bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of relaxin and IGF‐I on capacitation, acrosome reaction, cholesterol efflux and utilization of labeled and unlabeled glucose in porcine spermatozoa
Authors: MIAH ABDUL GAFFAR , SALMA UMMAY , TAKAGI YUJI , KOHSAKA TETSUYA , HAMANO KO‐ICHI , TSUJII HIROTADA
Published: February 2008

Aim: Relaxin and insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐I have pronounced effects on the male and female reproductive tracts. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of relaxin and IGF‐I on the motility, capacitation, acrosome reaction, cholesterol efflux and utilization of glucose in porcine spermatozoa.

Methods: Swim‐up separated spermatozoa that had been washed twice were incubated at 37°C for 1 or 4 h in modified Tyrode's albumin lactate pyruvate (mTALP) medium supplemented without (control) or with relaxin (20 ng/mL) or IGF‐I (20 ng/mL) or both (10 + 10 ng/mL).

Results: Progressive motility and the induction rate of capacitation and acrosome reaction were increased (P < 0.05) by relaxin and IGF‐I alone or in combination, especially after 4 h of incubation. Relaxin alone or combined with IGF‐I enhanced (P < 0.05) the cholesterol efflux after 4 h, whereas IGF‐I alone did not show any significant effect on the cholesterol efflux compared with the control at any time point. The utilization rates of labeled and unlabeled glucose increased (P < 0.05) in spermatozoa incubated with relaxin or IGF‐I alone or in combination compared with the control.

Conclusion: Thus, supplementation of relaxin alone or combined with IGF‐I into the medium possibly plays a beneficial role in porcine spermatozoal prefertilization eventsin vitro. (Reprod Med Biol 2008;7: 29–36)
p‐Chloroamphetamine‐induced rat ejaculation is not associated with the preoptic nucleus or medial nucleus amygdala
Authors: YOKOSUKA MAKOTO , TAKAGI SHUNSUKE , KATOU MASAHIRO , PUDCHARAPORN KROMKHUM , GIZURARSON SVEINBJORN , ICHIKAWA MASUMI , SAITO TORU R.
Published: February 2008

Aim:  In the rat, intraperitoneal injection of p‐chloroamphetamine (PCA), which releases central 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) from serotonergic nerve terminals, induces ejaculation, even in the absence of an estrus female or female‐related smell information. It is well known that the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) and the medial nucleus amygdala (MEA) play a major role in the control of male sexual behavior in mammals. We examined whether or not neuronal activity of the MPN and/or the MEA was associated with PCA‐induced ejaculation.

Methods:  Using c‐Fos immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated a difference in the neural activities of the MPN and the MEA for ejaculation during copulation with an estrus female and ejaculation by PCA injection.

Results:  Increased numbers of c‐Fos‐immunoreactive (c‐Fos‐IR) cells were found in the MPN and the MEA in the brains of the mating animals, whereas in the brains of the animals undergoing PCA‐induced ejaculation there was no increase in the number of c‐Fos‐IR cells in the MPN and a small increase in the MEA.

Conclusion:  Based on these results, ejaculation induced by PCA is not associated with the MPN. Moreover, the MEA is not the main act for this ejaculation. (Reprod Med Biol 2008; 7: 37–43)
Growth of follicles of various animals following ovarian grafting under the kidney capsules of immunodeficient mice
Authors: HOSOE MISA , FURUSAWA TADASHI , NOGUCHI JUNKO , TOKUNAGA TOMOYUKI
Published: February 2008

Aim:  Various researchers have studied xenografting ovarian tissues into immunodeficient mice to accelerate the follicular growth of several mammalian species. In this study, the authors focused on the following three points in growing follicles in transplanted ovarian tissues under kidney capsules: the effects of the storage conditions of the donor ovarian tissues, the effects of donor age on the survival rates of grafted mouse ovaries, and the methods used to grow the follicles of xenografted bovine ovaries.

Methods and Results:  When ovaries stored for 0, 6, 12 or 24 h at 4°C and at room temperature were transplanted under the kidney capsules of immunodeficient mice, fewer mouse and rabbit grafts survived following 24 h storage. The survival rates of bovine grafts were relatively low for all storage times. When mouse ovaries were held for 24 h at 4°C or at room temperature, low‐temperature storage effectively improved the survival rates of the grafts. Although the survival rates of grafted genital ridges containing premeiotic germ cells from fetuses and grafted ovaries from mice 0, 10, 20, 40 and 80 days after birth were similar among donors of different ages, the cleavage rate of oocytes following insemination was significantly lower in the grafts from the ovaries of 80‐day‐old mice. Antral follicles formed in surviving bovine ovarian grafts. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were collected from the grafted ovaries of fetuses and calves, and the oocytes reached the metaphase II stage following culture, but they did not develop to the pronuclear stage after in vitro fertilization.

Conclusion:  Our findings provide basic data on xenografting ovarian tissues into immunodeficient mice to accelerate the growth of follicles. (Reprod Med Biol 2008; 7: 45–54)
Can depth of tumour invasion predict lymph node positivity in patients undergoing resection for early rectal cancer? A comparative study between T1 and T2 cancers
Authors: Rasheed S. , Bowley D. M. , Aziz O. , Tekkis P. P. , Sadat A. E. , Guenther T. , Boello M. L. , McDonald P. J. , Talbot I. C. , Northover J. M. A.
Published: February 2008

Objective  The present study investigated the risk of lymph node metastasis according to the depth of tumour invasion in patients undergoing resection for rectal cancer.

Method  The histology of patients undergoing oncological resection with regional lymphadenectomy for rectal cancer at St Marks Hospital from 1971 to 1996 was reviewed. Of the total number of 1549 patients, 303 patients with T1 or T2 rectal cancers were selected. The tumour type, grade, evidence of vascular invasion, depth of submucosal invasion (classed into ‘sm1‐3’) were evaluated as potential predictors of lymph node positivity using univariate and multi‐level logistic regression analysis.

Results  Tumour stage was classified as T1 in 55 (18.2%) and T2 in 248 (81.2%) patients. The incidence of lymph node metastasis in the T1 group was 12.7% (7/55), compared to 19% (47/247) in the T2 group. The node positive and negative groups were similar with regard to patient demographics, although the former contained a significantly higher number of poorly differentiated (P = 0.001) and extramural vascular invasion tumours (P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the number of patients with sm1‐3, or T2 tumour depths within the lymph node positive and negative groups. On multivariate analysis the presence of extramural vascular invasion (odds ratio = 10.0) and tumour grade (odds ratio for poorly vs well‐differentiated = 11.7) were independent predictors of lymph node metastasis.

Conclusion  Whilst the degree of vascular invasion and poor differentiation of rectal tumours were significant risk factors for lymph node metastasis, depth of submucosal invasion was not. This has important implications for patients with superficial early rectal cancers in whom local excision is being considered.
Targeted therapy in colorectal carcinoma: more than a theory
Authors: Pickering L. , Rudman S. , Ross P. J. , Leslie M. D.
Published: February 2008

Objective  The aim of this review was to examine clinical trial data reporting the use of targeted therapies in colorectal cancer.

Method  Candidate trials were identified by a comprehensive literature search.

Results  The data on the use of targeted therapies; usually combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of colorectal cancer is accumulating rapidly. These new agents will increasingly become incorporated into standard treatment schedules.

Conclusion  Targeted therapy has moved rapidly from the laboratory to the clinic and is opening up potentially new and exciting areas for the development of the systemic treatment of colorectal cancer.
Insulin therapy in renal disease
Authors: Iglesias Pedro , Díez Juan J.
Published: February 2008

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the main cause of end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). Conversely, chronic renal failure (CRF) is also associated with diverse alterations in carbohydrate and insulin metabolism. CRF‐induced metabolic disorders should be borne in mind when treating diabetic patients, to ensure the introduction of adequate therapy adjustments that are in line with the onset of renal function decline. Moreover, several specific therapies employed in CRF may also influence pharmacological therapy of DM in uraemic patients. Adequate glycaemic control has also been associated with a reduction in the onset and progression of diabetic nephropathy as well as in the morbidity and mortality in uraemic diabetic patients during dialysis. Intensive insulin therapy can notably improve glycemic control and it should be considered part of the management of insulin‐treated CRF diabetic patients. Insulin analogues have been recently evaluated in CRF diabetic patients, with encouraging results. In this study, we review the more relevant aspects related to insulin therapy in diabetic patients with different degrees of renal failure and in patients with ESRD, both in conservative therapy and dialysis.
The Dispositional Sources of Job Satisfaction: A Comparative Test
Authors: Judge Timothy A. , Heller Daniel , Klinger Ryan
Published: February 2008

This study related three personality taxonomies—positive affectivity and negative affectivity (PA and NA), the five‐factor model (the “Big Five”), and core self‐evaluations—to job satisfaction in an integrative test. In a longitudinal design with multi‐source data, results indicated that the traits from all three taxonomies generally were significantly related to job satisfaction, even when the traits and job satisfaction were measured with independent sources. However, when all three typologies were examined concurrently, the core self‐evaluations typology was the only typology that was significantly related to job satisfaction. The study extends research on the validation of these frameworks by assessing convergent and discriminant validity issues, and shows that core self‐evaluations adds to our understanding of the dispositional source of job satisfaction.
Free radical damage as a biomarker of bladder dysfunction after partial outlet obstruction and reversal
Authors: Lin Wei‐Yu , Guven Ahmet , Juan Yung‐Shun , Neuman Paul , Whitbeck Catherine , Chichester Paul , Kogan Barry , Levin Robert M. , Mannikarottu Anita
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the use of free‐radical generation as a result of protein carbonylation and nitrotyrosination to characterize the level of bladder dysfunction after partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO) and reversal.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We surgically created PBOO in male New Zealand White rabbits; after 4 weeks of PBOO, one group of six rabbits was assessed, while the PBOO was relieved in two additional groups of six rabbits each that were assessed at 4 and 8 weeks after relieving the PBOO. Six sham‐operated rabbits served as controls. Sedated rabbits were assessed by cystometry and the bladders were then removed for contractile, histological and molecular studies. Western blotting was used to determine the level of carbonylation and nitrotyrosination at the protein level.

RESULTS

The PBOO group had significant decreases in the contractile responses to field stimulation, ATP, carbachol and KCl. The responses to all forms of stimulation increased significantly at 4 weeks after reversal, and further increased to near normal levels by 8 weeks. Similarly, compliance and cystometric values also returned to near normal values after reversal. The hypertrophied smooth muscle of the obstructed bladders regressed to near‐normal size. There was a significant increase in the level of carbonylation and nitrotyrosination after PBOO, and a progressive decrease in the 4‐week reversal groups, nearing control values by 8 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

Significantly increased carbonylation and nitrotyrosination levels after PBOO correlated with the severe dysfunction in the obstructed rabbits. Similarly, decreased levels of oxidation and nitration correlated with the functional recovery after reversal.
Radical prostatectomy in men aged ≥70 years: effect of age on upgrading, upstaging, and the accuracy of a preoperative nomogram
Authors: Richstone Lee , Bianco Fernando J. , Shah Hiral H. , Kattan Michael W. , Eastham James A. , Scardino Peter T. , Scherr Douglas S.
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effect of age on clinicopathological features, the accuracy of the preoperative nomogram, and survival after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP), as there are limited data on elderly men undergoing RRP.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A database of 258 men aged ≥70 years and 3777 aged <70 years who had RRP was reviewed to compare the clinicopathological features and survival between the age groups. The effect of age on the frequency of upgrading from biopsy Gleason sum 2–6 to pathology Gleason sum ≥7, and upstaging from clinical T1–T2 to pathological stage T3–T4 was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Men aged ≥70 years had cancers of higher clinical stage (P = 0.001), pathology Gleason sums (P = 0.01) and a lower frequency of organ‐confined disease than men aged <70 years (58.1% and 69.9%, respectively, P = 0.001). There was upgrading in 76/169 (45.0%) men aged ≥70 years and in 936/2656 (35.2%) of men aged <70 years (P = 0.01). However, age was not associated with upgrading on a multivariate analysis. Upstaging was more frequent in older than in younger men (40.2% and 29.3%, respectively, P = 0.001). Age ≥70 years was associated with upstaging on multivariate logistic regression but did not affect the accuracy of the Partin tables (P = 0.14) or Kattan nomograms (P = 0.53). There was no difference in cancer‐specific survival (96% at 10 years, P = 0.33) or biochemical progression‐free probability between the age groups (74% and 75% at 10 years, respectively, P = 0.13).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients aged ≥70 years are more likely to be upstaged after RRP, but this does not affect cancer control. In addition, nomograms maintain their accuracy and remain valid tools in this rapidly growing patient population.
THE UBIQUITY OF DECEPTION AND THE ETHICS OF DECEPTIVE RESEARCH
Authors: BENHAM BRYAN
Published: February 2008

Does the fact that deception is widely practised – even though there is a general prohibition against deception – provide insight into the ethics of deceptive methods in research, especially for social‐behavioral research?

I answer in the affirmative. The ubiquity of deception argument, as I will call it, points to the need for a concrete and nuanced understanding of the variety of deceptive practices, and thus promises an alternative route of analysis for why some deception may be permissible in social‐behavioral research. As an alternative argument it also promises to break the stalemate that emerges in debates on the ethics of deceptive methods in social‐behavioral research.

In the current paper I (1) motivate and articulate the ubiquity argument in order to clarify the significance of ubiquity and discharge some initial objections. Then, on the recommendations of the ubiquity argument, I (2) highlight the importance of interpersonal relationships for understanding the ethics of deception. Following this insight I (3) provide an analysis of several features of the researcher‐participant relationship relevant to the understanding of the ethics of deception in research. I then (4) conclude the argument with some recommendations for the ethical use of deceptive methods in social‐behavioral research.
Emergent Processes in Group Behavior
Authors: Goldstone Robert L. , Roberts Michael E. , Gureckis Todd M.
Published: February 2008

Just as neurons interconnect in networks that create structured thoughts beyond the ken of any individual neuron, so people spontaneously organize themselves into groups to create emergent organizations that no individual may intend, comprehend, or even perceive. Recent technological advances have provided us with unprecedented opportunities for conducting controlled laboratory experiments on human collective behavior. We describe two experimental paradigms in which we attempt to build predictive bridges between the beliefs, goals, and cognitive capacities of individuals and patterns of behavior at the group level, showing how the members of a group dynamically allocate themselves to resources and how innovations diffuse through a social network. Agent-based computational models have provided useful explanatory and predictive accounts. Together, the models and experiments point to tradeoffs between exploration and exploitation—that is, compromises between individuals using their own innovations and using innovations obtained from their peers—and the emergence of group-level organizations such as population waves, bandwagon effects, and spontaneous specialization.
Speech Perception Within an Auditory Cognitive Science Framework
Authors: Holt Lori L. , Lotto Andrew J.
Published: February 2008

The complexities of the acoustic speech signal pose many significant challenges for listeners. Although perceiving speech begins with auditory processing, investigation of speech perception has progressed mostly independently of study of the auditory system. Nevertheless, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that cross-fertilization between the two areas of research can be productive. We briefly describe research bridging the study of general auditory processing and speech perception, showing that the latter is constrained and influenced by operating characteristics of the auditory system and that our understanding of the processes involved in speech perception is enhanced by study within a more general framework. The disconnect between the two areas of research has stunted the development of a truly interdisciplinary science, but there is an opportunity for great strides in understanding with the development of an integrated field of auditory cognitive science.
When the Evidence Says, “Yes, No, and Maybe So”
Authors: De Los Reyes Andres , Kazdin Alan E.
Published: February 2008

An international, multidisciplinary effort aims to identify evidence-based treatments (EBTs) or interventions. The goal of this effort is to identify specific techniques or programs that successfully target and change specific behaviors. In clinical psychology, EBTs are identified based on the outcomes of randomized controlled trials examining whether treatments outperform control or alternative treatment conditions. Treatment outcomes are measured in multiple ways. Consistently, different ways of gauging outcomes yield inconsistent conclusions. Historically, EBT research has not accounted for these inconsistencies. In this paper we highlight the implications of inconsistencies, describe a framework for redressing inconsistent findings, and illustrate how the framework can guide future research on how to administer and combine treatments to maximize treatment effects and how to study treatments via quantitative review.
Does Political Information Matter? An Experimental Test Relating to Party Positions on Europe
Authors: Tilley James , Wlezien Christopher
Published: February 2008

This article focuses on whether the provision of ‘objectively’ correct information to voters about where parties stand on an issue affects their placement of the parties, and ultimately their own position, on that issue. Classic theories of how mass publics make voting decisions assume that voters are able relatively accurately to place themselves and the parties on various issue dimensions. While these assumptions have been challenged, it is generally assumed that the provision of new information makes voters' placements more informed. We explicitly test this idea using a survey experiment focusing on one political issue – European integration. In the experiment, all respondents were twice asked to place the three main British parties and themselves on a bipolar scale of European integration. This was done towards the beginning, and then at the end of the survey. Most respondents were also given information on the ‘informed’ positions of the parties, derived from expert survey placement. Our analyses indicate that individuals’ placements did change, and the tendency was related to both political sophistication and the inherent difficulty of placing the party. Only less sophisticated voters updated their placements, and these changes are concentrated on the placement of the Labour party, where the elite stance on Europe has been more conflicted. For all respondents we do not detect any corresponding changes in self-placement that would be congruent with ‘cueing’ effects.
Immigration and the Imagined Community in Europe and the United States
Authors: Citrin Jack , Sides John
Published: February 2008

Both Europe and the United States are confronting the challenges of economic and cultural integration posed by immigration. This article uses the ESS and CID surveys to compare transatlantic public opinion about immigrants and immigration. We find more tolerance for cultural diversity in the United States, but we also find that Americans, like Europeans, tend to overestimate the number of immigrants in their countries and tend to favor lower levels of immigration. The underpinnings of individual attitudes are similar in all countries and immigration attitudes are surprisingly unrelated to country-level differences in GDP, unemployment and the number and composition of the foreign born. An implication of these findings is that acceptance of higher levels of immigration, deemed by many to be an economic need, will require both more selective immigration policies and an emphasis on the cultural assimilation of newcomers.
When Does Diversity Erode Trust? Neighborhood Diversity, Interpersonal Trust and the Mediating Effect of Social Interactions
Authors: Stolle Dietlind , Soroka Stuart , Johnston Richard
Published: February 2008

This article contributes to the debate about the effects of ethnic diversity on social cohesion, particularly generalized trust. The analysis relies on data from both the ‘Citizenship, Involvement, Democracy’ (CID) survey in the US and the ‘Equality, Security and Community Survey’ (ESCS) in Canada. Our analysis, one of the first controlled cross-national comparisons of small-unit contextual variation, confirms recent findings on the negative effect of neighborhood diversity on white majorities across the two countries. Our most important finding, however, is that not everyone is equally sensitive to context. Individuals who regularly talk with their neighbors are less influenced by the racial and ethnic character of their surroundings than people who lack such social interaction. This finding challenges claims about the negative effects of diversity on trust – at least, it suggests that the negative effects so prevalent in existing research can be mediated by social ties.
Citizenship Norms and the Expansion of Political Participation
Authors: Dalton Russell J.
Published: February 2008

A growing chorus of scholars laments the apparent decline of political participation in America, and the negative implications of this trend for American democracy. This article questions this position – arguing that previous studies misdiagnosed the sources of political change and the consequences of changing norms of citizenship for Americans' political engagement. Citizenship norms are shifting from a pattern of duty-based citizenship to engaged citizenship. Using data from the 2005 ‘Citizenship, Involvement, Democracy’ survey of the Center for Democracy and Civil Society (CDACS) I describe these two faces of citizenship, and trace their impact on political participation. Rather than the erosion of participation, this norm shift is altering and expanding the patterns of political participation in America.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF TECHNOLOGY‐DRIVEN CHANGE WITHIN AN INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT: THE GREEK CASE
Authors: PHILIPPIDOU SOPHIA , KARAGEORGIOU MARIA , TARANTILIS CHRISTOS , SODERQUIST ERIC , PRASTACOS GREGORY
Published: February 2008

Propelled by the driving forces of globalization and technology explosion, public institutions face the challenge of rapid and discontinuous change. Such change has come to undermine the relevance of traditional approaches on how an institution should be managed. We analyse a technology‐driven change effort, the implementation of an Integrated Information System (IIS), that unfolds within the boundaries of the institutional context of the Hellenic Parliament. The purpose of our research, which reports on a qualitative field study, is to explore and understand how the particularities of technology‐driven change on the one hand, and institutional change on the other, can be integrated, paying particular attention to how the different actors involved in the process interact and affect the unfolding of such a change effort. Our findings show that strong friction did indeed occur between old and new institutional factors, but that the key factor enabling the change effort to advance and finally gain legitimation was the encouragement and support in the institutional change process of opportunity‐based and emerging changes, as proposed by the technological change literature.
EXCHANGE WITHOUT CAPTURE: THE UK FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE’S STRUGGLE FOR ACCEPTED DOMAIN
Authors: GILAD SHARON
Published: February 2008

This article explores the formation of public organizations’‘domain perception’, that is, their internal interpretation and external articulation of their role and its boundaries. The analysis is based on non‐participant observation research of the UK Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), and archival research of its predecessor organization, which handled consumer complaints regarding the retail selling of financial products. I show that the FOS’s articulation of its domain emphasized the strictly individual and confidential nature of its complaint handling, rather than formulation of general principles to guide firms’ sale practices. This domain perception embodied an implicit exchange between the ombudsman and the retail financial industry on behalf of consumers, and distinguished the ombudsman’s role from that of the Financial Services Authority and the civil courts. The case is employed as means for theory building regarding the nature of public organizations’ domain perceptions and the process by which such constructs develop in regulatory contexts.
Parenting and Children's Distress Reactivity during Toddlerhood: An Examination of Direction of Effects
Authors: Scaramella Laura V. , Sohr‐Preston Sara L. , Mirabile Scott P. , Robison Sarah D. , Callahan Kristin L.
Published: February 2008

During early childhood, harsh and emotionally negative parent–child exchanges are expected to increase children's risk for developing later conduct problems. The present study examined longitudinal associations between the quality of parenting responses and children's distress reactivity during children's second year of life. Forty‐seven mother–child dyads completed observational assessments of children's distress reactivity and mothers’ harsh and supportive parenting when children were 12 and 24 months of age. Results indicated that mothers’ contingent harsh parenting responses to children's non‐compliance when children were 12 months of age predicted increases in children's observed distress from 12 to 24 months, but children's level of distress at 12 months did not predict change in harsh parenting responses over the same time period. In contrast, supportive parenting contingent responses did not predict declines in children's distress reactivity, although children's distress reactivity predicted declines in mothers’ supportive parenting responses from 12 to 24 months. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of the quality of parent–child interactions as a point of entry onto developmental pathways of risk.
Maternal Differential Treatment and Child Adjustment: A Multi‐informant Approach
Authors: Coldwell Joanne , Pike Alison , Dunn Judy
Published: February 2008

The study aimed to replicate previous links with children's adjustment as well as using children's reports of maternal differential treatment (MDT) to test whether difference scores or favouritism scores demonstrate stronger links with child outcome. Finally, it tested for a unique prediction of children's adjustment from distinct aspects and informants of MDT. The sample consisted of 173 working‐ and middle‐class English families with two children aged four to eight years. Mothers provided reports of the mother–child relationship, and both mothers and fathers provided reports of the children's problematic behaviour. The children also provided reports of parent–child relationships and perceived favouritism via a puppet interview. Results confirmed moderate links between MDT and children's adjustment and showed that difference scores provided a better prediction of adjustment than did the favouritism scores. Finally, the results showed that mothers' reports of differential positive feelings were the most salient aspect of MDT for older siblings whereas mothers' reports of negative feelings and positive discipline were the most salient aspects of MDT for younger siblings.
Normative Beliefs Regarding Aggression in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Nelson David A. , Springer Melanie M. , Nelson Larry J. , Bean Nathaniel H.
Published: February 2008

Few studies have examined the nature of aggression in emerging adulthood (ages 18–25), a unique developmental period wherein relationships become increasingly important and intimate. Consistent with a greater emphasis on relationships, relationally manipulative forms of aggression may be particularly salient during this time period. Based on content analysis of perceptions of 134 undergraduate students, this study documents a significant spectrum of normative aggressive behaviors among emerging adults. Participant responses were coded into categories reflective of current aggression research. Findings indicate that perceptions of salient aggressive strategies vary by gender of both the aggressor and the victim. For example, male aggression was most often described as being verbal or directly physical in nature, especially in same‐sex dyads. In contrast, female aggression was most often described as being indirectly relational, verbal, or non‐verbal (ignoring/avoiding) across dyads. However, direct relational aggression was also fairly prominent in perceptions of female aggression toward males.
‘We, the European People . . .’—Relâche?
Authors: Ladeur Karl‐Heinz
Published: February 2008

Abstract:  The failure of the European constitutional treaty has not been taken seriously by the European constitutionalists. It is regarded as a kind of accident which will be repaired in due course. The article is a plea for a reopening of the debate on Europeanness. Europe cannot and should not be a ‘superstate’; nor can it be a kind of revival of the European nation state which is threatened by globalisation. Even less can it be a community of post‐national deliberators as Jürgen Habermas would have it. Europe should be constructed as an entity of its own which responds to the heterarchical relational logic of fragmentation which characterises post‐modernity and globalisation of which it is a part. It cannot be its counterpart. Europe does not need a ‘constitution’, and it does not need a ‘people’ either.
The Unpatriotism of the Economic Constitution? Rights to Free Movement and their Impact on National and European Identity
Authors: Hilson Chris
Published: February 2008

Abstract:  Instead of the political reading of the EU Constitution adopted by advocates of constitutional patriotism, this article examines the European economic constitution. The four single market freedoms can be used by the Court of Justice to strike down Member State laws which represent deeply held aspects of national cultural identity. The article examines whether the court does in fact act in this way and proceeds to argue that the issue of identity protection does not stop with the court. In those policy areas where the court is more interventionist, and its case‐law is perceived as an identity threat, one is likely to find binding Treaty‐based derogations. Where, in contrast, the effect of the court's case‐law poses less of a threat, one is more likely to see non‐binding declarations. The article examines a number of policy areas in which specific cultural derogations and declarations are to be found, including abortion, property acquisition, football and alcohol control.
What has been happening to collective bargaining under New Labour? Interpreting WERS 2004
Authors: Brown William , Nash David
Published: February 2008

The late 20th century saw the rapid decline of collective bargaining, which had hitherto been the dominant means of regulation of employment in Britain. The article uses a comparison of the Workplace Employment Relations Surveys for 1998 and 2004 to assess how far this changed during the later period of economic growth and sympathetic labour legislation. Contrary to expectations, the data show that collective bargaining coverage has continued to fall, although much of this decline is concentrated in small firms in the private sector. The article goes on to analyse the recent change at sectoral level and examines evidence on the extent to which the character, as well as the extent, of collective bargaining had changed. The locus of management decision making has continued to move down organisations, both where collective bargaining occurs and also where unions are absent. Finally, the article evaluates how the perceptions of those involved in the bargaining process have shifted at a time of greatly diminished trade union influence.
Pancreatographic investigation of pancreatic duct system and pancreaticobiliary malformation
Authors: Kamisawa Terumi , Okamoto Atsutake
Published: February 2008

To clarify the anatomy of the pancreatic duct system and to investigate its embryology, we reviewed 256 pancreatograms with normal pancreatic head, 81 with pancreas divisum and 74 with pancreaticobiliary maljunction. Accessory pancreatograms were divided into two patterns. The long‐type accessory pancreatic duct forms a straight line and joins the main pancreatic duct at the neck portion of the pancreas. The short‐type accessory pancreatic duct joins the main pancreatic duct near its first inferior branch. The short‐type accessory pancreatic duct is less likely to have a long inferior branch arising from the accessory pancreatic duct. The length of the accessory pancreatic duct from the orifice to the first long inferior branch was similar in the short‐ and long‐type accessory pancreatic ducts. The first long inferior branch from the long‐type accessory pancreatic duct passes though the main pancreatic duct near the origin of the inferior branch from the main pancreatic duct. Immunohistochemically, in the short‐type accessory pancreatic duct, the main pancreatic duct between the junction with the short‐type accessory pancreatic duct and the neck portion was located in the ventral pancreas. The long‐type accessory pancreatic duct represents a continuation of the main duct of the dorsal pancreatic bud. The short‐type accessory pancreatic duct is probably formed by the proximal main duct of the dorsal pancreatic bud and its long inferior branch.
PKC θ activity maintains normal quantal size in chromaffin cells
Authors: Staal Roland G.W. , Hananiya Anthonia , Sulzer David
Published: February 2008

Protein kinase C (PKC) activity mediates multiple neurosecretory processes, but these are poorly understood due in part to the existence of at least 12 PKC isoforms. Using amperometry to record quantal catecholamine release from chromaffin cells, we found that both broad spectrum PKC antagonists and rottlerin, a selective inhibitor of the novel isoforms PKC θ and PKC δ, decreased quantal size and the number of secretory events recorded per stimulus. In contrast, drugs that selectively inhibit the atypical and conventional PKC isoforms had no effect on these parameters. While both PKC θ and δ were expressed in chromaffin cells, mice deficient for PKC θ, but not for PKC δ, exhibited lower quantal size than wild‐type and were insensitive to rottlerin. Finally, an inhibitory PKC θ pseudosubstrate produced rottlerin‐like responses in wild‐type mice, indicating that the lack of rottlerin response in the PKC θ mutants was not the result of a form of compensation. These findings demonstrate neurosecretory regulation by a novel PKC isoform, PKC θ, and should contribute to defining mechanisms of activity‐dependent regulation of neurosecretion.
Expression of CXCL4 in microgliain vitroandin vivoand its possible signaling through CXCR3
Authors: De Jong Eiko K. , De Haas Alexander H. , Brouwer Nieske , Van Weering Hilmar R. J. , Hensens Marjolein , Bechmann Ingo , Pratley Pierre , Wesseling Evelyn , Boddeke Hendrikus W. G. M. , Biber Knut
Published: February 2008

Signaling through chemokine receptor CXCR3 in the brain has been implicated in various brain diseases, as CXCR3 and its ligands are found under these conditions. Recently, a new chemokine ligand for CXCR3 was reported. In humans, an alternatively spliced variant of CXCR3 expressed on microvascular endothelial cells, named CXCR3b, was shown to bind CXCL4. In the periphery, the cellular expression and functions of CXCL4 are well described but in the brain its expression and function are unknown. Here, we show that brain microglia are a cellular source of CXCL4in vitroandin vivounder neurodegenerating conditions. Microglial migration induced by CXCL4 is absent in CXCR3‐deficient microglia, indicating a role of CXCR3. CXCL4 furthermore attenuates lipopolysaccharide‐induced microglial phagocytosis and nitric oxide production in microglia and BV‐2 cells. Based on these findings, it is proposed that locally released CXCL4 may control microglia responses.
Pre‐synaptic dopaminergic compensation after moderate nigrostriatal damage in non‐human primates
Authors: Perez Xiomara A. , Parameswaran Neeraja , Huang Luping Z. , O’Leary Kathryn T. , Quik Maryka
Published: February 2008

Despite a dramatic loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease, clinical symptoms only arise with 70–80% reduction of striatal dopamine. The mechanisms responsible for this functional compensation are currently under debate. Although initial studies showed an enhanced pre‐synaptic dopaminergic function with nigrostriatal degeneration, more recent work suggests that functional compensation is not dopamine‐mediated. To address this issue, we used cyclic voltammetry to directly measure endogenous dopamine release from striatal slices of control monkeys and animals with a moderate or severe MPTP‐induced dopaminergic lesion. The moderately lesioned monkeys were asymptomatic, while the severely lesioned animals were parkinsonian. In monkeys with a moderate lesion, a 300% increase was obtained in endogenous striatal dopamine release. In contrast, in striatal slices from severely lesioned animals, a small % of evoked dopamine signals were similar in amplitude to control while the greater majority were undetectable. These findings suggest that pre‐synaptic dopaminergic compensation develops in residual dopaminergic terminals with moderate lesioning, but that this response is lost with severe nigrostriatal damage. Such an interpretation is supported by the results of dopamine turnover studies. This enhanced pre‐synaptic dopaminergic activity may be important in maintaining normal motor function during the initial stages of Parkinson’s disease.
The application of knowledge discovery in databases to post‐marketing drug safety: example of the WHO database
Authors: Bate A. , Lindquist M. , Edwards I.R.
Published: February 2008

After market launch, new information on adverse effects of medicinal products is almost exclusively first highlighted by spontaneous reporting. As data sets of spontaneous reports have become larger, and computational capability has increased, quantitative methods have been increasingly applied to such data sets. The screening of such data sets is an application of knowledge discovery in databases (KDD). Effective KDD is an iterative and interactive process made up of the following steps: developing an understanding of an application domain, creating a target data set, data cleaning and pre‐processing, data reduction and projection, choosing the data mining task, choosing the data mining algorithm, data mining, interpretation of results and consolidating and using acquired knowledge.

The process of KDD as it applies to the analysis of spontaneous reports can be exemplified by its routine use on the 3.5 million suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports in the WHO ADR database. Examples of new adverse effects first highlighted by the KDD process on WHO data include topiramate glaucoma, infliximab vasculitis and the association of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and neonatal convulsions. The KDD process has already improved our ability to highlight previously unsuspected ADRs for clinical review in spontaneous reporting, and we anticipate that such techniques will be increasingly used in the successful screening of other healthcare data sets such as patient records in the future.
Induction and transition in the National Health Service for four professional groups
Authors: Thomas Hywel , Hicks Judith , Martin Graeme , Cressey Gill
Published: February 2008

National Health Service policies of induction and supporting transition into posts face three key issues: meeting a diversity of needs in terms of change, the integration of induction into a service with profession‐specific policies and practices, and their configuration with workforce policies designed to alter role boundaries and develop more interprofessional working. In examining these three areas, the study reported here reviews current practice in four professional groups (dentists working in the community dental service, children's nurses, pharmacists and radiographers) with the purpose of reviewing their experience of induction and transition in relation to National Health Service policies and contexts. The small‐scale qualitative study was conducted between September 2005 and March 2006. Twenty‐one interviews were undertaken with pharmacists and children's nurses working in hospitals and primary care, radiographers in hospitals and community dentists in primary care; relevant national and local policy documents were also analysed. The study concludes by recognizing that ‘statutory’ induction is secure, that more attention is needed to support interprofessional learning at points of transition; that disparities in access to training may become increasingly problematic; that significant aspects of current practice do not match contemporary policy requirements; and that more research into the models of learning that will facilitate more effective interprofessional working are needed.
α1A‐ and α1D‐adrenoceptors are the major functional subtypes of renal α1‐adrenoceptors in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic and normal Sprague–Dawley rats
Authors: Armenia  , Sattar M. A. , Abdullah N. A. , Khan Md. A. H. , Johns E. J.
Published: February 2008

1The present study investigated the effect of streptozotocin‐induced diabetes on α1‐adrenoceptor subtypes in rat renal resistance vessels.2Studies on renal haemodynamics were carried out 7 days after the last streptozotocin. Changes in renal blood flow were recorded in response to electrical stimulation of the renal nerve (RNS) and a range of adrenergic agonists; noradrenaline (NA), phenylephrine (PE) and methoxamine (MTX), either in the absence or the presence of nitrendipine (Nit), 5‐methylurapidil (MEU), chlorethylclonidine (CEC) or BMY 7378.3In non‐diabetic animals, Nit, MEU and BMY 7378 significantly attenuated renal vasoconstriction induced by adrenergic agonists, while CEC showed a significant accentuation in RNS‐induced responses without having a significant effect on responses to adrenergic agonists. In diabetic rats, renal vasoconstriction was also significantly reduced in Nit‐, MEU‐ and BMY 7378‐treated groups and CEC potentiated RNS‐induced contractions caused a change similar to that observed in non‐diabetic rats. BMY 7378 significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated the PE‐ and MTX‐induced vasoconstrictions but did not cause any significant (P > 0.05) alteration in the RNS‐ and NA‐induced responses.4The results showed functional co‐existence of α1A‐ and α1D‐adrenoceptors in the renal vasculature of SD rats irrespective of the presence of diabetes. A possible minor contribution of prejunctional α‐adrenoceptor subtype has also been suggested in either experimental group, particularly possible functional involvement of α1B‐adrenoceptor subtypes in non‐diabetic SD rats.
Exact methods and a heuristic for the optimization of an integrated replenishment‐storage planning problem
Authors: Akbalιk Ayşe , Kebe Sekoun , Penz Bernard , Sbihi Najiba
Published: February 2008

In this paper we study the coordination of different activities in a supply chain issued from a real case. Multiple suppliers send raw materials (RMs) to a distribution center (DC) that delivers them to a unique plant where the storage of the RMs and the finished goods is not possible. Then, the finished goods are directly shipped to multiple customers having just‐in‐time (JIT) demands. Under these hypotheses, we show that the problem can be reduced to multiple suppliers and one DC. Afterwards, we analyze two cases; in the first, we consider an uncapacitated storage at DC, and in the second, we analyze the capacitated storage case. For the first case, we show that the problem is NP‐hard in the ordinary sense using the Knapsack decision problem. We then propose two exact methods: a mixed integer linear program (MILP) and a pseudopolynomial dynamic program. A classical dynamic program and an improved one using the idea of Shaw and Wagelmans are given. With numerical tests we show that the dynamic program gives the optimal solution in reasonable time for quite large instances compared with the MILP. For the second case, the capacity limitation in DC is assumed, which makes the problem solving more challenging. We propose an MILP and a dynamic programming‐based heuristic that provides solutions close to the optimal solution in very short times.
Detecting Rare Species with Random or Subjective Sampling: a Case Study of Red‐Listed Saproxylic Beetles in Boreal Sweden
Authors: HEDGREN OLOF , WESLIEN JAN
Published: February 2008

Abstract:  Efficient sampling design in field studies is important for economical and statistical reasons. We compared two ways to distribute sampling effort over an area, either randomly or subjectively. We searched for red‐listed saproxylic (wood‐living) beetles in 30 spruce stands in boreal Sweden by sifting wood from dead trees. We randomly selected positions within each stand with a geographic positioning system and sampled the nearest dead tree (random sample). In the same stand we also sampled dead trees that, based on literature, were likely to host such species (subjective sampling). The subjective sampling (two to five samples per stand, depending on stand size) was compared with the higher, random sampling effort (fixed level of 12 samples/stand). Subjective sampling was significantly more efficient. Red‐listed species were found in 36% of the subjective samples and in 16% of the random samples. Nevertheless, the larger random effort resulted in a comparable number of red‐listed species per stand and in 13 detected species in total (vs. 12 species with subjective sampling). Random sampling was less efficient, but provided an unbiased alternative more suitable for statistical purposes, as needed in, for example, monitoring programs. Moreover, new species‐specific knowledge can be gained through random searches.