bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Junk’ DNA and phenotypic evolution inSilenesectionSiphonomorpha
Authors: MEAGHER THOMAS R. , COSTICH DENISE E.
Published: May 2008

One of the long-standing mysteries in genomic evolution is the observation that much of the genome is composed of repetitive DNA, resulting in inter- and intraspecific variation in nuclear DNA content. Our discovery of a negative correlation between nuclear DNA content and flower size inSilene latifoliahas been supported by our subsequent investigation of changes in DNA content as a correlated response to selection on flower size. Moreover, we have observed a similar trend across a range of related dioecious species inSilenesect.Elisanthe. Given the presence of sex chromosomes in dioeciousSilenespecies, and the tendency of sex chromosomes to accumulate repetitive DNA, it seems plausible that dioecious species undergo genomic evolution in ways that differ from what one might expect in hermaphroditic species. Specifically, we query whether the observed relationship between nuclear DNA content and flower size observed in dioeciousSileneis a peculiarity of sex chromosome evolution. In the present study we investigated nuclear DNA content and flower size variation in hermaphroditic species ofSilenesect.Siphonomorpha, as close relatives of the dioecious species studied previously. Although the nuclear DNA contents of these species were lower than those for species in sect.Elisanthe, there was still significant intra- as well as interspecific variation in nuclear DNA content. Flower size variation was found among species of sect.Siphonomorphafor petal claw and petal limb lengths, but not for calyx diameter. This last trait varies extensively in sect.Elisanthe, in part due to sex-specific selection. A negative correlation with nuclear DNA content was found across populations for petal limb length, but not for other floral dimensions. We conclude that impacts of nuclear DNA content on phenotypic evolution do manifest themselves in hermaphroditic species, so that the effects observed in sect.Elisanthe, and particularly inS. latifolia, while perhaps amplified by the genomic impacts of sex chromosomes, are not limited to dioecious taxa.
Vegetative growth, superoxide dismutase activity and ion concentration of salt-stressed watermelon as influenced by rootstock
Authors: GORETA SMILJANA , BUCEVIC-POPOVIC VILJEMKA , SELAK GABRIELA VULETIN , PAVELA-VRANCIC MAJA , PERICA SLAVKO
Published: May 2008

Watermelon is a crop with a high water demand and is frequently grown under conditions of higher than normal root-zone salinity. In the present study, seedlings of watermelon (cv. Fantasy, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai) were grown either ungrafted or grafted on three rootstocks: Strong Tosa, S1 (both Cucurbita maxima×Cucurbita moschata), or Emphasis (Lagenaria siceraria). All the plants were exposed to an NaCl-induced salinity stress (electrical conductivity, EC=2·2, 4·0, or 6·0 dS/m). The vegetative growth of all the plants substantially reduced after 2 weeks of exposure to 6·0 dS/m; however, growth of the plants grafted on Strong Tosa reduced less than that of the others. The leaf water content and specific leaf area (SLA, m2/g) decreased with an increasing salinity in grafted plants, but not in ungrafted plants. Salinity induced an increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in grafted plants up to two-fold depending on the rootstock, whereas it had no effect on this enzyme activity in ungrafted plants. Leaf Na+ concentration increased with increasing salinity in ungrafted and S1 grafted plants, whereas there was no significant leaf Na+ accumulation in Emphasis and Strong Tosa grafted plants. Leaf K+ concentration was affected by the rootstock but not by salinity, thus, the ability to keep a high K+/Na+ ratio was achieved mainly by limiting leaf Na+ concentration. The rootstock determined the leaf Cl− accumulation, with lower overall concentrations found if plants were grafted on the S1 rootstock than on Emphasis or ungrafted plants. Salinity significantly decreased the leaf NO3− concentration on Emphasis grafted plants only, while the NO3−/Cl− ratio was reduced in all the rootstocks. The capacity of Strong Tosa to withstand salt stress better than other tested rootstocks was probably due to the ability to induce anatomical adaptation (SLA) and SOD activity in response to salt stress, and also to the efficiency of Na+ exclusion from the shoot.
Molluscicidal and antiparasitic activity ofSolanum nigrumvillosumagainstGalba truncatulainfected or uninfected withFasciola hepatica
Authors: Hammami H. , Ayadi A.
Published: May 2008

The present study was based on assessments of the molluscicidal and antiparasitic activities ofSolanum nigrum villosum. This plant has been collected in Tozeur's traditional oases (south-western Tunisia). Molluscicidal activities of leaves, ripe fruit and unripe fruit extracts ofS. n. villosumhave been assessed in experimental and semi-field conditions on uninfectedGalba truncatula. Antiparasitic activities have also been assessed on larval stages (rediae, intraredial germinal masses and cercariae) of the parasiteFasciola hepaticainfectingG. truncatulanaturally. The unripe fruit extract (LC50 = 41.2 mg l− 1) was more toxic than the leaf (LC50 = 132.5 mg l− 1) and the ripe fruit (LC50 = 172.8 mg l− 1) extracts on the snail after 48 h of treatment. One mg l− 1of cupric chloride produced the death of 97% ofG. truncatulaafter 25 days of treatment.Solanum n. villosumextracts used at the lethal laboratory concentration in semi-field conditions were also toxic toG. truncatula. The unripe fruit extract was more toxic than the leaf and the ripe fruit extracts on larval stages ofF. hepatica. Maximum deterioration rates were obtained with the unripe fruit extract: 65.6% for rediae, 77.8% for cercariae and 27.6% for intraredial germinal masses after 48 h of treating the snails. The possibility of the unripe fruit extract application for the control ofG. truncatulaandF. hepaticalarval stages should be considered.
Screening for Indian isolates of egg-parasitic fungi for use in biological control of fascioliasis and amphistomiasis in ruminant livestock
Authors: De S. , Sanyal P.K. , Sarkar A.K. , Patel N.K. , Pal S. , Mandal S.C.
Published: May 2008

Wild isolates of the egg-parasitic fungiPaecilomyces lilacinusandVerticillium chlamydosporium, obtained from the organic environment of Durg, Chhattisgarh, India, were subjected to screening forin vitrogrowth using different media types, range of incubation temperature and pH, and their predatory activity to the eggs ofFasciola giganticaandGigantocotyle explanatum. Maximum growth ofP. lilacinuswas obtained in corn-meal agar compared to any other media types. The preferred medium for growth ofV. chlamydosporiumwas corn-meal agar, followed by potato-dextrose agar. After initial growth for 16 h of incubation, no growth was observed in water agar for both the fungi. Six different temperatures – 4°C, 10°C, 18°C, 26°C, 34°C and 40°C – were used to observe growth profiles of the fungi in corn-meal agar medium. While no and very little growth ofP. lilacinusandV. chlamydosporiumwas observed at 4°C and 10°C, respectively, growth profiles of both the fungi were optimal at 26–40°C. A range of pH (pH 4–8) supported growth of bothP. lilacinusandV. chlamydosporium. Full-grown plates of the fungi baited with viable eggs ofF. giganticaandG. explanatumrevealed thatV. chlamydosporiumwas more vigorous in its egg-parasitic ability compared toP. lilacinus. Distortion of the eggs started on day 2–3 of egg baiting in culture plates ofV. chlamydosporium, with complete distortion by day 7. On the contrary,P. lilacinusexhibited very limited egg-parasitic ability and some of the baited eggs even showed development of miracidia.
Stability analysis of the operational space control for industrial robots using their own joint velocity PI controllers
Authors: Camarillo Karla , Campa Ricardo , Santibáñez Víctor , Moreno-Valenzuela Javier
Published: May 2008

Operational space control of industrial robots is addressed in this document. We analyze a two-loop hierarchical control with the resolved motion rate controller (RMRC) as outer loop and the joint velocity PI controller as inner loop; the latter is the typical velocity controller used in industrial robots. We prove, by the first time, that these simple controllers make the solutions of the closed-loop system uniformly ultimately bounded. Additionally, we give some simple guidelines for the selection of the control gains so as to ensure an explicit bound of the tracking error.
Fall detection in walking robots by multi-way principal component analysis
Authors: Karssen J. G. Daniël , Wisse Martijn
Published: May 2008

Large disturbances can cause a biped to fall. If an upcoming fall can be detected, damage can be minimized or the fall can be prevented. We introduce the multi-way principal component analysis (MPCA) method for the detection of upcoming falls. We study the detection capability of the MPCA method in a simulation study with the simplest walking model. The results of this study show that the MPCA method is able to predict a fall up to four steps in advance in the case of single disturbances. In the case of random disturbances the MPCA method has a successful detection probability of up to 90%.
On the evolving connections between psychology and linguistics
Authors: Segalowitz Norman
Published: May 2008

Over four decades ago the so-called Chomskyan revolution appeared to lay the foundation for a promising new partnership between linguistics and psychology. Many have now concluded, however, that the hopes originally expressed for this partnership were not realized. This chapter is about what went wrong and where we might go from here. The discussion first identifies three reasons why initial efforts at partnership may have been inherently flawed — divergent criteria for choosing among competing theories, different ideas about what was to be explained, and different approaches to questions about biology and environment. I then argue that recent developments — especially in associative learning theory, in cognitive neuroscience, and in linguistic theory — may provide a more solid basis for partnership. Next, the chapter describes two possible ways that bridges between the disciplines might develop. One draws on recent psychological research on attention focusing and on linguistic research concerning language constructions. The other draws on the concept of affordances and perspective taking. The chapter concludes that an enduring partnership between linguistics and psychology may indeed now be possible and that there may be a special role for applied linguistics in this new development.
Age and second language acquisition
Authors: Singleton David
Published: May 2008

The idea that there is an age factor in language development has long been — and continues to be — a hotly debated topic. This review begins by briefly revisiting some of the early perspectives on this issue; it goes on to sketch some of the relevant findings which emerged in the three decades following the onset in the late 1960s of serious empirical investigation of the age factor in L2 acquisition; and, finally, in the third section of the survey, it hones in on the results of some more recently published age-related research. The article concludes with a short discussion — in the light of the foregoing — of (a) the degree of absoluteness of the age factor in L2 acquisition; and (b) the notion that there may be not one, but a number, of age-related factors at work.
The psycholinguistics of basic literacy
Authors: Perfetti Charles A. , van Dyke Julie , Hart Lesley
Published: May 2008

We review major issues in research on reading, including theories of word reading, cross-writing system comparisons, comprehension, reading difficulties, learning how to read, and cognitive neuroscience studies of reading. Each of these topics has psycholinguistic components that reflect the language foundations of reading. These foundations lie in two facts: (1) a writing system connects to a linguistic system at one or more levels, meaning that word reading is partially a psycholinguistic process; and (2): reading comprehension shares processes (e.g., parsing) with general language comprehension. One trend of recent research is the development of models of word identification that rely on single rather than dual mechanisms and their extension to explain reading difficulties. Another is the conclusion that phonology plays a role in reading that cuts across writing systems. Reading comprehension research continues to reflect two different traditions, sentence parsing and text comprehension. Both show increasing influence of general cognitive explanations, as opposed to strictly linguistic explanations, for comprehension phenomena. Studies of brain activation bring converging evidence on reading processes and provide neuroanatomical correlates of reading problems. In one area, the acquisition and teaching of reading, advances come from increasing consolidation and practical use of previous research gains.
THE LEARNING OF SOCIOLINGUISTIC VARIATION BY ADVANCED FSL LEARNERS
Authors: Rehner Katherine , Mougeon Raymond , Nadasdi Terry
Published: May 2008

This paper synthesizes research on the acquisition of linguistic variation by learners of French as a second language—an overview that, to our knowledge, is the first of its kind. It also presents a case study on French immersion students' acquisition of the pronouns nous and on “we,” an alternation in many varieties of spoken French. The study shows that the students use the mildly marked variant on slightly more often than the formal variant nous but much less often than native speakers (who use it almost categorically) and immersion teachers (who strongly favor it). Female and middle-class students favor nous, students with greater extracurricular French language exposure favor on, and students who speak a Romance language at home favor nous. Various explanations are proposed for these correlations. Finally, the students, like L1 Francophones, favor on in linguistic contexts in which the referent is both nonspecific and unrestricted.
TELICITY IN THE SECOND LANGUAGE. Roumyana Slabakova. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2001. Pp. xii + 236. $77.00 cloth.
Authors: Comajoan Llorenç
Published: May 2008

Research in the acquisition of perfective and imperfective morphology has been expanding in SLA from morpheme studies to semantic, syntactic, and textual research. This volume contributes to the growing literature on the acquisition of aspect by investigating the acquisition of telicity (i.e., predicates with and without endpoints, such as Claire ate an apple vs. Clare ate apples) from a UG perspective. The hypotheses that are examined are: (a) to what extent learners transfer L1 values onto their L2, (b) whether L2 learners are capable of resetting parameters, (c) whether the acquisition of telicity co-occurs or is subsequent to the acquisition of other constructions (e.g., particles, resultatives, and double objects), and (d) whether the acquisition of these related constructions clusters with the acquisition of telicity.
PRAGMATICS AND PEDAGOGY: PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD PACIFIC SECOND LANGUAGE RESEARCH FORUM, VOL. 2. Nicholas O. Jungheim and Peter Robinson (Eds.). Tokyo: The Pacific Second Language Research Forum, 1999. Pp. 307. $18.00 paper.
Authors: Burton Robert S.
Published: May 2008

Since 1992 the Pacific Second Language Research Forum (PacSLRF) has hosted biannual conferences on SLA issues and invited speakers predominantly from within the Pacific and South East Asian region. The proceedings from the Forum's third conference (held at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, in March 1998), collected in this volume, will prove interesting and useful for researchers and teachers in the field.
LEARNER CONTRIBUTIONS TO LANGUAGE LEARNING: NEW DIRECTIONS IN RESEARCH. Michael P. Breen (Ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education, 2001. Pp. xxii + 218. £19.99 paper.
Authors: Cohen Andrew D.
Published: May 2008

In some ways the preface to this volume, by Chris Candlin, preempts this review. He makes some insightful points that a dutiful reviewer would otherwise have made. This volume of original chapters reflects Breen's concern for the learner as a cognitive, human, and social being. As Candlin rightly points out, the volume provides a positive and creative accommodation of research paradigms that come from both cognitive and social traditions such that the volume constitutes a so-called sociocognitive position: “the interplay between communication as both a socially and a cognitively strategic act” (p. xix).
On the intersection of free subgroups in free products of groups
Authors: DICKS WARREN , IVANOV S. V.
Published: May 2008

Let (Gi|i∈I) be a family of groups, letFbe a free group, and let$G = F \ast \mathop{\text{\Large $*$}}_{i\in I} G_i,$the free product ofFand all theGi.

Let$\mathcal{F}$denote the set of all finitely generated subgroupsHofGwhich have the property that, for eachg∈Gand eachi∈I,$H \cap G_i^{g} = \{1\}.$By the Kurosh Subgroup Theorem, every element of$\mathcal{F}$is a free group. For each free groupH, thereduced rankofH, denotedr(H), is defined as$\max \{\rank(H) -1, 0\} \in \naturals \cup \{\infty\} \subseteq [0,\infty].$To avoid the vacuous case, we make the additional assumption that$\mathcal{F}$contains a non-cyclic group, and we defineWe are interested in precise bounds for$\upp$. In the special case whereIis empty, Hanna Neumann proved that$\upp$∈ [1,2], and conjectured that$\upp$= 1; fifty years later, this interval has not been reduced.

With the understanding that ∞/(∞ − 2) is 1, we define

Generalizing Hanna Neumann's theorem we prove that$\upp \in [\fun, 2\fun]$, and, moreover,$\upp = 2\fun$wheneverGhas 2-torsion. Since$\upp$is finite,$\mathcal{F}$is closed under finite intersections. Generalizing Hanna Neumann's conjecture, we conjecture that$\upp = \fun$wheneverGdoes not have 2-torsion.
Activation of Group III mGluRs increases the activity of
neurons in area 17 of the cat
Authors: BEAVER C.J. , JI Q-H. , JIN X-T. , DAW N.W.
Published: May 2008

Activation of Group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs)
by L(+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4) has different
effects on in vitro slice preparations of visual cortex
(Jin & Daw, 1998) as compared with in vivo recordings
from somatosensory cortex (Wan & Cahusac, 1995). To investigate
the role of Group III mGluRs in the cat visual cortex, in
vivo recordings were made of neurons in area 17 of the
visual cortex of kittens and adult cats at different ages and
the effect of iontophoretic application of L-AP4 (100 mM) was
examined. Application of L-AP4 resulted in an increase of the
spontaneous activity and visual response of neurons to visual
stimulation, the former more than the latter. The effect of
L-AP4 was greatest at 3–5 weeks of age with the effect
on the visual response declining more rapidly than the effect
on spontaneous activity. Consistent with work in rat cortex
(Jin & Daw, 1998), the effect of L-AP4 was significantly
greater in upper and lower layers than in middle layers. Whole-cell
in vitro recordings from slices of rat visual cortex
indicated that L-AP4 (50 mM) did not increase the number of
spikes elicited by increasing levels of current injections.
These results confirm that L-AP4 increases activity in
vivo and reasons for the discrepancy with the in
vitro results are discussed.
The book of names: DSM-IV in context
Authors: JENSEN PETER S. , HOAGWOOD KIMBERLY
Published: May 2008

The authors review the constraints of current mental disorder classification systems that rely upon descriptive symptom-based approaches, and weigh the benefits and hazards of these classification and diagnostic strategies. By focusing principally on superficial descriptions of symptoms, current systems fail to address the complex nature of persons' transactions within and adaptations to difficult environments. While attempting to be atheoretical, current systems exclude types of information that may elucidate individuals' functioning across various contexts, often because it is difficult to obtain such data reliably. With current approaches, misdiagnosis is likely, particularly when diagnostic criteria are applied to persons in nonclinical settings. Alternative approaches that take fuller advantage of clinicians' expertise and other forms of clinical data are reviewed, and recommendations are made for the next generation of classification systems. Application of evolutionary theory to psychiatry and psychology, as well as development of a theory and nosology of context in terms of persons' adaptations, are needed to expand our knowledge of normal and abnormal human development and psychopathology.
Epigenetic approaches to developmental psychopathology
Authors: GOLDSMITH H. H. , GOTTESMAN I. I. , LEMERY K. S.
Published: May 2008

We evaluate the usefulness of 11 key epigenetic concepts from the behavior genetic research paradigm for advancing the field of developmental psychopathology. Key assumptions, empirical examples, and caveats in interpreting results are presented. We emphasize the usefulness of incorporating both dimensional (e.g., temperament trait) and categorical (e.g., diagnosis) variables, environmental measures, direct behavioral assessments, and multiple, theoretically relevant occasions of study into classic twin and family studies. We highlight contemporary techniques for identifying specific chromosomal regions associated with behavioral patterns, and the importance of considering nonmendelizing genetic influences when discerning the panorama of genetic influences on behavior.
The Real Invisible Hand: Presidential Appointees in the
Administration of George W. Bush
Authors: Mackenzie G. Calvin
Published: May 2008

It was to be the single most visible decision of George W. Bush's
first year in office, inspiring even a rare prime-time televised
address to announce and explain to the American people his decision
on government support for stem cell research. For weeks, the White
House press office told of the President's wide-ranging search for
advice: the meetings with ethicists and scientists, with interest
group representatives, and with dozens of ordinary citizens.
Did the Whistle-Stop Campaign Matter?
Authors: Holbrook Thomas M.
Published: May 2008

Although political campaigns have long been thought to have
relatively minimal effects, recent literature suggests a more
definitive role for campaigns in determining election outcomes. This
articles contributes to this growing body of research by focusing on
a campaign that is widely viewed (albeit in the absence of much
empirical analysis) as having been decisive—the presidential
campaign of 1948.
Some Thoughts about Shaking Things Up: Future Directions
in Political Science
Authors: Ostrom Elinor
Published: May 2008

The recent discussion about the current and future state of the
discipline is a welcome and healthy development. While some of the
discussion has generated unnecessary acrimony, my general impression
is that this is an excellent time to engage seriously in a critique
as well as an effort to reconstruct and move in a more positive
direction.
In Defense of Diverse Forms of Knowledge
Authors: Rudolph Susanne Hoeber
Published: May 2008

The question, “What kind of political science would you like to see
in the next 10 years?” raises several problems: Should I consult my
self-serving or my communitarian self in framing an answer? Should I
say what practices I would prefer? Or should I recommend what
directions the profession should take? More generally, should we be
talking about the organization of political science? Or should we
refer to the profession's current epistemological conundrums? In his
Science as a Vocation, Max Weber first
addresses the structure and economic incentives of German university
careers, then turns to more philosophical questions: What is
“science”? What meanings and usages does “science” convey? What
questions can it answer? (Answer: it cannot tell us how to live.) Is
it cumulative? Or is Thomas Kuhn right about the noncumulative
nature of scientific revolutions? Focusing on the epistemological
issues, I'll try to avoid the monopolistic question, “What direction
should the profession take?” in favor of the pluralist question,
“What variety of knowledge regimes would I like the profession to
enable?”
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education: An Annotated Bibliography
Authors: Hutchings Pat , Bjork Chris , Babb Marcia
Published: May 2008

We compiled this bibliography to acknowledge the work that CASTL
builds on, and to locate this new effort in the longer trajectory of
related developments. It has two sections. The first, a definitional
one, includes significant statements about the idea of the
scholarship of teaching and learning, drawn from various traditions
that contribute to its evolving conception. The second section
points readers to resources that may assist them in performing the
scholarship of teaching and learning.
Cracking the Glass Ceiling—Keeping It
Broken
Authors: Monroe Kristen Renwick
Published: May 2008

In January 2001, the APSA Nominating Committee designated Theda
Skocpol as president-elect of APSA, making Skocpol only the third
women ever to hold this office. In April of the same year, the APSA
Council passed a nonbinding resolution encouraging future APSA
Nominating Committees to avoid choosing presidents-elect of the same
gender for more than two years in a row. In February 2002, the APSA
Nominating Committee shattered tradition by selecting Susanne
Rudolph as president-elect, thus promising the first instance of two
women-given a normal course of events-consecutively assuming the
APSA presidency. These actions hold tremendous value, both symbolic
and substantive, in widening the cracks in the glass ceiling for
female professional political scientists. In this article, I
describe how many people, together, worked to break the glass
ceiling. I then propose a program designed to increase gender
equality within APSA as a professional association.
Daniel Kahneman: Judgment, Decision, and
Rationality
Authors: Levy Jack S.
Published: May 2008

It is impossible to do justice to the full range of Kahneman's
research in the limited space available here, and I restrict my
focus to his research programs on judgment and on decision making.
Each is defined by an extraordinarily influential article coauthored
with Tversky: a 1974 Science article on “Judgment
under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases” (which was followed by a
1982 anthology with the same title with Slovic and Tversky, and a
1979 Econometrica article on prospect theory).
How Americans Responded: A Study of Public Reactions to 9/11/01
Authors: Traugott Michael , Brader Ted , Coral Deborah , Curtin Richard , Featherman David , Groves Robert , Hill Martha , Jackson James , Juster Thomas , Kahn Robert , Kennedy Courtney , Kinder Donald , Pennell Beth-Ellen , Shapiro Matthew , Tessler Mark , Weir David , Willis Robert
Published: May 2008

On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, a group of social scientists at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) gathered to consider how they might employ their talents to help the country after the shocking events of that morning. The group included economists, political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, demographers, and survey methodologists. Based upon their previous research experience, each of them proposed hypotheses on aspects of American life and individuals' morale and behavior that were most likely to be affected. While they were relatively confident about expected relationships in the short term, we were uncertain about how temporary or permanent these changes might be or how intertwined and mutually reinforcing they could become.
Political Knowledge after September 11
Authors: Prior Markus
Published: May 2008

In this article, I examine how 9/11 and the subsequent efforts to combat terrorism have affected what people know about politics. My analysis suggests three main differences between knowledge before and after 9/11. First, knowledge of 9/11 and the “war on terrorism” shot up to uncommonly high levels, just as common sense and our theories would predict. The second point is less intuitive: Heightened interest spread to issues not directly related to the terrorist attacks and appears to have increased knowledge of politics more broadly. Finally, a comparison between knowledge related to 9/11 and general political knowledge reveals that some of the usual obstacles to learning did not matter in the aftermath of 9/11. A low sense of civic duty, lack of faith in government responsiveness, and a full-time job all kept people from getting informed about politics in general, but not from learning about the terrorist attacks and the war on terrorism.
Who Uses Inferior Voting Technology?
Authors: Knack Stephen , Kropf Martha
Published: May 2008

In this article, we report on the incidence of punch-card and other voting equipment by ethnicity, incomes, and other variables, combining county-level demographic data from the Census Bureau with county-level data on voting equipment collected by Election Data Services, Inc. Our findings, reported in the national print and electronic media in early 2001, provide remarkably little support for the view that resource constraints cause poorer counties with large minority populations to retain antiquated or inferior voting equipment.
Evaluating the Impact of Internet Teaching: Preliminary Evidence from American National Government Classes
Authors: Pollock Philip H. , Wilson Bruce M.
Published: May 2008

The analysis and discussion in this article are based on the preliminary results from a study of a redesigned American National Government course funded by a $200,000 grant from the Pew Program in Course Redesign. One of the central goals of this grant is to evaluate the effectiveness of the partial replacement of face-to-face classroom time with web-based interactive assignments. (We refer to the redesigned courses as “reduced seat-time” or RST.) The grant supported the development of pedagogically appropriate uses of the Internet for an introductory general education program (GEP) course, and it funded the evaluation of the impact of the redesigned course on student attitudes and learning outcomes.
Bringing the 2002 Elections into Your Teaching
Authors: Thurber James A. , Kolodny Robin
Published: May 2008

For the past three years, the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University has hosted short courses at the American Political Science Association's Annual Meeting on the topic of teaching about campaigns and elections. These efforts are part of the “Improving Campaign Conduct” project funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Our experience shows that professors teaching American politics have an interest in keeping their classroom materials relevant and timely, while also preserving a strong analytical framework. Here, we hope to offer some advice and guidance to professors teaching courses that cover campaigns and elections in whole or in part.
On the Market: Strategies for the Successful Job Candidate
Authors: Simien Evelyn M.
Published: May 2008

After debating whether to go on the job market, I finally decided to make that move. After only four years of graduate school, I knew that I was hitting the market early. Still, members of my committee were confident that I would obtain my doctorate in time to assume an academic position the following year. After all, I had taken my preliminary exams, written and defended my prospectus, as well as completed the last of my coursework in one single semester. Did I really need the time off? My committee had faith in me. Why shouldn't I? Hence, I began by gathering my teaching evaluations, drafting my job letter, updating my curriculum vita, and searching for job announcements in hopes of securing an academic position before the end of my fifth year. In this article I describe that process. I offer practical and sound advice about developing a dossier that will get job candidates noticed, including suggestions for both the telephone and campus interviews.
Executive Director's Report 2002
Authors: Brintnall Michael
Published: May 2008

It is an honor to provide my first annual report as executive director of the American Political Science Association. The vital signs for APSA are healthy ones: membership at near record levels and growing; a vigorous agenda; new electronic services for members; and a positive financial status. Before recounting these details, and reviewing active and proposed initiatives on our agenda, however, I think it is useful to reflect about different aspects of the field, and about the place of APSA and of the national office in the larger world of political science.
Philosophy, Style, and Submission Guidelines for Perspectives on Politics
Authors: Hochschild Jennifer , Brady Henry , Galston William , Kohli Atul , McClain Paula D. , Snyder Jack , Bickford Susan , McAvoy Greg
Published: May 2008

Perspectives on Politics is a general journal of political science that seeks to provide political insight on important problems, as it emerges from rigorous, broad-based research and integrative thought. The editors anticipate authors and readers primarily comprising political scientists, but also including journalists, policy analysts, public officials and their staff, and other social scientists. The articles aim to clarify for such an audience the political significance of accumulated research regarding a particular area of the world, an important policy problem, a deep normative conflict, or a significant institution or process; they may also demonstrate the insights that accrue from viewing politics from a distinctive viewpoint, method, or type of evidence.
Age-related working memory impairments in children with prefrontal dysfunction associated with phenylketonuria
Authors: WHITE DESIRÉE A. , NORTZ MARSHA J. , MANDERNACH TAMMY , HUNTINGTON KATHLEEN , STEINER ROBERT D.
Published: May 2008

The prefrontal cortex of the brain has been shown to play a crucial role in working memory, and age-related changes in prefrontal function may contribute to the improvements in working memory that are observed during childhood. We examined the developmental trajectory of working memory in school-age children with early-treated phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disorder that results in prefrontal dysfunction. Using a recognition procedure, we evaluated working memory for letters, abstract objects, and spatial locations in 20 children with PKU and 20 typically developing control children. Children in both groups ranged from 6 to 17 years of age. Our findings revealed poorer performance across all three types of materials for children with PKU. In addition, there was a significant difference in the developmental trajectory of working memory for children with PKU as compared with controls. Specifically, deficits were not apparent in younger children with PKU. Instead, deficits were observed only in older children, suggesting the presence of a developmental deficit rather than a developmental delay in the working memory of children with PKU. (JINS, 2002,8, 1–11.)
Visual attention in preschool children prenatally exposed to cocaine: Implications for behavioral regulation
Authors: HEFFELFINGER AMY K. , CRAFT SUZANNE , WHITE DESIRÉE A. , SHYKEN JAYE
Published: May 2008

The presence of cocaine during the prenatal period disrupts the development of neural systems involved in mediating visual attention; therefore, it is possible that prenatal cocaine exposure results in impairments in visual attention in early childhood. In the current study we hypothesized that preschool children with prenatal cocaine exposure would exhibit difficulties in the disengagement operation of visual attention and in sustaining attention, particularly for targets presented in the right visual field. Fourteen cocaine-exposed children and 20 control children between 14 and 60 months of age were assessed on measures of visual attention, cognition, and behavior. Cocaine-exposed children had slower reaction times on disengagement trials in the second half of our attention task, supporting our hypotheses that impairments in disengagement and sustained attention are associated with prenatal cocaine exposure. There was a trend for slower reaction times to targets presented in the right visual field, but not to targets presented in the left visual field. Cocaine-exposed children also exhibited greater difficulties in behavioral regulation. Overall, our findings suggest that children with prenatal cocaine exposure demonstrate specific impairments in visual attention and behavioral regulation. (JINS, 2002,8, 12–21.)
Planum temporale asymmetry and ear advantage in dichotic
listening in developmental dyslexia and
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Authors: FOSTER LORI M. , HYND GEORGE W. , MORGAN ALLISON E. , HUGDAHL KENNETH
Published: May 2008

The planum temporale is clearly involved in language processing,
for it serves as the auditory association cortex. Research has
consistently demonstrated that 60 to 70% of the population has
leftward asymmetry of the planum temporale. Research has also
suggested that dyslexic individuals tend to have either rightward
asymmetry or symmetrical plana. Moreover, many studies have
found a relationship between the presence of dyslexia and/or
language impairment and deficits in the normal right ear advantage
found in dichotic listening paradigms. In this context, this
study examined the relationship between planum temporale asymmetry
and ear preference in dichotic listening performance in children
with Developmental Dyslexia and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD). Subjects included 19 children with dyslexia
(10 of whom had a comorbid diagnosis of ADHD), 23 children with
ADHD, and 12 diagnosed normal control children. Dichotic listening
data were not collected for 8 of the 12 normal control children
and for 3 of the 23 ADHD children. Results revealed no significant
difference between ADHD and dyslexic subjects in regard to ear
advantage on the free recall dichotic listening task. In addition,
although the directed dichotic listening tasks were not related
to degree of planum asymmetry, as predicted, results indicated
that subjects who consistently displayed an atypical left ear
advantage tended to have larger right bank lengths than those
who consistently displayed a typical right ear advantage. These
findings support the notion that some individuals with dyslexia
or language deficits tend to have a larger right planum temporale
and that performance on dichotic listening tasks may reflect
this relatively unusual pattern. (JINS, 2002, 8,
22–36.)
Perception of illness: Nonspecificity of Postconcussion Syndrome symptom expectation
Authors: GUNSTAD JOHN , SUHR JULIE A.
Published: May 2008

A growing number of studies show postconcussion syndrome (PCS) symptom report is influenced by factors other than head injury, suggesting symptoms typically associated with PCS may not be specific to head injury. Given the role that symptom expectation has been hypothesized to play in PCS symptom etiology, a comparison of symptoms expected for various disorders seems overdue. The present study asked 82 undergraduates to report the symptoms they currently experience, and then to report the symptoms they would expect to experience if they had had suffered either a head injury, an orthopedic injury, posttraumatic stress, or depression. No current differences in overall symptoms or in symptom subscales emerged. Results showed individuals portraying head injury, posttraumatic stress, and depression expected an increase in total symptoms, though individuals portraying an orthopedic injury did not expect such an increase. Results also showed simulators of head injury, posttraumatic stress, and depression expected equivalent rates of overall symptoms, memory/cognitive complaints, somatic concerns, and distracter symptoms, though head-injured individuals reported fewer affective symptoms than those portraying psychological disorders. In all, these findings suggest that individuals have a relative lack of specificity in symptom expectation for various disorders, with the implication that symptom checklists for “PCS” may not be useful for diagnosis. (JINS, 2002,8, 37–47.)
What do Alzheimer's disease patients know about animals?
It depends on task structure and presentation format
Authors: RICH JILL B. , PARK NORMAN W. , DOPKINS, STEPHEN , BRANDT JASON
Published: May 2008

Deficits on tasks requiring semantic memory in Alzheimer's
disease (AD) may be due to storage loss, a retrieval deficit,
or both. To address this question, we administered multiple
tasks involving 9 exemplars of the category “animals,”
presented as both words and pictures, to 12 AD patients and
12 nondemented individuals. Participants made semantic judgments
by class (sorting task), similarity (triadic comparison task),
and dimensional attributes (ordering task). Relative to control
participants, AD patients were impaired on an unstructured sorting
task, but did not differ on a constrained sorting task. On the
triadic comparison task, the patients were as likely to make
judgments based on size as domesticity attributes, whereas control
participants made judgments based primarily on domesticity.
The patients' judgments were also less consistent across
tasks than those of control participants. On the ordering tasks,
performance was generally comparable between groups with pictures
but not words, suggesting that pictures enable AD patients to
access information from semantic memory that is less accessible
with lexical stimuli. These results suggest that AD patients'
semantic judgments are impaired when the retrieval context is
unstructured, but perform normally under supportive retrieval
conditions. (JINS, 2002, 8, 83–94.)
Object-based and action-based visual perception in children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus
Authors: DENNIS MAUREEN , FLETCHER JACK M. , ROGERS TRACEY , HETHERINGTON, ROSS , FRANCIS DAVID J.
Published: May 2008

Children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus (SBH) have long been known to have difficulties with visual perception. We studied how children with SBH perform 12 visual perception tasks requiring object identification, multistable representations of visual space, or visually guided overt actions. Four tasks required object-based processing (visual constancy illusions, face recognition, recognition of fragmented objects, line orientation). Four tasks required the representation of visual space in egocentric coordinates (stereopsis, visual figure-ground identification, perception of multistable figures, egocentric mental rotation). Four tasks required the coupling of visual space to overt movement (visual pursuit, figure drawing, visually guided route finding, visually guided route planning). Effect sizes, measuring the magnitude of the difference between SBH children and controls, were consistently larger for action-based than object-based visual perception tasks. Within action-based tasks, effect sizes were large and roughly comparable for tasks requiring the representation of visual space and for tasks requiring visually guided action. The results are discussed in terms of the physical and brain problems of children with SBH that limit their ability to build effective situation models of space. (JINS, 2002,8, 95–106.)
OPTIMAL LONG-RUN BUDGETARY POLICIES SUBJECT TO THE MAASTRICHT CRITERIA OR A STABILITY PACT
Authors: Dworak Maria , Wirl Franz , Prskawetz Alexia , Feichtinger Gustav
Published: May 2008

We investigate the optimal path of the primary surplus that a government will choose to minimize costs that derive from exceeding the Maastricht criteria and generally of a “stability pact,” where we assume three components of costs that are related to (1) the debt-to-GDP ratio, (2) the overall deficit-to-GDP ratio, and (3) the acceptance level of savings in the economy. We show that various political-economic settings can result in completely different equilibrium strategies of the debt-to-GDP ratio and the primary deficit. The spectrum of possible optimal strategies ranges from no stationary solutions to multiple equilibrium and cyclical solutions and from positive to negative levels of the optimal debt-to-GDP ratio. Our results emphasize the importance of macroeconomic and behavioral (acceptance rate of a policy) variables in order to explain complex economic time series.
Food Stamp Program participation but not food insecurity is associated with higher adult BMI in Massachusetts residents living in low-income neighbourhoods
Authors: Webb Amy L , Schiff Andrew , Currivan Douglas , Villamor Eduardo
Published: May 2008

Objective

Food-insecure populations employ multiple strategies to ensure adequate household food supplies. These strategies may increase the risk of overweight and obesity. However, existing literature reports conflicting associations between these strategies and BMI. The objective of the present study was to examine whether food insecurity and strategies for managing food insecurity are associated with BMI in adults.

Design, setting and subjects

In 2005, RTI International and Project Bread conducted a representative survey of 435 adult residents of low-income census tracts in Massachusetts. Food insecurity was assessed using the US Department of Agriculture’s eighteen-item Household Food Security Module.

Results

The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 51 % and 25 %, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, sociodemographic characteristics and food insecurity, both participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) and participation in any federal nutrition programme 12 months prior to the survey were each associated with an approximate 3·0 kg/m2higher adult BMI. In the subset of current FSP participants (n77), participation for ≥6 months was associated with an 11·3 kg/m2lower BMI compared with participation for <6 months. Respondents who consumed fast foods in the previous month had a mean BMI that was 2·4 kg/m2higher than those who did not. Food insecurity was not associated with BMI after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and FSP participation.

Conclusions

Participation in federal nutrition programmes and consumption of fast food were each associated with higher adult BMI independent of food insecurity and other sociodemographic factors. However, prolonged participation in the FSP was associated with lower BMI.
A comparison of the socio-economic determinants of growth retardation in South African and Filipino infants
Authors: Jones Laura L , Griffiths Paula L , Adair Linda S , Norris Shane A , Richter Linda M , Cameron Noël
Published: May 2008

Objective

To examine the association between household socio-economic status (SES) at birth and poor infant growth such as small for gestational age (SGA) and stunting across two different socio-cultural settings: South Africa and the Philippines.

Design

Data were from two longitudinal birth cohorts, the Birth to Twenty (Bt20) study in South Africa and the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) in the Philippines.

Subjects

Bt20 infants (n 2293 total; reduced to 758 (SGA), 450 (stunting 1 year) and 401 (stunting 2 years)) and CLHNS infants (n 2513 total; reduced to 2161 (SGA), 1820 (stunting 1 year) and 1710 (stunting 2 years)).

Results

CLHNS infants were significantly more likely to be born SGA (20·9 v. 11·7 %) and be stunted at 1 year (32·6 v. 8·7 %) and 2 years (48·9 v. 21·1 %) compared with Bt20 infants. Logistic regression analyses showed that SES (index) was a significant predictor of stunting at 1 and 2 years of age in the CLHNS cohort. SES (index or individual variables) was not a significant predictor of SGA in either cohort, or of stunting in the Bt20 cohort. Maternal education, ownership of a television and toilet facilities were all independent predictors of stunting in the CLHNS cohort.

Conclusions

The social and economic milieu within the Philippines appears to place CLHNS infants at greater risk of being born SGA and being stunted compared with Bt20 infants. The present research highlights the importance of investigating the individual SES variables that predict infantile growth faltering, to identify the key areas for context-specific policy development and intervention.