bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma Levels of trans‐Fatty Acids are Low in Exclusively Breastfed Infants of Adolescent Mothers
Authors: de Souza Santos da Costa Roseli , da Silva Santos Flavia , da Conceição Felipe Domingues , Saunders Claudia , de Carvalho Sardinha Fatima Lúcia , de Miranda Chaves Célia Regina Moutinho , da Graças Tavares do Carmo Maria
Published: March 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of trans‐octadecenoic acid (C18:1‐trans) and trans‐isomers of linoleic acid (18:2‐trans), as well as long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFA), in the plasma from infants of adolescent mothers at 3 months of age, exclusively breastfed, and the relationship with the levels of the same isomers in plasma and milk of the mothers. Samples of blood and mature milk were obtained from 49 healthy adolescent mothers and their exclusively breastfed infants treated at the Instituto Fernandes Figueira‐Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IFF‐FIOCRUZ) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. trans‐Fatty acids (TFA) were analyzed by gas chromatography. The results of this study showed low levels of TFA in milk (1.53%), maternal plasma (0.50%), and plasma of infants (0.74%). The results show that, although TFA have been found in the plasma of the studied infants, the LC‐PUFA levels are kept within normal limits. No association between TFA presence and parameters of nutritional status of the infants was observed, probably due to the low levels of these fatty acids found in this study.
Determination of Polyunsaturated Fatty Esters (PUFA) in Biodiesel by GC/GC–MS and 1H‐NMR Techniques
Authors: Chopra Anju , Tewari A. K. , Vatsala S. , Kumar Ravindra , Sarpal A. S. , Basu B.
Published: March 2011

In the present work, methods based on Gas Chromatography (GC), Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and 1H‐NMR techniques was developed for the characterization and estimation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Esters (PUFA) in biodiesel. The GC method enables the separation, identification and estimation of these polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters to be carried out using a highly polar capillary column (100% cyanopropyl silicon). GC–MS was utilized for unambiguous identification and estimation of esters and isomers present in biodiesel. The estimation of PUFA content is important because PUFA content is a part of the EN 14214 specifications of biodiesel. There is no existing standard method for the estimation of total PUFA content in biodiesel. The developed GC method also quantifies EPA and DHA (C20:5 and C22:6) fatty acid methyl esters which can be used as markers for the estimation of fish oil biodiesel. The presence of EPA and DHA indicates the contamination of fish oil in biodiesel. Further, the 1H‐NMR technique has also been employed to identify and estimate PUFA containing ≥3 double bonds. The PUFA content was estimated from the integral intensities of the chemical shift region corresponding to all type of double bonds in the 1H‐NMR spectra. Based on the developed method, GC fingerprinting of various biodiesel samples was carried out to estimate a PUFA content as low as 1,000 ppm.
New MR sequences in daily practice: susceptibility weighted imaging. A pictorial essay
Authors: Gasparotti Roberto , Pinelli Lorenzo , Liserre Roberto
Published: March 2011

Background

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is a relatively new magnetic resonance (MR) technique that exploits the magnetic susceptibility differences of various tissues, such as blood, iron and calcification, as a new source of contrast enhancement. This pictorial review is aimed at illustrating and discussing its main clinical applications.

Methods

SWI is based on high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D), fully velocity-compensated gradient-echo sequences using both magnitude and phase images. A phase mask obtained from the MR phase images is multiplied with magnitude images in order to increase the visualisation of the smaller veins and other sources of susceptibility effects, which are displayed at best after post-processing of the 3D dataset with the minimal intensity projection (minIP) algorithm.

Results

SWI is very useful in detecting cerebral microbleeds in ageing and occult low-flow vascular malformations, in characterising brain tumours and degenerative diseases of the brain, and in recognizing calcifications in various pathological conditions. The phase images are especially useful in differentiating between paramagnetic susceptibility effects of blood and diamagnetic effects of calcium. SWI can also be used to evaluate changes in iron content in different neurodegenerative disorders.

Conclusion

SWI is useful in differentiating and characterising diverse brain disorders.
The cytoskeleton and nucleus: the role of actin as a modulator of neuronal gene expression
Authors: Knöll B. , Beck H.
Published: March 2011

Actin, arranged for example in stress fibres, provides a fundamental cytoskeletal frame­work function to all cell types. Notably, there is now mounting evidence that, in addition to cytoplasmic cytoskeletal regulation, ac­tin treadmilling provides a signal modulat­ing nuclear gene expression. In altering gene regulation, cytoplasmic and most likely also a nucleus-resident actin provides an addition­al (gene) regulatory twist to cell motility. So far, the transcription factor serum response factor (SRF) alongside its myocardin-relat­ed transcription factor (MRTF) cofactors has emerged as the main target of actin dynam­ics. In this review, we discuss the impact of actin signalling on nuclear gene expression in the nervous system, where the actin-MRTF-SRF module contributes to various processes including neuronal motility.
The dual role of the X‐linked FoxP3 gene in human cancers
Authors: Redpath Margaret , Xu Bin , van Kempen Leon C. , Spatz Alan
Published: March 2011

The FoxP3 (forkhead box P3) gene is an X‐linked gene that is submitted to inactivation. It is an essential transcription factor in CD4+CD25+FoxP3 regulatory T cells, which are therapeutic targets in disseminated cutaneous melanoma. Moreover, FoxP3 is an important tumor suppressor gene in carcinomas and has putative cancer suppressor gene function in cutaneous melanoma as well. Therefore understanding the structure and function of the FoxP3 gene is crucial to gaining insight into the biology of melanoma to better develop immunotherapeutics and future therapeutic strategies.
Country differences in patient characteristics and treatment in schizophrenia: data from a physician-based survey in Europe
Authors: Papageorgiou G. , Cañas F. , Zink M. , Rossi A.
Published: March 2011

Schizophrenia is a frequent psychiatric disorder whose prevalence appears to be relatively stable across different patient groups. However, attitudes to care and resources devoted to mental health care may differ between countries. The objective of this analysis was to compare sociodemographic and psychopathological features of patients, antipsychotic treatment and frequency of hospitalisation between four European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain) collected as part of a large survey of the characteristics of patients with schizophrenia. The survey was conducted by structured interview of 744 randomly-selected psychiatrists in four European countries who recruited 3996 patients. Information on 39 variables was collected. A number of between-country differences were observed which tended to distinguish Germany on the one hand, from the Mediterranean countries, and Greece in particular, on the other. While demographic features and clinical features were essentially similar, more patients in Germany were considered to have severe disease by their psychiatrist (59.0% versus 35.9% in Greece) and to be hospitalised (49.3% versus 15.0%). 46.7% of German patients were living alone compared to less than 20% in the Mediterranean countries and 50.2% were living with their family (versus over70% elsewhere). Smoking and addictive behaviours were more frequently reported for patients in Spain. With regard to empirically derived patient subgroups, Subgroup 2, corresponding to well-integrated and autonomous patients with mild to moderate disease severity was most highly represented in Greece (23.6% of patients compared to less than 10% elsewhere) elsewhere, Subgroup 6 (poorly-integrated patients with moderately severe disease who require caregiver support) was under-represented in Germany (4.5% versus over 17% elsewhere). Patterns of treatment were essentially similar, although quetiapine was more frequently prescribed and paliperidone less frequently prescribed in Germany than elsewhere. Reasons for treatment choice were comparable between countries, primarily related to good tolerability and control of positive symptoms. The differences observed may be attributed to differences in mental health care resource provision, socio-cultural or educational differences or to resource issues.
Policy Responsiveness in Post-communist Europe: Public Preferences and Economic Reforms
Authors: Roberts Andrew , Kim Byung-Yeon
Published: March 2011

This article assesses the degree of policy responsiveness in the new democracies of post-communist Europe. Panel data on economic reform and public opinion show that public support for reform has a large and significant effect on reform progress. Where public support for reform is high, reform proceeds more quickly. This effect remains strong even when controlling for the endogeneity of public support and other economic and political causes of reform, though it is strongest in more democratic countries. These results suggest that economic reform may be better promoted by persuading the public of the beneficial consequences of reform than by trying to insulate reformers from the public, and that the quality of democracy in the region may be higher than commonly perceived.
ADDING VALUE TO FIELD-BASED AGRONOMIC RESEARCH THROUGH CLIMATE RISK ASSESSMENT: A CASE STUDY OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN KITALE, KENYA
Authors: DIXIT P. N. , COOPER P. J. M. , DIMES J. , RAO K. P.
Published: March 2011

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), rainfed agriculture is the dominant source of food production. Over the past 50 years much agronomic crop research has been undertaken, and the results of such work are used in formulating recommendations for farmers. However, since rainfall is highly variable across seasons the outcomes of such research will depend upon the rainfall characteristics of the seasons during which the work was undertaken. A major constraint that is faced by such research is the length of time for which studies could be continued, typically ranging between three and five years. This begs the question as to what extent the research was able to ‘sample’ the natural longer-term season-to-season rainfall variability. Without knowledge of the full implications of weather variability on the performance of innovations being recommended, farmers cannot be properly advised about the possible weather-induced risks that they may face over time. To overcome this constraint, crop growth simulation models such as the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) can be used as an integral part of field-based agronomic studies. When driven by long-term daily weather data (30+ years), such models can provide weather-induced risk estimates for a wide range of crop, soil and water management innovations for the major rainfed crops of SSA. Where access to long-term weather data is not possible, weather generators such as MarkSim can be used. This study demonstrates the value of such tools in climate risk analyses and assesses the value of the outputs in the context of a high potential maize production area in Kenya. MarkSim generated weather data is shown to provide a satisfactory approximation of recorded weather data at hand, and the output of 50 years of APSIM simulations demonstrate maize yield responses to plant population, weed control and nitrogen (N) fertilizer use that correspond well with results reported in the literature. Weather-induced risk is shown to have important effects on the rates of return ($ per $ invested) to N-fertilizer use which, across seasons and rates of N-application, ranged from 1.1 to 6.2. Similarly, rates of return to weed control and to planting at contrasting populations were also affected by seasonal variations in weather, but were always so high as to not constitute a risk for small-scale farmers. An analysis investigating the relative importance of temperature, radiation and water availability in contributing to weather-induced risk at different maize growth stages corresponded well with crop physiological studies reported in the literature.
SUPPORTING AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION IN UGANDA TO RESPOND TO CLIMATE RISK: LINKING CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY WITH FARMER PERCEPTIONS
Authors: OSBAHR HENNY , DORWARD PETER , STERN ROGER , COOPER SARAH
Published: March 2011

This paper investigates farmers’ perceptions of climate change and variability in southwest Uganda and compares them with daily rainfall and temperature measurements from the 1960s to the present, including trends in daily rainfall and temperature, seasonality, changing probability of risk and intensity of rainfall events. Statistical analyses and modelling of rainfall and temperature were performed and contrasted with qualitative data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The fieldwork showed that farmers perceived regional climate to have changed in the past 20 years. In particular, farmers felt that temperature had increased and seasonality and variability had changed, with the first rainy season between March and May becoming more variable. Farmers reported detailed accounts of climate characteristics during specific years, with recent droughts in the late 1990s and late 2000s confirming local perceptions that there has been a shift in climate towards more variable conditions that are less favourable to production. There is a clear signal that temperature has been increasing in the climate data and, to a lesser extent, evidence that the reliability of rains in the first season has decreased slightly. However, rainfall measurements do not show a downward trend in rainfall amount, a significant shift in the intensity of rainfall events or in the start and end of the rainy seasons. We explore why there are some differences between farmers’ perceptions and the climate data due to different associations of risk between ideal rainfall by farmers, including the amount and distribution needed for production, meteorological definitions of normal rainfall or the long-term statistical mean and its variation, and the impact of higher temperatures. The paper reflects on the methodological approach and considers the implications for communicating information about risk to users in order to support agricultural innovation.
DEALING WITH CLIMATE-RELATED RISKS: SOME PIONEERING IDEAS FOR ENHANCED PASTORAL RISK MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA
Authors: OUMA ROBERT , MUDE ANDREW , VAN DE STEEG JEANNETTE
Published: March 2011

This paper makes the case for innovative risk management approaches in pastoral settings, which may include adjustments to the traditionally practiced approaches that have become progressively less effective. We use recent data from studies in Kenya and southern Ethiopia to confirm that traditional pastoral risk management approaches are increasingly futile against increasing external pressures, seasonal rainfall variability and future climate change. Some pioneering approaches and ideas, with potentially wider application to African pastoral settings, appear to offer greater hope; these include pilot studies designed to demonstrate the efficacy of index-based risk transfer products in pastoral systems, improvements in the management of food insecurity response for pastoralists and the recasting of development interventions as risk management. The International Livestock Research Institute, in collaboration with a wide range of partners, is currently testing these ideas.
CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE: FARMER PERCEPTIONS AND UNDERSTANDING OF INTRA-SEASONAL VARIABILITY IN RAINFALL AND ASSOCIATED RISK IN SEMI-ARID KENYA
Authors: RAO K. P. C. , NDEGWA W. G. , KIZITO K. , OYOO A.
Published: March 2011

This study examines farmers’ perceptions of short- and long-term variability in climate, their ability to discern trends in climate and how the perceived trends converge with actual weather observations in five districts of Eastern Province in Kenya where the climate is semi-arid with high intra- and inter-annual variability in rainfall. Field surveys to elicit farmers’ perceptions about climate variability and change were conducted in Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Mwingi and Mutomo districts. Long-term rainfall records from five meteorological stations within a 10 km radius from the survey locations were obtained from the Kenya Meteorological Department and were analysed to compare with farmers’ observations. Farmers’ responses indicate that they are well aware of the general climate in their location, its variability, the probabilistic nature of the variability and the impacts of this variability on crop production. However, their ability to synthesize the knowledge they have gained from their observations and discern long-term trends in the probabilistic distribution of seasonal conditions is more subjective, mainly due to the compounding interactions between climate and other factors such as soil fertility, soil water and land use change that determine the climate's overall influence on crop productivity. There is a general tendency among the farmers to give greater weight to negative impacts leading to higher risk perception. In relation to long-term changes in the climate, farmer observations in our study that rainfall patterns are changing corroborated well with reported perceptions from other places across the African continent but were not supported by the observed trends in rainfall data from the five study locations. The main implication of our findings is the need to be aware of and account for the risk during the development and promotion of technologies involving significant investments by smallholder farmers and exercise caution in interpreting farmers’ perceptions about long-term climate variability and change.
ASSESSING AND ADDRESSING CLIMATE-INDUCED RISK IN SUB-SAHARAN RAINFED AGRICULTURE
Authors: COOPER P. J. M. , COE R.
Published: March 2011

Rainfed agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is the mainstay of the continent's food and feed production. Nearly 90% of staple food and feed production comes from, and will continue to come from, rainfed agriculture (Rosegrant et al., 2002). In spite of this, investment in this vital production system, and hence its productivity, has stagnated. There are many complex and interrelated issues that contribute to this state of affairs. The outcomes of lack of investment and low production of rainfed agriculture reinforce each other leading to poverty traps and increased vulnerability of livelihoods to climatic and other shocks (World Bank, 2000). This has become well recognized and an emerging political will, both within and outside SSA, to support increased investment in rainfed agriculture appears to be gaining momentum (Sanchez et al, 2009).
ASSESSING CLIMATE RISK AND CLIMATE CHANGE USING RAINFALL DATA – A CASE STUDY FROM ZAMBIA
Authors: STERN R. D. , COOPER P. J. M.
Published: March 2011

Rainfall variability, both within and between seasons, is reflected in highly variable crop growth and yields in rainfed agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and results in varying degrees of weather-induced risk associated with a wide range of crop, soil and water management innovations. In addition there is both growing evidence and concern that changes in rainfall patterns associated with global warming may substantively affect the nature of such risk. Eighty-nine years of daily rainfall data from a site in southern Zambia are analysed. The analyses illustrate approaches to assessing the extent of possible trends in rainfall patterns and the calculation of weather-induced risk associated with the inter- and intra-seasonal variability of the rainfall amounts. Trend analyses use monthly rainfall totals and the number of rain days in each month. No simple trends were found. The daily data were then processed to examine important rain dependent aspects of crop production such as the date of the start of the rains and the risk of a long dry spell, both following planting and around flowering. The same approach is used to assess the risk of examples of crop disease in instances when a ‘weather trigger’ for the disease can be specified. A crop water satisfaction index is also used to compare risks from choices of crops with different maturity lengths and cropping strategies. Finally a different approach to the calculations of these risks fits a Markov chain model to the occurrence of rain, with results then derived from this model. The analyses shows the relevance of this latter approach when relatively short daily rainfall records are available and is illustrated through a comparison of the effects of El Niño, La Niña and Ordinary years on rainfall distribution patterns.
AN INTEGRATED ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH: SYNERGIES AND TRADE-OFFS
Authors: JARVIS ANDY , LAU CHARLOTTE , COOK SIMON , WOLLENBERG EVA , HANSEN JAMES , BONILLA OSANA , CHALLINOR ANDY
Published: March 2011

Global food security is under threat by climate change, and the impacts fall disproportionately on resource-poor small producers. With the goal of making agricultural and food systems more climate-resilient, this paper presents an adaptation and mitigation framework. A road map for further agricultural research is proposed, based on the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. We propose a holistic, integrated approach that takes into account trade-offs and feedbacks between interventions. We divide the agenda into four research areas, three tackling risk management, accelerated adaptation and emissions mitigation, and the fourth facilitating adoption of research outputs. After reviewing specific technical, agronomic and policy options for reducing climate change vulnerability, we acknowledge that science and good-faith recommendations do not necessarily translate into effective and timely actions. We therefore outline impediments to behavioural change and propose that future research overcomes these obstacles by linking the right institutions, instruments and scientific outputs. Food security research must go beyond its focus on production to also examine food access and utilization issues. Finally, we conclude that urgent action is needed despite the uncertainties, trade-offs and challenges.
Population dynamics ofSesarma rectum(Crustacea: Brachyura: Grapsidae) in the Ariquindá River mangrove, north-east of Brazil
Authors: da Silva Castiglioni Daniela , de Oliveira Paloma Joana Albuquerque , da Silva Josivan Soares , Coelho Petrônio Alves
Published: March 2011

This study was carried out in order to provide basic information on the population ecology of the crabSesarma rectumin the Ariquindá River mangrove, Tamandaré, State of Pernambuco, Brazil. The population was analysed with regard to the following aspects, in particular: the size-class frequency distribution of carapace width (CW), mean body size (CW) of males and females, morphological sexual maturity, sex-ratio, reproductive period, and recruitment. Samples were collected monthly from April 2008 through to March 2009; the crabs were collected manually, with a capture effort by one person for 30 minutes, during low tide. The specimens obtained were measured for CW, length of the propodus of males, and abdomen width of females; and the sex and ovigerous condition were noted. Altogether, we obtained 511 specimens (132 juvenile and 137 adult males, and 171 juvenile and 71 adult females, of which 32 were ovigerous). The median CW of males (16.15 mm) was significantly larger than that of females (13.82 mm) (P < 0.05). The size at morphological sexual maturity was 15.73 mm in males and 16.71 mm in females. The sex-ratio for the total of specimens analysed was 1.11:1 (male:female) (P > 0.05). The sex-ratio by size-class showed an anomalous pattern, with a greater abundance of males in the larger size-classes. The reproductive period was continuous and the highest frequency of ovigerous females was recorded in the spring and summer. The major pulse of recruitment occurred during autumn and winter, which is related to greater reproductive activity during the warmer months of the year.
New species of Antomicron and Leptolaimus (Nematoda: Leptolaimidae) and record of Procamacolaimus (Nematoda: Camacolaimidae) from Patagonia coast, Chubut and Santa Cruz, Argentina
Authors: Villares Gabriela , Pastor de Ward Catalina T.
Published: March 2011

This paper focuses on Antomicron, Leptolaimus and Procamacolaimus, three genera inhabiting coastal water systems of the Patagonian, Chubut and Santa Cruz provinces of Argentina, providing a review of their taxonomy for a new identification key. One new species belonging to the genus Antomicron and one new species belonging to the genus Leptolaimus of the family Leptolaimidae are described from Puerto San Julián, Santa Cruz province: Antomicron alveolatum sp. nov. has 35 alveoli and three precloacal supplements and Leptolaimus gabinoi sp. nov. is characterized by the structure and number of precloacal supplements (three) with hamate distal end with two hooks. Another species belonging to the genus Procamacolaimus of the family Camacolaimidae is described and recorded from Puerto Madryn, Chubut province of Argentina: Procamacolaimus dorylaimus.
Co-morbidity between major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders: shared etiology or direct causation?
Authors: Mathew A. R. , Pettit J. W. , Lewinsohn P. M. , Seeley J. R. , Roberts R. E.
Published: March 2011

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders (ANX) are debilitating and prevalent conditions that often co-occur in adolescence and young adulthood. The leading theoretical models of their co-morbidity include the direct causation model and the shared etiology model. The present study compared these etiological models of MDD–ANX co-morbidity in a large, prospective, non-clinical sample of adolescents tracked through age 30.

Method

Logistic regression was used to examine cross-sectional associations between ANX and MDD at Time 1 (T1). In prospective analyses, Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine T1 predictors of subsequent disorder onset, including risk factors specific to each disorder or common to both disorders. Prospective predictive effect of a lifetime history of one disorder (e.g. MDD) on the subsequent onset of the second disorder (e.g. ANX) was then examined. This step was repeated while controlling for common risk factors.

Results

The findings supported relatively distinct profiles of risk between MDD and ANX depending on order of development. Whereas the shared etiology model best explained co-morbid cases in which MDD preceded ANX, direct causation was supported for co-morbid cases in which ANX preceded MDD.

Conclusions

Consistent with previous research, significant cross-sectional and prospective associations were found between MDD and ANX. The results of the present study suggest that different etiological models may characterize the co-morbidity between MDD and ANX based upon the temporal order of onset. Implications for classification and prevention efforts are discussed.
Narrating psychological distress: Associations between cross-clausal integration and mental health difficulties
Authors: ZINKEN JÖRG , BLAKEMORE CAROLINE , ZINKEN KATARZYNA , BUTLER LISA , SKINNER T. CHAS
Published: March 2011

Psychological research has emphasized the importance of narrative for a person's sense of self. Building a coherent narrative of past events is one objective of psychotherapy. However, in guided self-help therapy the patient has to develop this narrative autonomously. Identifying patients’ narrative skills in relation to psychological distress could provide useful information about their suitability for self-help. The aim of this study was to explore whether the syntactic integration of clauses into narrative in texts written by prospective psychotherapy patients was related to mild to moderate psychological distress. Cross-clausal syntax of texts by 97 people who had contacted a primary care mental health service was analyzed. Severity of symptoms associated with mental health difficulties was assessed by a standardized scale (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation outcome measure). Cross-clausal syntactic integration was negatively correlated with the severity of symptoms. A multiple regression analysis confirmed that the use of simple sentences, finite complement clauses, and coordinated clauses was associated with symptoms (R2 = .26). The results suggest that the analysis of cross-clausal syntax can provide information on patients’ narrative skills in relation to distressing events and can therefore provide additional information to support treatment decisions.
Changes in language usage of Puerto Rican mothers and their children: Do gender and timing of exposure to English matter?
Authors: HAMMER CAROL SCHEFFNER , LAWRENCE FRANK , RODRIGUEZ BARBARA , DAVISON MEGAN DUNN , MICCIO ADELE W.
Published: March 2011

This longitudinal study investigated changes in reported language usage between Puerto Rican mothers and their preschoolers over a 4-year period. It also examined whether differences in language usage occurred depending on the timing of children's exposure to English and children's gender. Seventy-six mothers reported the languages they and their children used when talking to each other during 2 years in Head Start, kindergarten, and first grade. Mothers of children who were exposed to Spanish and English prior to preschool entry reported using more English to their children than mothers of children who were not exposed to English until after preschool entry. The language usage of the children followed the same patterns as their mothers. The difference between the groups was maintained over the 4 years, although both groups increased their English usage. A gender effect was observed. Mothers of girls were five times more likely to use “More or All Spanish” than mothers of sons. In addition, girls who were exposed to Spanish only prior to preschool entry were six times more likely to speak to their mothers in “More or All Spanish” than other participating children. The bidimensional model of acculturation is used to present and interpret the findings.
Assessing the productive vocabulary of Spanish–English bilingual toddlers from low-income families
Authors: MANCILLA-MARTINEZ JEANNETTE , PAN BARBARA ALEXANDER , VAGH SHAHER BANU
Published: March 2011

This study investigates the utility and validity of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) for use with low-income parents and their 24- to 36-month-old Spanish–English bilingual children (n= 79). Issues in the interpretation of the integrated CDI/Inventarios del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas (IDHC) score to index bilingual children's overall conceptual knowledge are also considered. Results indicate that the CDI/IDHC can be used with this population through at least age 36 months and parents are accurate reporters of their children's Spanish and English vocabulary. The value of the integrated score was confirmed. However, given the lack of norms associated with the integrated score, the complexity of determining how best to interpret this score was underscored.
Indexical information, encoding difficulty, and second language vocabulary learning
Authors: SOMMERS MITCHELL S. , BARCROFT JOE
Published: March 2011

Research has demonstrated that second language (L2) vocabulary learning improves when target words are presented in acoustically varied compared with acoustically consistent formats. The present study investigated the extent to which this benefit of acoustic variability is a consequence of difficult encoding demands (cognitive effort hypothesis) versus increased representational quality. Experiment 1 compared L2 vocabulary learning for words produced in normal (easier encoding) or nasal (more difficult encoding) voice. Vocabulary learning was superior in the normal-voice condition, arguing against a simple cognitive effort hypothesis as the basis for improved L2 vocabulary learning with increased acoustic variability. Experiment 2 assessed the resistance of newly acquired L2 word forms to the effects of acoustic degradation. Participants heard six repetitions of each item in either a single-talker or multiple-talker condition. The robustness of the new word-form representations was assessed by measuring the accuracy and latency of L2 to first language (L1) translation as a function of the signal/noise ratio. At all four signal/noise ratios, accuracy and latency of L2 to L1 translation were significantly better for words learned in the multiple-talker as opposed to the single-talker condition. Of particular importance, the difference between single talkers and multiple talkers increased systematically as signal/noise ratio decreased. These findings suggest that the benefits of acoustic variability are a consequence of learners' ability to retain and use indexical information during the earliest stages of word learning and provide support for the representation quality hypothesis.
Language, power and identity
Authors: Wodak Ruth
Published: March 2011

How are identities constructed in discourse? How are national and European identities tied to language and communication? And what role does power have – power in discourse, over discourse and of discourse? This paper seeks to identify and analyse processes of identity construction within Europe and at its boundaries, particularly the diversity of sources and forms of expression in several genres and contexts. It draws on media debates on Austrian versus Standard High German, on focus group discussions with migrants in eight European countries and on public and political debates on citizenship in the European Union which screen newly installed language tests. The analysis of different genres and publics all illustrate the complexity of national and transnational identity constructions in a globalised world. What is experienced as European or as outside of Europe is the result of multiple activities, some of them consciously planned in the sense of political, economic or cultural intervention, others more hidden, indirect, in the background. Such developments are contradictory rather than harmonious, proceeding in ‘loops’ and partial regressions (rather than in a linear, uni-directional or teleological way). Thus, an interdisciplinary approach suggests itself which accounts for diverse context-dependent discursive and social practices.
Excess mortality monitoring in England and Wales during the influenza A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic
Authors: HARDELID P. , ANDREWS N. , PEBODY R.
Published: March 2011

We present the results from a novel surveillance system for detecting excess all-cause mortality by age group in England and Wales developed during the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 period from April 2009 to March 2010. A Poisson regression model was fitted to age-specific mortality data from 1999 to 2008 and used to predict the expected number of weekly deaths in the absence of extreme health events. The system included adjustment for reporting delays. During the pandemic, excess all-cause mortality was seen in the 5–14 years age group, where mortality was flagged as being in excess for 1 week after the second peak in pandemic influenza activity; and in age groups >45 years during a period of very cold weather. This new system has utility for rapidly estimating excess mortality for other acute public health events such as extreme heat or cold weather.
The sociolinguistic variant as a carrier of social meaning
Authors: Campbell-Kibler Kathryn
Published: March 2011

Traditionally used as a “heuristic device” (Labov, 1978), the sociolinguistic variable has taken on a new role as a primitive of speaker/hearer mental models in third-wave variation work (Eckert, 2005, 2008). Results from a sociolinguistic perception study suggest that at least in some cases, variants of the same variable function independently as loci of indexically linked social meaning. Listener responses were collected to three matched guises of the English variable (ING): -in, -ing, and a neutral guise with no audible (ING) tokens. The results counter the study hypothesis that listener expectation, triggered by speaker regional accent, would shape (ING)'s impact. Instead, the two variants showed distinct social associations: the -ing guises were rated as more intelligent/educated, more articulate, and less likely to be a student than either the -in or neutral guises, which did not differ significantly. In contrast, -in guises made speakers sound less formal and less likely to be gay than the -ing and neutral guises, which did not differ. These results suggest that third-wave work needs to more closely examine the role of the variable in theorizing the relationship between linguistic and social structures.
Elgot theories: a new perspective on the equational properties of iteration
Authors: ADÁMEK JIŘÍ , MILIUS STEFAN , VELEBIL JIŘÍ
Published: March 2011

Bloom and Ésik's concept of iteration theory summarises all equational properties that iteration has in common applications, for example, in domain theory, where to every system of recursive equations, the least solution is assigned. This paper shows that in the coalgebraic approach to iteration, the more appropriate concept is that of a functorial iteration theory (called Elgot theory). These theories have a particularly simple axiomatisation, and all well-known examples of iteration theories are functorial. Elgot theories are proved to be monadic over the category of sets in context (or, more generally, the category of finitary endofunctors of a locally finitely presentable category). This demonstrates that functoriality is an equational property from the perspective of sets in context. In contrast, Bloom and Ésik worked in the base category of signatures rather than sets in context, and there iteration theories are monadic but Elgot theories are not. This explains why functoriality was not included in the definition of iteration theories.
Initial algebras and terminal coalgebras in many-sorted sets
Authors: ADÁMEK JIŘÍ , TRNKOVÁ VĚRA
Published: March 2011

We prove that the iterative construction of initial algebras converges for endofunctors F of many-sorted sets whenever F has an initial algebra. In the case of one-sorted sets, the convergence takes n steps where n is either an infinite regular cardinal or is at most 3. Dually, the existence of a many-sorted terminal coalgebra implies that the iterative construction of a terminal coalgebra converges. Moreover, every endofunctor with a fixed-point pair larger than the number of sorts is proved to have a terminal coalgebra. As demonstrated by James Worell, the number of steps here need not be a cardinal even in the case of a single sort: it is ω + ω for the finite power-set functor. The above results do not hold for related categories, such as graphs: we present non-constructive initial algebras and terminal coalgebras.
On monotone modalities and adjointness
Authors: BÍLKOVÁ MARTA , VELEBIL JIŘÍ , VENEMA YDE
Published: March 2011

We fix a logical connection (Stone ˧ Pred : Setop → BA given by 2 as a schizophrenic object) and study coalgebraic modal logic that is induced by a functor T: Set → Set that is finitary and standard and preserves weak pullbacks and finite sets. We prove that for any such T, the cover modality nabla is a left (and its dual delta is a right) adjoint relative to ω. We then consider monotone unary modalities arising from the logical connection and show that they all are left (or right) adjoints relative to ω.
Coalgebraic logic over general measurable spaces – a survey
Authors: DOBERKAT ERNST-ERICH , SCHUBERT CHRISTOPH
Published: March 2011

In this survey we discuss the generalisation of stochastic Kripke models for general modal logics through predicate liftings for functors over general measurable spaces. We derive results on expressivity and show that selection arguments allow us to incorporate the discussion of bisimilarity, provided the underlying spaces are assumed to be standard Borel.
Pointwise extensions of GSOS-defined operations
Authors: HANSEN HELLE HVID , KLIN BARTEK
Published: March 2011

Final coalgebras capture system behaviours such as streams, infinite trees and processes. Algebraic operations on a final coalgebra can be defined by distributive laws (of a syntax functor Σ over a behaviour functor F). Such distributive laws correspond to abstract specification formats. One such format is a generalisation of the GSOS rules known from structural operational semantics of processes. We show that given an abstract GSOS specification ρ that defines operations σ on a final F-coalgebra, we can systematically construct a GSOS specification ρ that defines the pointwise extension σ of σ on a final FA-coalgebra. The construction relies on the addition of a family of auxiliary ‘buffer’ operations to the syntax. These buffer operations depend only on A, so the construction is uniform for all σ and F.
Guest Editorial: On Method and Resolution in Philosophical Bioethics
Authors: COGGON JOHN
Published: March 2011

A large tranche of contemporary bioethical inquiry is self-consciously focused on purpose and methodology. Bioethics is a field of disparate disciplines, and it is not always clear what role the philosopher plays in the wider scheme. Even when philosophical reflections can, in principle, find application in the real world (and often, in bioethics, there is too heady a degree of abstraction for this), there can be difficulty in finding sound resolution between the competing perspectives. Where fundamentals differ, we face apparent deadlock, with theorists seemingly able only to talk across each other. Perspectives on this vary. For example, some will argue that the philosopher’s role is purely reflective and need have no practical resonance whatsoever. Others may say that philosophers are not equipped to engage with empirical questions or, when they do, they do so on flawed understandings of “the real world”; bad science or science fiction replaces brute fact and emotional, social, and empirical reality. Some may seek to strike a balance by trying to engage the questions within a political framing, allowing both for normative and real-world concerns.
Vorsprung durch Technik: On Biotechnology, Bioethics, and Its Beneficiaries
Authors: PRIAULX NICKY
Published: March 2011

Bioethics as a distinctive field is undergoing a critical turn. It may be a quiet revolution, but a growing body of scholarship illustrates a perceived need for a rethink of the scope of the field and the approaches and priorities that have carried bioethicists through many heady years of success. Few areas of bioethical practice have been left unexamined, ranging from questions as to the sustainability of the discipline in its current form to the “expertise” of its practitioners; the legitimacy of bioethics in the realms of policymaking; its relationship to philosophy; the purchase of empirical and interdisciplinary method; the relationship of bioethics to the real world; bioethical understandings of the concept of “health” (and methods of attainment); its agenda, priorities, and inclusiveness right up to what might be the overarching question: “What is bioethics all about?” Unsurprisingly, these questions elicit varied responses. Scholars from various disciplines have critiqued fundamental tenets of the “ethics” business, albeit as claims of its “conservatism,” “corruption,” and its questionable “usefulness” suggest, not always with a charitable or constructive eye. But quite crucially and often overlooked, bioethicsitselfhas not shied away from the question as to what bioethics is and what it should become; increasingly apparent is that this kind of self-conscious and reflexive theorizing is regarded as a key priority for taking contemporary ethics forward.
The Challenge of Nonconfrontational Ethics
Authors: HARRIS JOHN
Published: March 2011

Matti Häyry’s new book is deliberately challenging; it tells six contemporary bioethicists, and all who share their methodologies or even their general approach, that they have got it badly wrong. From the striking photograph of Häyry himself on the front cover to the very last line, the genetic challenge is issued and elaborated. Häyry has divided his protagonists into three pairs, of which I find myself a member, and this makes responding a duty as well as a pleasure. Although I cannot speak for my partner in crime, Jonathan Glover, I am at least in the very best of all possible company.
Nonconfrontational Rationality or Critical Reasoning
Authors: ÁRNASON VILHJÁLMUR
Published: March 2011

Rationality and the Genetic Challenge by Matti Häyry is a well-written and thoughtful book about important issues in the contemporary ethical discussion of genetics. The book is well structured around seven practical themes that the author takes to exemplify “the genetic challenge.” He also refers to them as “seven ways of making people better,” which the subtitle of the book already puts into question form: Making People Better? In the first chapter of the book, Häyry introduces these seven themes and he discusses each of them in Chapters 3–9. In the remaining two chapters, 2 and 10, he describes the main normative positions analyzed in the book and clarifies his own methodology and position. He chooses six authors, or three pairs of authors, whom he takes to “represent the three normative doctrines of Western Moral philosophy” (p. 27) in order to demonstrate six “divergent rationalities” or “methods of genethics.” In this way, Häyry both summarizes the main prescriptive positions in contemporary bioethical debate and contrasts them with his own “nonconfrontational notion of rationality,” which aims to show that there is a variety of divergent, not mutually exclusive normative views, the justification of which “depends ultimately on the choice of worldviews, attitudes, and ideas about the foundation of moral worth” (p. 47).
Access to Life-Saving Medicines and Intellectual Property Rights: An Ethical Assessment
Authors: SCHROEDER DORIS , SINGER PETER
Published: March 2011

Dying before one’s time has been a prominent theme in classic literature and poetry. Catherine Linton’s youthful death inWuthering Heightsleaves behind a bereft Heathcliff and generations of mourning readers. The author herself, Emily Brontë, died young from tuberculosis. John Keats’Ode on Melancholycaptures the transitory beauty of 19th century human lives too often ravished by early death. Keats also died of tuberculosis, aged 25. “The bloom, whose petals nipped before they blew, died on the promise of the fruit” is how Percy Bysshe Shelley expressed his grief over Keats’ death. Emily Dickinson wroteSo Has a Daisy Vanished, being driven into depression by the early loss of loved ones from typhoid and tuberculosis.
Access to Healthcare and the Pharmaceutical Sector
Authors: LEISINGER KLAUS M. , SCHMITT KARIN M.
Published: March 2011

Health is higher on the international agenda than ever before, and improving the health of poor people is a central issue in development. Poor people suffer from far higher levels of ill health, mortality, and malnutrition than do those better off, and their inadequate health is one of the factors keeping them poor or for their being poor in the first place. Health is a crucially important economic asset, particularly for poor people. Their livelihoods depend on it. When poor people become ill or injured, their entire household can become trapped in a downward spiral of lost income and high healthcare costs—a vicious circle of poverty and ill health.
Collaborating with the Pharmaceutical Industry: An Aboriginal Perspective
Authors: BEETSON JACK
Published: March 2011

Firstly I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners whose land we are meeting on today. I acknowledge that I stand before you on the shoulders of Indigenous Peoples globally, past and present that have been marginalised, had their knowledge exploited, and generally had their inherent native title rights ripped off for the financial and health benefit of others.