bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early identification of autism in fragile X syndrome: a review
Authors: McCary L. M. , Roberts J. E.
Published: September 2012

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading genetic cause of autism, accounting for approximately 5% of autism cases with as many as 50% of individuals with FXS meeting DSM‐IV‐TR criteria for autistic disorder. Both FXS and idiopathic autism (IA) are attributed to genetic causes; however, FXS is an identified single gene disorder whereas autism is a complex disorder with multiple potential causes, some of which have been identified. Studies in IA have focused on the prospective longitudinal examination of infant siblings of children with autism as a target group due to their high risk of developing the disorder. We propose that this same model be applied to the study of infants with FXS. There is a lack of research focusing on the early development of autism within FXS and debate in the literature regarding how to best conceptualise this co‐morbidity or whether it should be considered a co‐morbid condition at all. Studying the emergence and stability of autism in infants with FXS has multiple benefits such as clarifying the underlying mechanisms of the development of autism in FXS and solidifying similarities and differences between co‐morbid FXS with autism and IA. Infant research in both IA and FXS are discussed as well as conclusions and implications for practice and future research.
Delayed visual orienting responses in children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities
Authors: Boot F. H. , Pel J. J. M. , Vermaak M. P. , van der Steen J. , Evenhuis H. M.
Published: September 2012

Background  Assessment of higher visual processing functions mostly requires active cooperation of participants, which is problematic in children with intellectual disabilities (ID). To circumvent this, we applied remote eye tracking to quantify (ab)normal visual orienting responses in children with ID in terms of reaction times to visual stimuli.

Methods  We presented visual stimuli (cartoon, coherent form, and coherent motion) to 127 children (2–14 years) with developmental and/or ID (risk group) and simultaneously measured their orienting ocular motor responses. Reaction times to fixation (RTF) in the risk group were compared with RTF values of an age‐matched control group.

Results  Overall, in 72% of the children in the risk group, RTF values to cartoon were delayed, in 47% to form, and in 38% to motion. The presence of delayed reaction times was highest in the group of children >4 years with ID.

Conclusion  Our data show that a majority of children with developmental and/or ID have delayed visual orienting responses. This suggests that this group has increased risk for higher visual processing dysfunctions. Future studies are planned to correlate abnormal orienting responses to type of brain damage and to dissociate the responses from ocular motor disorders.
Musical learning in children and adults with Williams syndrome
Authors: Lense M. , Dykens E.
Published: September 2012

Background  There is recent interest in using music making as an empirically supported intervention for various neurodevelopmental disorders due to music's engagement of perceptual–motor mapping processes. However, little is known about music learning in populations with developmental disabilities. Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder whose characteristic auditory strengths and visual–spatial weaknesses map onto the processes used to learn to play a musical instrument.

Methods  We identified correlates of novel musical instrument learning in WS by teaching 46 children and adults (7–49 years) with WS to play the Appalachian dulcimer.

Results  Obtained dulcimer skill was associated with prior musical abilities (r = 0.634, P < 0.001) and visual–motor integration abilities (r = 0.487, P = 0.001), but not age, gender, IQ, handedness, auditory sensitivities or musical interest/emotionality. Use of auditory learning strategies, but not visual or instructional strategies, predicted greater dulcimer skill beyond individual musical and visual–motor integration abilities (β = 0.285, sr2 = 0.06, P = 0.019).

Conclusions  These findings map onto behavioural and emerging neural evidence for greater auditory–motor mapping processes in WS. Results suggest that explicit awareness of task‐specific learning approaches is important when learning a new skill. Implications for using music with populations with syndrome‐specific strengths and weakness will be discussed.
Hypoglycaemia: Exercise for the Brain?
Authors: Ashford Michael , Beall Craig , McCrimmon Rory
Published: September 2012

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycaemia, is detected by specialised sugar sensing neurones in the brain. However, the detection of hypoglycaemia is blunted after repeated hypoglycaemia and this is a result of adaptive mechanisms kicking in within the brain; mechanisms that resemble the ‘training effect’ in muscle. These adaptations most likely not only increase the tolerance of the brain to stress, but also perturb the detection of hypoglycaemia, further increasing the likelihood of hypoglycaemia.
Bidirectional associations between insomnia symptoms and unhealthy behaviours
Authors: HAARIO PEPPI , RAHKONEN OSSI , LAAKSONEN MIKKO , LAHELMA EERO , LALLUKKA TEA
Published: September 2012

It has been suggested that there are associations among insomnia symptoms and unhealthy behaviours. However, previous studies are sparse and mainly cross‐sectional, and have not been focused on several key unhealthy behaviours. The aim of this study was to examine whether the associations are bidirectional, i.e. whether insomnia symptoms are associated with subsequent unhealthy behaviours, and whether unhealthy behaviours are associated with subsequent insomnia symptoms. The data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study prospective cohort study. The baseline data were collected in 2000–02 (n = 8960, response rate 67%) among 40–60‐year‐old employees of the City Helsinki, Finland. The follow‐up data were collected in 2007 (n = 7332, response rate 83%). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations among insomnia symptoms and unhealthy behaviours, including smoking, heavy and binge drinking, physical inactivity and unhealthy food habits. Frequent insomnia symptoms at baseline were associated with subsequent heavy drinking [odds ratio (OR): 1.34; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07–1.68] and physical inactivity (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.08–1.48) after full adjustment for gender, age, corresponding unhealthy behaviour at baseline, marital status, occupational class, sleep duration and common mental disorders. Additionally, heavy drinking (OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.22–1.80) and binge drinking (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.08–1.46) at baseline were associated with subsequent insomnia symptoms at follow‐up after full adjustment. In conclusion, insomnia symptoms were associated with subsequent heavy drinking and physical inactivity, and heavy and binge drinking were also associated with subsequent insomnia symptoms.
Do diet and taxonomy influence insect gut bacterial communities?
Authors: Colman D. R. , Toolson E. C. , Takacs‐Vesbach C. D.
Published: September 2012

Many insects contain diverse gut microbial communities. While several studies have focused on a single or small group of species, comparative studies of phylogenetically diverse hosts can illuminate general patterns of host–microbiota associations. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that (i) host diet and (ii) host taxonomy structure intestinal bacterial community composition among insects. We used published 16S rRNA gene sequence data for 58 insect species in addition to four beetle species sampled from the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge to test these hypotheses. Overall, gut bacterial species richness in these insects was low. Decaying wood xylophagous insects harboured the richest bacterial gut flora (102.8 species level operational taxonomic units (OTUs)/sample ± 71.7, 11.8 ± 5.9 phylogenetic diversity (PD)/sample), while bees and wasps harboured the least rich bacterial communities (11.0 species level OTUs/sample ± 5.4, 2.6 ± 0.8 PD/sample). We found evidence to support our hypotheses that host diet and taxonomy structure insect gut bacterial communities (P < 0.001 for both). However, while host taxonomy was important in hymenopteran and termite gut community structure, diet was an important community structuring factor particularly for insect hosts that ingest lignocellulose‐derived substances. Our analysis provides a baseline comparison of insect gut bacterial communities from which to test further hypotheses concerning proximate and ultimate causes of these associations.
Risk factors for the incidence of dengue virus infection in preschool children
Authors: Teixeira Maria G. , Morato Vanessa , Barreto Florisneide R. , Mendes Carlos M. C. , Barreto Maurício L. , Costa Maria da Conceição N.
Published: September 2012

Objective  To estimate the seroincidence of dengue in children living in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil and to evaluate the factors associated.

Methods  A prospective serological survey was carried out in a sample of children 0–3 years of age. A multilevel logistic model was used to identify the determinants of seroincidence.

Results  The seroprevalence of dengue was 26.6% in the 625 children evaluated. A second survey detected an incidence of 33.2%. Multilevel logistic regression showed a statistically significant association between the seroincidence of dengue and age and the premises index.

Conclusion  In Salvador, the dengue virus is in active circulation during early childhood; consequently, children have heterotypic antibodies and run a high risk of developing dengue haemorrhagic fever, because the sequence and intensity of the three dengue virus serotypes currently circulating in this city are very similar to those that were circulating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2008. Therefore, the authors strongly recommend that the health authorities in cities with a similar epidemiological scenario be aware of this risk and implement improvements in health care, particularly targeting the paediatric age groups. In addition, information should be provided to the population and actions should be implemented to combat this vector.
Neurocircuitry for modeling drug effects
Authors: Noori Hamid R. , Spanagel Rainer , Hansson Anita C.
Published: September 2012

The identification and functional understanding of the neurocircuitry that mediates alcohol and drug effects that are relevant for the development of addictive behavior is a fundamental challenge in addiction research. Here we introduce an assumption‐free construction of a neurocircuitry that mediates acute and chronic drug effects on neurotransmitter dynamics that is solely based on rodent neuroanatomy. Two types of data were considered for constructing the neurocircuitry: (1) information on the cytoarchitecture and neurochemical connectivity of each brain region of interest obtained from different neuroanatomical techniques; (2) information on the functional relevance of each region of interest with respect to alcohol and drug effects. We used mathematical data mining and hierarchical clustering methods to achieve the highest standards in the preprocessing of these data. Using this approach, a dynamical network of high molecular and spatial resolution containing 19 brain regions and seven neurotransmitter systems was obtained. Further graph theoretical analysis suggests that the neurocircuitry is connected and cannot be separated into further components. Our analysis also reveals the existence of a principal core subcircuit comprised of nine brain regions: the prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus, substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area and raphe nuclei. Finally, by means of algebraic criteria for synchronizability of the neurocircuitry, the suitability for in silico modeling of acute and chronic drug effects is indicated. Indeed, we introduced as an example a dynamical system for modeling the effects of acute ethanol administration in rats and obtained an increase in dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens—a hallmark of drug reinforcement—to an extent similar to that seen in numerous microdialysis studies. We conclude that the present neurocircuitry provides a structural and dynamical framework for large‐scale mathematical models and will help to predict chronic drug effects on brain function.
Status epilepticus in childhood
Authors: Ng Yu‐Tze , Maganti Rama
Published: September 2012

Status epilepticus (SE) remains a life‐threatening condition that afflicts both adults and children, and may occur at onset of epilepsy, especially in children. Febrile SE is the most common cause in children, while other symptomatic causes are less frequent compared to adults. The aetiological workup that must be undertaken in all cases includes neuroimaging and electroencephalography. The various electroencephalographic patterns seen in patients with SE along with the out‐of‐hospital treatment for SE in children and treatment strategies in cases that are refractory to first‐line medical treatments are discussed. Medically induced coma may be necessary in refractory cases, although the optimal agents to use and degree of electroencephalographic suppression in children remain unclear. Neurosurgery is not a well‐known treatment option that could be considered for refractory cases. Although the prognosis has probably improved over the years, it remains a potential life‐threatening emergency.
Overview of Australian Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera)
Authors: Paretas‐Martínez Jordi , Forshage Mattias , Buffington Matthew , Fisher Nicole , La Salle John , Pujade‐Villar Juli
Published: September 2012

An overview of all families, subfamilies, genera and species of Cynipoidea present in Australia is presented. The Australian cynipoid fauna is very poorly known, with 37 genera recorded: one each for Austrocynipidae, Ibaliidae and Liopteridae; two for Cynipidae; and 32 for Figitidae. The first Australian records are given for the following genera of Eucoilinae: Aganaspis Lin, Areaspis Lin, Chrestosema Förster, Didyctium Riley, Endecameris Yoshimoto, Ganaspis Förster, Leptolamina Yoshimoto, Micreriodes Yoshimoto, Pseudodiranchis Yoshimoto, Sinochresta Lin and Weldia Yoshimoto. Nine new combinations, two new synonymies and one reinstatement are made: Eucoilinae (Figitidae): Hexacola aemilia comb. n., Hexacola florentia comb. n., Hexacola julia comb. n., Hexacola mozarti comb. n., Hexacola thoreauini comb. n., Kleidotoma marguerita comb. n., Leptopilina lonchaeae comb. n., Leptopilina maria comb. n., Trybliographa australiensis stat. rev. (Rhoptromeris unimaculus Girault 1931 syn. n.); Thrasorinae (Figitidae): Thrasorus berlesi comb. n. (Thrasorus rieki Paretas‐Martínez & Pujade‐Villar 2011 syn. n.). Aspects on the systematics, distribution, biology and morphology of all cynipoid families and figitid subfamilies in Australia are given. A multi‐character online key to the genera of Australian Cynipoidea can be found at http://www.ces.csiro.au/keys/Hymenoptera/Australian_Cynipoidea/Australian‐Cynipoidea‐Keys.html.
Circumcision with a novel disposable device in Chinese children: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Pan Feng , Pan Lianjun , Zhang Aixia , Liu Yong , Zhang Fenglei , Dai Yutian
Published: September 2012

Objectives

To compare the outcomes and complications of three methods of circumcision in a Chinese pediatric population.

Methods

A total of 120 children were randomly assigned to three groups. Group I was submitted to circumcision using the Shenghuan disposable device according to Yan's method; group II was submitted to circumcision using the same device, but according to Peng's methods; group III was operated on by using the conventional scalpel/suture technique. The three groups were compared mainly by the following outcomes: duration of surgery, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative pain, cosmetic effect, and the rates of edema, dehiscence, scarring, adhesion and infection.

Results

Groups I and II had less intraoperative bleeding. In terms of the duration of surgery, group I was the quickest. Pain scores in using the Shenghuan disposable device were higher at 6 h after surgery compared with the conventional scalpel/suture technique. The percentage of patients using paracetamol in group II was higher than that in group III at 12 h after surgery. Other complications were similar, and all three groups had successful outcomes.

Conclusions

Circumcision using the Shenghuan disposable device represents a safer and time‐saving option compared with the conventional scalpel/suture technique, with better cosmetic outcomes. Yan's method seems to be better than Peng's method when using the Shenghuan disposable device for circumcision in children.
Negotiating multiple motivations in the science and practice of ecological restoration
Authors: Wyborn Carina , Jellinek Sacha , Cooke Benjamin
Published: September 2012

Summary  In a recent piece in EMR, Burbidge et al. discussed some major impediments to linking research and practice in ecological restoration and management. They identified a lack of collaboration between research and practice, poor communication, inappropriate funding and political timelines, change inertia and a lack of capacity as major barriers to improving restoration praxis. They suggest capacity building, communication, collaboration and involving key stakeholders through an iterative cycle of research to management will improve the translation of research into practice (Ecological Management and Restoration 12, 2011, 54). While we agree with the barriers and recommendations identified, they did not consider how the multifaceted motivations embodied in the practice and social context of restoration shape the research–practice nexus. Given the diversity of actors involved in conservation activities, and the focus on conservation on private land and landscape‐scale connectivity in government policy, this is a significant oversight. We suggest it is vital to draw attention to these multifaceted motivations when discussing implementation challenges. This piece draws on our collective insights from three doctoral research projects examining the science, practice and social dimensions of ecological restoration and management in Australia. Our intention is to outline some of the social and contextual influences shaping restoration practice to demonstrate the importance of dialogue between researchers, practitioners and landholders around the goals and expectations of restoration and management interventions. We suggest this is an important aspect of improving the conversation between the actors involved in restoration research, policy and practice.
Phylogenetic significance of the kinethmoid‐associated Y‐shaped ligament and long intercostal ligaments in the Cypriniformes (Actinopterygii: Ostariophysi)
Authors: LIAO TE‐YU , KULLANDER SVEN O.
Published: September 2012

Liao, T.Y. & Kullander, S.O. (2012). Phylogenetic significance of the kinethmoid‐associated Y‐shaped ligament and long intercostal ligaments in the Cypriniformes (Actinopterygii: Ostariophysi). —Zoologica Scripta, 42, 71–87.

The phylogenetic significance of the Y‐shaped and long intercostal ligaments in the Cypriniformes is examined using character optimization in 184 species representing 20 non‐ostariophysan teleost species, five ostariophysan orders, seven cypriniform families and 14 cyprinid subfamilies. Character states were optimized on the phylogenetic trees of previous studies. Given the topology of Saitoh et al. (2011), the Y‐shaped ligament, connecting the kinethmoid to the ethmoid complex, is shown to be a synapomorphy for the Cyprinidae, with reversals observed in the Cyprininae, Danioninae, Gobioninae and Psilorhynchinae. The condition of the Y‐shaped ligament is consistent within most subfamilies with a few exceptions. Despite the exceptions, the Y‐shaped ligament may be considered as a diagnostic character distinguishing cyprinid subfamilies with otherwise similar morphology, that is, the Danioninae and Opsariichthyinae. The long intercostal ligament, connecting five to eight ribs and ascending from the subdistal end of the fifth rib, is present in the Catostomidae and all cyprinid subfamilies, except for the Psilorhynchinae and two developmentally truncated genera, Danionella and Paedocypris. In addition to these two cypriniforme families, the long intercostal ligament is homoplastically present in some catfishes. Given the topology of Saitoh et al. (2011), presence of the long intercostal ligament is a synapomorphy of Cyprinidae+Catostomidae. Some shorter ligaments are also present in the Cypriniformes and Chilodus gracilis (Characiformes), near the base of the anterior ribs and only occurring anterodorsally to the putative line of the long intercostal ligament even when it is absent.
Low pretreatment serum total testosterone is associated with a high incidence of Gleason score 8–10 disease in prostatectomy specimens: data from ethnic Chinese patients with localized prostate cancer
Authors: Dai Bo , Qu YuanYuan , Kong YunYi , Ye DingWei , Yao XuDong , Zhang ShiLin , Wang ChaoFu , Zhang HaiLiang , Yang WeiYi
Published: September 2012

Study Type – Prognosis (prospective cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

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

Previous data from clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa) series treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) have suggested that low preoperative serum total testosterone level is associated with more aggressive PCa; however, the definition of low preoperative total testosterone level varied among these studies (from 220 ng/dL to 387 ng/dL). Moreover, no relevant data exist in the literature regarding ethnic Chinese patients.

The study shows that the most widely used threshold for low pretreatment total testosterone level (total testosterone < 300 ng/dL) is not appropriate for ethnic Chinese patients, because it could not distinguish patients with more aggressive PCa from those with less aggressive disease. Setting the threshold at the level of total testosterone < 250 ng/dL works better, because pretreatment total testosterone < 250 ng/dL is associated with a significantly higher incidence of Gleason score 8–10 disease in RP specimens.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between preoperative serum total testosterone level and prognostic factors of Chinese patients with clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 110 patients with localized PCa, treated by radical prostatectomy (RP), were included in this prospective study.

Clinical and pathological data from each patient were collected. Total testosterone was measured on the morning of surgery.

Total testosterone levels for each patient were compared using two thresholds: threshold 1 (total testosterone <300 ng/dL vs total testosterone ≥300 ng/dL) and threshold 2 (total testosterone <250 ng/dL vs total testosterone ≥250 ng/dL).

RESULTS

The median preoperative total testosterone level was 346 ng/dL. Gleason scores of ≤6, 7 and ≥8 were found in the RP specimens from 21 (19.1%), 67 (60.9%) and 22 (20.0%) patients, respectively.

Compared with those with low grade disease, patients with high grade disease (Gleason score ≥ 8) in RP specimens had a significantly lower preoperative total testosterone.

When comparing 35 patients with hypogonadism with 75 patients with eugonadism, classified by threshold 1, no significant relationships were found.

When comparing 18 patients with hypogonadism with 92 patients with eugonadism, classified by threshold 2, pathological Gleason score ≥ 8 tumours were more common in patients with hypogonadism.

CONCLUSION

Setting the threshold for hypogonadism at the level of pretreatment serum total testosterone <250 ng/dL is appropriate for ethnic Chinese patients with localized PCa, because patients with pretreatment total testosterone <250 ng/dL are associated with a higher incidence of Gleason score 8–10 disease in RP specimens.
Age‐related changes in prostate zonal volumes as measured by high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): a cross‐sectional study in over 500 patients
Authors: Turkbey Baris , Huang Robert , Vourganti Srinivas , Trivedi Hari , Bernardo Marcelino , Yan Pingkun , Benjamin Compton , Pinto Peter A. , Choyke Peter L.
Published: September 2012

Study Type – Diagnosis (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

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

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common symptomatic disorder of the prostate and its severity varies greatly in the population. Various methods have been used to estimate prostate volumes in the past including the digital rectal examination and ultrasound measurements.

High‐resolution T2 weighted MRI can provide accurate measurements of zonal volumes and total volumes, which can be used to better understand the etiology of lower urinary tract symptoms of men.

OBJECTIVE

To use ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate age‐related changes in zonal prostate volumes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This Institutional Review Board approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act‐compliant study consisted of 503 patients who underwent 3 T prostate MRI before any treatment for prostate cancer.

Whole prostate (WP) and central gland (CG) volumes were manually contoured on T2‐weighted MRI using a semi‐automated segmentation tool. WP, CG, peripheral zone (PZ) volumes were measured for each patient.

WP, CG, PZ volumes were correlated with age, serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) scores.

RESULTS

Linear regression analysis showed positive correlations between WP, CG volumes and patient age (P < 0.001); there was no correlation between age and PZ volume (P= 0.173).

There was a positive correlation between WP, CG volumes and serum PSA level (P < 0.001), as well as between PZ volume and serum PSA level (P= 0.002).

At logistic regression analysis, IPSS positively correlated with WP, CG volumes (P < 0.001).

SHIM positively correlated with WP (P= 0.015) and CG (P= 0.023) volumes.

As expected, the IPSS of patients with prostate volumes (WP, CG) in first decile for age were significantly lower than those in tenth decile.

CONCLUSIONS

Prostate MRI is able to document age‐related changes in prostate zonal volumes.

Changes in WP and CG volumes correlated inversely with changes in lower urinary tract symptoms.

These findings suggest a role for MRI in measuring accurate prostate zonal volumes; have interesting implications for study of age‐related changes in the prostate.
Type II papillary histology predicts poor outcome in patients with renal cell carcinoma and vena cava thrombus
Authors: Kim Kwang Hyun , You Dalsan , Jeong In Gab , Kwon Tae‐Won , Cho Yong Mee , Hong Jun Hyuk , Ahn Hanjong , Kim Choung‐Soo
Published: September 2012

Study Type – Prognosis (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

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

In patients with pRCC, the presence of venous tumour thrombus is known to be a predictor of poorer outcomes. However, a paucity of data is available regarding the prognostic significance of histology in patients with RCC and IVC thrombus.

In our series, we found that patients with type II pRCC had significantly poorer outcomes when compared to those with cRCC. Although the lack of effective treatment for patients with metastatic pRCC may have contributed to these adverse outcomes, type II papillary histology was independent predictor not only of CSS but also of RFS.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the prognostic impact of papillary histology on oncological outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombus.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of 74 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy and IVC thrombectomy between 1990 and 2010 for clear cell or papillary RCC.

We compared the clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes of 62 patients with clear cell RCC (cRCC) and 12 with papillary RCC (pRCC).

All cases of pRCC were subdivided into type I or type II.

The prognostic role of papillary histology on recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) was estimated using Cox's regression models.

RESULTS

Upon reclassification of the pRCC subtype, all 12 patients with pRCC had type II tumours.

Patients with type II pRCC were significantly younger (P = 0.028) and were more probably women (P = 0.025) than those with cRCC

The 2‐ and 5‐year CSS rates were 81.1% and 53.6% in cRCC patients, and 28.1% and 0% in type II pRCC patients, respectively. All eight patients with non‐metastatic type II pRCC developed disease recurrence at a median interval of 6 months after surgery, whereas 25 of 44 (56.8%) patients with non‐metastatic cRCC experienced such recurrence at a median interval of 10 months after surgery.

Patients with type II pRCC showed significantly lower CSS (P < 0.001) and RFS (P = 0.002) than those with cRCC.

On multivariate analysis, type II papillary histology was an independent predictor of CSS (hazard ratio, 3.73; P = 0.003) and RFS (hazard ratio, 3.15; P = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Type II papillary histology appears to be predominant in cases of pRCC with IVC thrombus.

Patients with type II pRCC who presented with IVC thrombus had significantly worse outcomes than those with cRCC, and histology is an important prognostic factor in patients with RCC and IVC thrombus.
Terpenoid biosynthesis in trichomes—current status and future opportunities
Authors: Markus Lange B. , Turner Glenn W.
Published: September 2012

Glandular trichomes are anatomical structures specialized for the synthesis of secreted natural products. In this review we focus on the description of glands that accumulate terpenoid essential oils and oleoresins. We also provide an in‐depth account of the current knowledge about the biosynthesis of terpenoids and secretion mechanisms in the highly specialized secretory cells of glandular trichomes, and highlight the implications for metabolic engineering efforts.
Play for Protest, Protest for Play: Artisan and Vendors' Resistance to Displacement in Mexico City
Authors: Crossa Veronica
Published: September 2012

Play, laughter and theatrical forms of activism have been recently documented by scholars interested in the politics and spatiality of resistance. This article focuses on the playful techniques of resistance deployed by street vendors and artisans in Mexico City as a result of the displacement generated by a recently implemented policy popularly called Plazas Limpias (clean plazas). Through a case study Coyoacan, a tourist‐oriented neighbourhood known for its historical richness and aesthetic qualities, I show how street vendors and artisans who were removed from plazas in the area engaged in a number of playful resistance strategies which drew on the symbolic and material importance of place. I argue the street vendors and artisans deployed playful techniques of resistance for two reasons. First, play helped develop emotions that were crucial for the sustainability of the movement. Second, playful strategies of resistance were practiced because of the symbolic importance of Coyoacan as a place of creativity, play, performance, and art.
Taking Discourse Seriously: Discursive Institutionalism and Post-structuralist Discourse Theory
Authors: Panizza Francisco , Miorelli Romina
Published: September 2012

The article seeks to add to the growing contribution of discursive approaches to the study of political institutions by analysing the possibilities for cross-fertilisation between discursive institutionalism and post-structuralist discourse theory. Analysing Vivien Schmidt's version of discursive institutionalism, it argues that Schmidt's concept of discourse results in a model of explanation of institutional change that overlooks questions about the relations between power, politics and discourse. It further argues that while post-structural discourse theory has made important contributions to the understanding of the discursive nature of social practices, it has so far failed fully to take on board the institutional dimension of politics. It concludes that an integration of Schmidt's insights on discursive institutionalism with post-structuralist discourse theory allows a more rounded analysis of the political dimension of institutions and of the institutional dimension of politics, as well as a better understanding of institutional change. To illustrate our arguments we draw on our own research to analyse the relations between discourse and institutions in the 2002 presidential electoral campaign in Brazil and in Argentina's poverty reduction policies in the 1990s.
The Role of Political Argument in Justice as Impartiality
Authors: Dowding Keith
Published: September 2012

Brian Barry's justice as impartiality relies upon Thomas Scanlon's contractual device of ‘reasonable rejection’. Many have criticised both Barry and Scanlon for not defining precisely what reasonable is, further suggesting that what is reasonable or rational is culturally specific and cannot underlie a universal account of justice, such as justice as impartiality. In this article I try to uncover the role of rationality, reasons and reasonable agreement in Barry's book Justice as Impartiality, in part by looking back at his first book, Political Argument. I specify in what sense the theory provides a universal account of justice and in what sense it is compatible with weak relativism. I argue that it is a liberal theory in two, very different, senses: first, because of its universalist structure, even though that structure at certain times and places is compatible with what we would now consider as illiberal social justice; second, because it now entails what we see as liberal principles of justice.
AGENCY AND AWARENESS
Authors: Andreou Chrisoula
Published: September 2012

I focus on the idea that if, as a result of lacking any conscious goal related to X‐ing and any conscious anticipation or awareness of X‐ing, one could sincerely reply to the question ‘Why are you X‐ing?’ with ‘I didn't realize I was doing that,’ then one's X‐ing is not intentional. My interest is in the idea interpreted as philosophically substantial (rather than merely stipulative) and as linked to the familiar view that there is a major difference, relative to the exercise of agential control, between acting on a conscious goal (even one the agent is not actively thinking about) and acting on a non‐conscious goal (about which the sincerely ‘clueless’ response ‘I didn't realize I was doing that’ could be provided). After raising some doubts about the target idea, I consider the two most promising lines of defence. I argue that neither is convincing, and that we should reject the suggestion that the idea is properly accepted as a matter of common sense. Even absent any conscious goal related to X‐ing and any conscious anticipation or awareness of X‐ing, there is room for counting X‐ing as intentional if X‐ing is, or is appropriately related to, a non‐conscious goal.
Structural breaks in time series
Authors: Aue Alexander , Horváth Lajos
Published: September 2012

This paper gives an account of some of the recent work on structural breaks in time series models. In particular, we show how procedures based on the popular cumulative sum, CUSUM, statistics can be modified to work also for data exhibiting serial dependence. Both structural breaks in the unconditional and conditional mean as well as in the variance and covariance/correlation structure are covered. CUSUM procedures are nonparametric by design. If the data allows for parametric modeling, we demonstrate how likelihood approaches may be utilized to recover structural breaks. The estimation of multiple structural breaks is discussed. Furthermore, we cover how one can disentangle structural breaks (in the mean and/or the variance) on one hand and long memory or unit roots on the other. Several new lines of research are briefly mentioned.
Specificity and multiplicity in the recognition of individuals: implications for the evolution of social behaviour
Authors: Wiley R. H.
Published: September 2012

Recognition of conspecifics occurs when individuals classify sets of conspecifics based on sensory input from them and associate these sets with different responses. Classification of conspecifics can vary in specificity (the number of individuals included in a set) and multiplicity (the number of sets differentiated). In other words, the information transmitted varies in complexity. Although recognition of conspecifics has been reported in a wide variety of organisms, few reports have addressed the specificity or multiplicity of this capability. This review discusses examples of these patterns, the mechanisms that can produce them, and the evolution of these mechanisms. Individual recognition is one end of a spectrum of specificity, and binary classification of conspecifics is one end of a spectrum of multiplicity. In some cases, recognition requires no more than simple forms of learning, such as habituation, yet results in individually specific recognition. In other cases, recognition of individuals involves complex associations of multiple cues with multiple previous experiences in particular contexts. Complex mechanisms for recognition are expected to evolve only when simpler mechanisms do not provide sufficient specificity and multiplicity to obtain the available advantages. In particular, the evolution of cooperation and deception is always promoted by specificity and multiplicity in recognition. Nevertheless, there is only one demonstration that recognition of specific individuals contributes to cooperation in animals other than primates. Human capacities for individual recognition probably have a central role in the evolution of complex forms of human cooperation and deception. Although relatively little studied, this capability probably rivals cognitive abilities for language.
Effects of a computerized working memory training program on working memory, attention, and academics in adolescents with severe LD and comorbid ADHD: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gray S.A. , Chaban P. , Martinussen R. , Goldberg R. , Gotlieb H. , Kronitz R. , Hockenberry M. , Tannock R.
Published: September 2012

Background:  Youths with coexisting learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for poor academic and social outcomes. The underlying cognitive deficits, such as poor working memory (WM), are not well targeted by current treatments for either LD or ADHD. Emerging evidence suggests that WM might be improved by intensive and adaptive computerized training, but it remains unclear whether this intervention would be effective for adolescents with severe LD and comorbid ADHD.

Methods:  A total of sixty 12‐ to 17‐year olds with LD/ADHD (52 male, 8 female, IQ > 80) were randomized to one of two computerized intervention programs: working memory training (Cogmed RM) or math training (Academy of Math) and evaluated before and 3 weeks after completion. The criterion measures of WM included auditory‐verbal and visual‐spatial tasks. Near and far transfer measures included indices of cognitive and behavioral attention and academic achievement.

Results:  Adolescents in the WM training group showed greater improvements in a subset of WM criterion measures compared with those in the math‐training group, but no training effects were observed on the near or far measures. Those who showed the most improvement on the WM training tasks at school were rated as less inattentive/hyperactive at home by parents.

Conclusions:  Results suggest that WM training may enhance some aspects of WM in youths with LD/ADHD, but further development of the training program is required to promote transfer effects to other domains of function.
The neurophysiological performance of visuospatial working memory in children with developmental coordination disorder
Authors: TSAI CHIA‐LIANG , CHANG YU‐KAI , HUNG TSUNG‐MIN , TSENG YU‐TING , CHEN TZU‐CHI
Published: September 2012

Aim  The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the deficit in visuospatial working memory (VSWM) seen in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and to compare brain activity while performing a VSWM task in children with DCD and typically developing children.

Method  Behavioural performance and event‐related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in 24 children (12 males, 12 females; mean age 139mo, SD 4mo) with DCD (as determined by a score <5th centile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children – Second Edition) and in 30 age‐ and sex‐matched typically developing children (15 males; 15 females; mean age 140mo, SD 5mo) recruited from local schools, while performing one spatial non‐delay and two time‐delayed spatial memory tasks.

Results  Compared with typically developing children, children with DCD exhibited longer reaction times (p = 0.022; partial η2=0.10) and lower accuracy rates (p < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.35) on the two spatial memory tasks. Electrophysiological indices also showed distinct modulatory effects, with children with DCD exhibiting smaller P3 (p < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.26) and positive slow wave (pSW; p = 0.003; partial η2 = 0.16) amplitude and a smaller area under the curve of P3 and pSW components (p = 0.002; partial η2 = 0.17).

Interpretation  The combined analysis of behavioural performance and ERP data suggests that children with DCD have deficits of visuospatial working memory owing to fewer resources being allocated to comparison of spatial locations, less effort allotted to the response selection, and less neural processing employed during the retrieval process phase.
Effects of Population Size on Singing Behavior of a Rare Duetting Songbird
Authors: VALDERRAMA SANDRA V. , MOLLES LAURA E. , WAAS JOSEPH R.
Published: September 2012

Although the genetic and ecological effects of population declines in endangered species have been well studied, little is known of the social consequences. Changes in signaling behavior may result in disrupted communication and affect both reproductive and conflict‐resolution activities. The North Island Kōkako (Callaeas wilsoni) is an endangered, duetting (i.e., alternating, coordinated singing by mated pairs) songbird endemic to New Zealand temperate rain forests. Scattered populations (approximately 1500 individuals in 13 surviving and 11 translocated populations) in isolated conservation areas of different sizes have been rescued from extirpation and are currently recovering. We examined key song attributes of the Kōkako to assess whether population size or growth rate are related to song complexity, the reduction of which may compromise effective communication. We analyzed song repertoire size and phrase‐type sharing (i.e., Jaccard index of similarity), vocal performance (singing rates, song switching rates, and diversity of phrase types), and song syntactical characteristics (i.e., unpredictability in sequences of phrase types) in surviving and translocated populations (populations of approximately 19–250 territorial individuals). Population size was positively correlated with a population's song repertoire, song diversity, and switching of song phrase types and negatively correlated with shared phrase types and variation in syntactical structure of songs. Population growth rate correlated positively with pair repertoire size, population repertoire size, and singing rates during song bouts. As for solo‐singing species in fragmented landscapes, songs in the fragmented populations of Kōkako appear to be undergoing microevolution as occurs in island colonization events. Our results suggest that vocal changes in small populations could affect population establishment and growth, particularly in multiple‐source translocations. We believe measurement of vocal behavior could be used as a supplement to periodic population censuses to allow more frequent monitoring of population size.

Efectos de la Conducta de Canto sobre el Tamaño Poblacional de una Ave Canora Rara
Integrating Paleobiology, Archeology, and History to Inform Biological Conservation
Authors: RICK TORBEN C. , LOCKWOOD ROWAN
Published: September 2012

The search for novel approaches to establishing ecological baselines (reference conditions) is constrained by the fact that most ecological studies span the past few decades, at most, and investigate ecosystems that have been substantially altered by human activities for decades, centuries, or more. Paleobiology, archeology, and history provide historical ecological context for biological conservation, remediation, and restoration. We argue that linking historical ecology explicitly with conservation can help unify related disciplines of conservation paleobiology, conservation archeobiology, and environmental history. Differences in the spatial and temporal resolution and extent (scale) of prehistoric, historic, and modern ecological data remain obstacles to integrating historical ecology and conservation biology, but the prolonged temporal extents of historical ecological data can help establish more complete baselines for restoration, document a historical range of ecological variability, and assist in determining desired future conditions. We used the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) fishery of the Chesapeake Bay (U.S.A.) to demonstrate the utility of historical ecological data for elucidating oyster conservation and the need for an approach to conservation that transcends disciplinary boundaries. Historical ecological studies from the Chesapeake have documented dramatic declines (as much as 99%) in oyster abundance since the early to mid‐1800s, changes in oyster size in response to different nutrient levels from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, and substantial reductions in oyster accretion rates (from 10 mm/year to effectively 0 mm/year) from the Late Holocene to modern times. Better integration of different historical ecological data sets and increased collaboration between paleobiologists, geologists, archeologists, environmental historians, and ecologists to create standardized research designs and methodologies will help unify prehistoric, historic, and modern time perspectives on biological conservation.

Integración de Paleobiología, Arqueología e Historia para Informar a la Biología de la Conservación
Tetraflagellochloris mauritanica gen. et sp. nov. (Chlorophyceae), a New Flagellated Alga from the Mauritanian Desert: Morphology, Ultrastructure, and Phylogenetic Framing
Authors: Barsanti Laura , Frassanito Anna Maria , Passarelli Vincenzo , Evangelista Valtere , Etebari Maryam , Paccagnini Eugenio , Lupetti Pietro , Lenzi Paola , Verni Franco , Gualtieri Paolo
Published: September 2012

Morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular‐sequence data were used to assess the phylogenetic position of a tetraflagellate green alga isolated from soil samples of a saline dry basin near F'derick, Mauritania. This alga can grow as individual cells or form non‐coenobial colonies of up to 12 individuals. It has a parietal chloroplast with an embedded pyrenoid covered by a starch sheath and traversed by single parallel thylakoids, and an eyespot located in a parietal position opposite to the flagellar insertion. Lipid vacuoles are present in the cytoplasm. Microspectroscopy indicated the presence of chlorophylls a and b, with lutein as the major carotenoid in the chloroplast, while the eyespot spectrum has a shape typical of green‐algal eyespots. The cell has four flagella, two of them long and two considerably shorter. Sequence data from the 18S rRNA gene and ITS2 were obtained and compared with published sequences for green algae. Results from morphological and ultrastructural examinations and sequence analysis support the placement of this alga in the Chlorophyceae, as Tetraflagellochloris mauritanica L. Barsanti et A. Barsanti, gen. et sp. nov.