mario , te Molder Hedwig , Gremmen Bart , van Woerkum Cees
Published: October 2012

Although it is recognised that a gluten‐free diet has many social implications for coeliac disease patients, not much is known about how such patients actually manage these implications in their everyday interactions. This article examines how dietary restrictions are treated by patients and their families. Data from recorded mealtime conversations of seven Dutch families with children suffering from coeliac disease were analysed using discursive psychology. We found two main discursive strategies by which patients and their families manage the diet during mealtime interactions. A reference to pleasure is used to manage the tension between the child’s agency and parental responsibility in the face of health requirements and, by softening the denial of food, the diet is normalised and treated as a shared family practice. The analysis shows that the gluten‐free diet is demedicalised and treated as a matter of choice rather than prescription. We conclude with the practical implications of these findings.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the Irish Economy
Authors: Hynes Stephen , Hennessy Thia
Published: October 2012

Throughout the Celtic Tiger years, the contribution of agriculture to Irish gross domestic product and employment declined as other sectors of the economy boomed. Not surprisingly, interest in the sector over this period, from both the popular media and public representatives, declined. However, since the start of the downturn in Ireland’s economic fortunes in late 2007, there has been a renewed interest in the sector. The Irish government’s Food Harvest 2020 strategy has set ambitious targets for the expansion of the Irish agricultural fisheries and food sector, but the achievement of these targets will be dependent on overcoming a number of structural and environmental constraints. This paper examines the characteristics of this important indigenous sector in the Irish economy and the major constraints facing it. This study concludes with a discussion on whether or not the agriculture, fisheries and food sector is in a position to contribute to Ireland’s economic recovery.
Rise and Fall of the Irish Economy – A Social Policy Perspective
Authors: Fitzgerald Eithne
Published: October 2012

This paper sets the scale of the Irish economic downturn since 2008 into perspective, looks at social policy developments over the decade of ‘pride and fall’ since 2000 and considers the implications for social policy of the adjustment to changed economic circumstances over the bailout period, with a particular focus on disability services.
THE PRESENT STATE OF THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS: An Update
Authors: Kelsay John
Published: October 2012

A survey of developments over the last forty years suggests that little progress has been made in the development of comparative religious ethics as a discipline. While authors working in this field have produced a number of interesting works, the field lacks structure, including an agreement on the basic purpose, terms, and approaches by which contributions may be evaluated as better or worse. I provide an account of this history, suggesting that a way forward will involve marrying ethicists' interest in arguments with close attention to the more and less formal structures by which groups of people organize the giving and taking of reasons.
FROM EPISTEMOLOGY TO ETHICS: Theoretical and Practical Reason in Kant and Douglass
Authors: Golden Timothy J.
Published: October 2012

The aim of this essay is to provide a philosophical discussion of Frederick Douglass's thought in relation to Christianity. I expand upon the work of Bill E. Lawson and Frank M. Kirkland—who both argue that there are Kantian features present in Douglass as it relates to his conception of the individual—by arguing that there are similarities between Douglass and Kant not only concerning the relationship between morality and Christianity, but also concerning the nature of the soul. Specifically, I try to show that the moral weakness of slaveholding Christianity that Douglass attacked is found in the ecclesial formation of the slaveholding Christian church; it is a formation that begins with epistemology, but ignores ethics. I conclude, in part, that both Douglass and Kant reject a Cartesian psychological dualism in favor of a conception of the soul that is more attentive to one's moral development.
THE ART OF RETRIEVAL: Stoicism?
Authors: Rowe C. Kavin
Published: October 2012

This essay argues that retrieving insights from the ancient Stoic philosophers for Christian ethics is much more difficult than is often assumed and, further, that the “ethics of retrieval” is itself something worth prolonged reflection. The central problem is that in their ancient sense both Christianity and Stoicism are practically dense patterns of reasoning and mutually incompatible forms of life. Coming to see this clearly requires the realization that the encounter between Stoicism and Christianity is a conflict of lived traditions. Precisely because we cannot simply extract Stoic insights from the lives in which they belong, the task of determining how Stoicism is useful for Christianity is exceptionally challenging. Indeed, doing justice to the Stoics has more to do with facing an alternative to Christianity than it does with appropriating insights for our own use. These points are developed in conversation with Elizabeth Agnew Cochran's recent article on the Stoic influence upon Jonathan Edwards.
BRICOLAGE AND THE PURITY OF TRADITIONS: Engaging the Stoics for Contemporary Christian Ethics
Authors: Cochran Elizabeth Agnew
Published: October 2012

This essay is a response to C. Kavin Rowe's critique of my 2011 argument that certain dimensions of Roman Stoic ethics are at work in Jonathan Edwards's moral thought. Rowe raises questions about the act of selectively retrieving ideas from a philosophical tradition to support constructive work in another tradition. I argue for the importance of acknowledging how Christian thought has been shaped by what Jeffrey Stout describes as moral bricolage, the selective retrieval of ideas from various traditions, and I contend that this bricolage can continue to be a fruitful means through which Christian ethics engages external traditions. Moreover, the importance of Stoicism's retrieval in early modern philosophy makes the work of eighteenth‐century theologians such as Edwards a particularly valuable resource for exploring the plausibility of Christian engagement with the Stoics.
Inference for Linear Models with Dependent Errors
Authors: Zhou Zhou , Shao Xiaofeng
Published: October 2012

The paper is concerned with inference for linear models with fixed regressors and weakly dependent stationary time series errors. Theoretically, we obtain asymptotic normality for the M-estimator of the regression parameter under mild conditions and establish a uniform Bahadur representation for recursive M-estimators. Methodologically, we extend the recently proposed self-normalized approach of Shao from stationary time series to the regression set-up, where the sequence of response variables is typically non-stationary in mean. Since the limiting distribution of the self-normalized statistic depends on the design matrix and its corresponding critical values are case dependent, we develop a simulation-based approach to approximate the critical values consistently. Through a simulation study, we demonstrate favourable finite sample performance of our method in comparison with a block-bootstrap-based approach. Empirical illustrations using two real data sets are also provided.
Optimal Predictions of Powers of Conditionally Heteroscedastic Processes
Authors: Francq Christian , Zakoïan Jean-Michel
Published: October 2012

In conditionally heteroscedastic models, the optimal prediction of powers, or logarithms, of the absolute value has a simple expression in terms of the volatility and an expectation involving the independent process. A natural procedure for estimating this prediction is to estimate the volatility in the first step, for instance by Gaussian quasi-maximum-likelihood or by least absolute deviations, and to use empirical means based on rescaled innovations to estimate the expectation in the second step. The paper proposes an alternative one-step procedure, based on an appropriate non-Gaussian quasi-maximum-likelihood estimator, and establishes the asymptotic properties of the two approaches. Asymptotic comparisons and numerical experiments show that the differences in accuracy can be important, depending on the prediction problem and the innovations distribution. An application to indices of major stock exchanges is given.
Estimating Heterogeneity Variance in Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rukhin Andrew L.
Published: October 2012

Several new estimators of the between-study variability in a heterogeneous random effects meta-analysis model are derived. One is the unbiased statistic which is locally optimal for small values of the parameter. Others are Bayes procedures within a class of quadratic statistics for a diffuse prior with different choices of the prior mean. These estimators are compared with the DerSimonian–Laird procedure and the Hedges statistic in particular via the quadratic risk of the treatment effect estimator. A Monte Carlo study supports the usage of confidence intervals derived from the new estimators.
THE ATLANTIC ROMAN TRADE DURING THE PRINCIPATE: NEW EVIDENCE FROM THE WESTERN FAÇADE
Authors: CARRERAS CÈSAR , MORAIS RUI
Published: October 2012

In this paper new evidence is presented for long‐distance trade in the western Atlantic in the Roman period, chiefly from Augustus to the second century AD, on the basis of documented shipwrecks and numerous amphora types. Well‐dated contexts from northern Portugal and Spain, as well as similar sites in northern France and Germany, suggest a thriving trade of amphora‐borne commodities during the Principate. The Atlantic route was initially developed during Augustus' campaigns against the Cantabri and Astures, and later consolidated with the exploitation of the mines in the north‐west of the Iberian Peninsula. Supplying the Roman armies in the German Limes gave a new impetus to this commercial route, complemented by the conquest of Britain.
Computational modeling of a forward lunge: towards a better understanding of the function of the cruciate ligaments
Authors: Alkjær Tine , Wieland Maja R. , Andersen Michael S. , Simonsen Erik B. , Rasmussen John
Published: October 2012

This study investigated the function of the cruciate ligaments during a forward lunge movement. The mechanical roles of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament (ACL, PCL) during sagittal plane movements, such as forward lunging, are unclear. A forward lunge movement contains a knee joint flexion and extension that is controlled by the quadriceps muscle. The contraction of the quadriceps can cause anterior tibial translation, which may strain the ACL at knee joint positions close to full extension. However, recent findings suggest that it is the PCL rather than the ACL which is strained during forward lunging. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to establish a musculoskeletal model of the forward lunge to computationally investigate the complete mechanical force equilibrium of the tibia during the movement to examine the loading pattern of the cruciate ligaments. A healthy female was selected from a group of healthy subjects who all performed a forward lunge on a force platform, targeting a knee flexion angle of 90°. Skin‐markers were placed on anatomical landmarks on the subject and the movement was recorded by five video cameras. The three‐dimensional kinematic data describing the forward lunge movement were extracted and used to develop a biomechanical model of the lunge movement. The model comprised two legs including femur, crus, rigid foot segments and the pelvis. Each leg had 35 independent muscle units, which were recruited according to a minimum fatigue criterion. This approach allowed a full understanding of the mechanical equilibrium of the knee joint, which revealed that the PCL had an important stabilizing role in the forward lunge movement. In contrast, the ACL did not have any significant mechanical function during the lunge movement. Furthermore, the results showed that m. gluteus maximus may play a role as a knee stabilizer in addition to the hamstring muscles.
Feeding, digestion and food storage in two species of temnocephalid flatworms (Turbellaria: Rhabdocoela)
Authors: Jennings J. B.
Published: October 2012

Histological and histochemical methods have been used to study feeding, digestion and food storage in two species of temnocephalid flatworms.

Temnocephala brenesi, from Costa Rica, and T. novae‐zealandiae, from New Zealand, are ectocommensal on the gills of freshwater decapod crustaceans and feed on a variety of small aquatic organisms. The prey is captured by means of prehensile tentacles, and is either ingested intact or held to the mouth whilst the pharynx ruptures the integument to draw in the body contents.

In both species the alimentary system is of the typical rhabdocoel form, with a doliiform pharynx and saccate intestine. The gastrodermis is differentiated into glandular and phagocytic components, with some of the gland cells subgastrodermal and embedded in the parenchyma surrounding the intestine.

Digestion occurs by a combination of extra‐ and intracellular processes; endo‐ and exopeptidases, acid and alkaline phosphatases and lipases are secreted in sequence and can be demonstrated histochemically.

Deposits of fat occur in the vitellaria and eggs, and glycogen is laid down in the testes and the musculature of the pharynx and sucker.

The ectocommensal life has not caused any significant change in the general pattern of nutrition characteristic of free‐living flatworms and no tendency towards a parasitic existence has been found.
Studies on the movement, the cytology and the associated micro‐organisms of the intestine of Aspiculuris tetraptera (Nematoda)
Authors: Lee D. L. , Anya A. O.
Published: October 2012

The intestine of the parasitic nematode Aspiculuris tetraptera has been shown to undergo periodic contractions which suggested that muscles were associated with the intestine. Examination of sections of the intestine has shown that the intestinal cells are similar to those of other nematodes which have been described at the ultra‐structural level but there is a network of muscle fibres around the whole of the intestine. There are many virus‐like particles in the epithelial cells; yeast‐like micro‐organisms in the lumen of the intestine are attached to the apical surface of the epithelial cells and they replace some of the microvilli. The part played by the muscle network during digestion and defecation is discussed.
The parasitic Crustacea of African freshwater fishes; their biology and distribution
Authors: Fryer Geoffrey
Published: October 2012

The known distribution of the parasitic crustaceans of African freshwater fishes, which now include some 80 more or less adequately described taxa, is summarized, and the significance of some of the patterns which they exhibit is discussed. Information is given on the taxonomy biology and evolution of certain species.
Olfaction in Rallidae (Gruiformes), a morphological study of thirteen species
Authors: Bang B. G.
Published: October 2012

Olfaction has been largely overlooked as a factor in avian ethology. Olfactory structure in 13 species of Rallidae (Gruiformes) and in a distant terrestrial ordinal relative, the button‐quail, Turnix, is described. The design of the nasal fossa for the efficient function of the olfactory membrane is reviewed. Rallidae have an average olfactory bulb‐to‐hemisphere ratio of 23%, about the middle of the scale of relative olfactory ratios in birds. The ratio in Turnix is 12·5%. While there is no significant difference in the amount of olfactory equipment in either dispersed or overlapping species of Rallidae, evidence is presented that there are qualitative differences in secretory cells in the olfactory and lateral nasal gland systems. It is suggested that these may influence the reception or inhibition of particular odorants.
Reproduction in eastern forms of the Spotted skunk (genus Spilogale)
Authors: Mead Rodney A.
Published: October 2012

The reproductive physiology of 156 feral and 31 captive specimens of two eastern subspecies of the Spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) was studied, the histology of the primary and secondary sexual organs of both sexes described, and the breeding cycle outlined.

Most matings take place in April and parturition occurs in June. Some females from southern latitudes may produce two litters in a single year.
Structure and scaling of the lumbar vertebrae in African bovids (Mammalia: Artiodactyla)
Authors: Halpert A. P. , Jenkins F. A. , Franks H.
Published: October 2012

The structure and dimensions of the lumbar vertebrae from 18 genera of African bovids (with a body weight range of 4–900 kg) were studied with reference to allometric and biomechanical factors. Centrum height scales with body weight according to McMahon's elastic similarity theory, but centrum width scales geometrically with body weight. Thus, the dimensions of bones need not scale according to a single principle. Transverse process orientation, as measured in two planes, varies allometrically with body weight; this trend may reflect size‐related differences in abdominal girth and spinal musculature. Bovids exhibit decreasing lumbar mobility in the sagittal plane with increasing body size, a phenomenon related to an increase in centrum height and the appearance of interlocking mechanisms (postzygapophysial ridges and prezygapophysial labra). Geometric scaling of centrum width and zygapophysial curvature is evidence that lateral flexion of the spine occurs throughout the family. In all taxa examined, the last lumbar vertebra exhibits an absolutely wider centrum and straight postzygapophyses, thus reducing lateral mobility at the lumbosacral joint. In heavier bovids, the observed restriction of lumbar flexion and extension to the lumbosacral joint is a consequence of the distribution of the shapes of the centra and the interlocking mechanisms of the zygapophyses.