bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influences of edaphic factors on the distribution and abundance of a rare palm (Cyrtostachys renda) in a peat swamp forest in eastern Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: WIDYATMOKO DIDIK , BURGMAN MARK A.
Published: December 2006

Tropical plant community ecology is often assumed to be driven largely by stochastic disturbance, replacement and demographic processes despite a general lack of information about the physical environment. Tropical soils are more diverse, at regional, intermediate and local scales than usually is recognized. This study was conducted to test hypotheses about the importance of edaphic parameters in determining the abundance and distribution of the rare lipstick palm Cyrtostachys renda Blume and its co‐occurrence with other plants. Eight of 11 tropical tree species were positively associated with C. renda. For Gluta renghas, Shorea parvifolia, Eleiodoxa conferta, Pandanus terrestris and Korthalsia flagellaris, the association with the palm was strong. The palms E. conferta and K. flagellaris appeared to have similar ecological and habitat requirements. The lipstick palm is adapted to specific edaphic conditions related to soil quality and drainage. It prefers fine sand, well‐drained soil and low mineral content, reflected in associations between these variables and stem density, clump density, clump size, frequency, basal area and canopy circle area. High levels of soil Ca+ +, Mg+ + and K+ are associated with sites where the palm is absent. The C/N ratio of soils appears to influence palm densities and sizes. All known populations occur in habitats with C/N‐values less than 19, with the largest populations in areas with C/N‐values of 13. Our findings suggest that edaphic variables are important determinants of the abundance and distribution of this tropical peat swamp forest species.
Differentiation between native and exotic plant species in a dry grassland: realized responses to perturbation, and comparison with fundamental responses
Authors: KING WARREN MCG , WILSON J. BASTOW
Published: December 2006

Abstract  An area of dry grassland in New Zealand, comprising an equal mixture of native and exotic species, was subject to perturbations of irrigation, fertilization and cessation of grazing. The vegetation response was recorded for 3 years. Total cover, and the contribution of native species to that cover, fluctuated between years even in the control plots. Irrigation increased total cover, but decreased the cover of native species. Fertilization produced the same effects, only less strongly, and also reduced species richness, the loss being in native species. In spite of overall effects of treatments on native and exotic cover, when individual species’ responses to irrigation, fertilization or exclosure were calculated, there was no significant difference between the native and exotic plant guilds. Species differed in their responses, but the native and exotic guilds overlapped. When grouped by morphology, the only significant difference between the responses to perturbation was that forbs and graminoids responded more positively to irrigation than woody and cryptogamic species. The realized responses of the species to the perturbations described here showed little correlation with their physiological responses as determined in previous greenhouse experiments. It is suggested that the realized responses are strongly, and currently unpredictably, influenced by competition from the other species present. Soil nutrients and soil water were both important controls on the community. The relative similarity in the nature of the response to these two factors – nutrients and water – suggests that they affect species in similar ways, possibly because the greater growth rate of the exotic species mediates the short‐term response to both. Grazing has less effect on the current community than either nutrients or water, although it may have been historically important in shaping the species pool. From the poor predictability of field responses from morphological guilds or from ecophysiological responses, it is suggested that the ‘functional types’ approach, although conceptually attractive, lacks experimental support in these grasslands. It is concluded that the exotic species have invaded by being pre‐adapted to the environment with the same environmental responses as the natives, but with the advantage of generally higher growth rates.
Differentiation between native and exotic plant species from a dry grassland: fundamental responses to resource availability, and growth rates
Authors: KING WARREN MCG , WILSON J. BASTOW
Published: December 2006

Abstract  Species from a mixed native/exotic dry grassland community in New Zealand were experimentally assessed for three ecophysiological parameters: nutrient response, water response and maximum relative growth rate (RGRmax). These are parameters that relate to factors proposed as important in structuring plant communities in dry environments. Native and exotic species did not differ consistently in water response. Exotic species tended to have a greater response to nutrients, but there was considerable overlap between native and exotic guilds. However, exotic species did have a higher intrinsic growth rate, and this effect was not attributable to differences in life histories. The results suggest that the exotic species are more competitive and more generalist than the native species. These traits are compatible with the concept of the ‘ideal invader’, and suggest the C‐R strategy of Grime’s theory. The native species showed characteristics consistent with stress tolerance (sensu Grime). The paucity of evidence for ecophysiological differentiation between the native and exotic guilds, except in intrinsic growth rate, indicates that the exotic species were able to invade not because they had superior adaptation to the physical environment, but because they possessed, by pre‐adaptation, the same ways of coping with that environment as the existing species. However, their ability to invade can be related to their growth rates.
Adjunct continuous intravenous ketamine infusion for postoperative pain relief following posterior spinal instrumentation for correction of scoliosis: a case report
Authors: TSUI BAN C.H. , WAGNER ALESE , MAHOOD JAMES , MOREAU MARC
Published: December 2006

Providing effective analgesia is challenging for correction of idiopathic scoliosis, as nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and epidural anesthesia are controversial and large‐dose opioids can cause significant side effects. Perioperative adjuvant low‐dose ketamine has been shown to provide good supplementary analgesia as well as to potentially spare opioid consumption. Ketamine may also improve early ease of mobility without addition of any noticeable adverse effects. This case describes the combined use of a continuous low‐dose ketamine infusion and patient–controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine for postoperative analgesia in an adolescent girl undergoing posterior spinal instrumentation and correction of scoliosis. The patient had excellent postoperative analgesia and was able to participate in early rehabilitation. The opioid‐sparing effect of ketamine was not demonstrated in this case. Further study of continuous low‐dose ketamine infusions in this patient population would be beneficial to provide more evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of ketamine and of its opioid‐sparing potential.
Hemodynamic and respiratory changes following dexmedetomidine administration during general anesthesia: sevoflurane vs desflurane
Authors: DEUTSCH ERIC , TOBIAS JOSEPH D.
Published: December 2006

Background:  The current study evaluates the hemodynamic and respiratory effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) when administered to children anesthetized with sevoflurane (SEVO) or desflurane (DES).

Methods:  After tracheal intubation and spontaneous ventilation, DEX (0.5 μg·kg−1) was administered over 5 min. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (sBP), diastolic blood pressure (dBP), and endtidal carbon dioxide (PECO2) were monitored and recorded prior to DEX (time 0) and again at 5, 10, and 15 min after DEX.

Results:  The cohort included 80 children (1–12 years of age) anesthetized with SEVO (n = 40) or DES (n = 40). The lowest HR from time 0 to time 15 was less in patients anesthetized with SEVO compared with DES (104 ± 16 b·min−1 in the SEVO/DEX group vs 120 ± 17 b·min−1 in the DES/DEX group, < 0.01). Although both sBP and dBP decreased following the administration of DEX to patients anesthetized with either SEVO or DES, there was no difference in sBP or dBP between the two groups. Likewise, no evidence was found for changes in the PECO2 during the study period.

Conclusions:  The administration of DEX (0.5 μg·kg−1) results in a lower HR in patients anesthetized with SEVO compared with DES. No evidence was found for differences in sBP, dBP, or PECO2 during spontaneous ventilation with 1 MAC of SEVO vs DES.
When to add supplemental rectal paracetamol for postoperative analgesia with caudal bupivacaine in children? A prospective, double‐blind, randomized study
Authors: MERCAN ARZU , MURAT SAYIN M. , SAYDAM SIBEL , OZMERT SENGUL , TIRYAKI TUGRUL
Published: December 2006

Background:  The aim of this study was to investigate whether a supplemental dose of rectal paracetamol at the third or fourth hour would enhance the quality of analgesia provided by caudal epidural blockade in children.

Methods:  Two hundred and two ASA I patients aged 1–12 years undergoing inguinal surgery were randomized into three groups in the postanesthesia care unit by drawing lots. Patients in the control group did not receive any analgesic until they had a pain score of 5 or higher, patients in the group P3 received rectal paracetamol (20–25 mg·kg−1) at the third hour, and patients in the group P4 received the same dose of rectal paracetamol at the fourth hour after caudal epidural injection. Pain was assessed by VAS (Visual Analog Scale) and supplementary rescue analgesic need was recorded.

Results:  There was no difference between the demographic data or the duration and variety of surgery among the groups. A significantly lower number of patients required rescue analgesia at the sixth postoperative hour in group P3 and also lower pain scores were again obtained in group P3 at the sixth and eighth postoperative hours.

Conclusions:  Supplemental rectal paracetamol at the third hour of caudal blockade enhances the quality of postoperative analgesia better than its addition at the fourth hour in children undergoing inguinal surgery.
Unplanned anesthesia‐related admissions to pediatric intensive care – a 6‐year audit
Authors: KUROWSKI IRINA , SIMS CRAIG
Published: December 2006

Background:  Unplanned admissions to the intensive care unit may result from unexpected events related to anesthesia, and are recommended by some healthcare organizations as a clinical indicator. The rate of anesthesia‐related unplanned admissions in adults ranges between 0.04% and 0.45% of procedures. However, there is a paucity of data relating to the rate in children.

Methods:  Admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) occurring within 24 h of anesthesia were identified through retrospective chart review. Only those admissions from a complication of anesthesia were included and not those from communication errors or surgical problems. The aim was to determine the rate of unplanned admissions, as well as the causes and management of this group of unplanned admissions.

Results:  Seventy‐six children requiring admission to the PICU were identified from 55196 procedures during the 6‐year study period. The rate of unplanned admission was 0.14% of procedures. A total of 47% of these admissions were related to airway problems and 68% of children requiring admission were aged less than 5 years. Most children required only observation after their admission.

Conclusions:  We found the unplanned admission rate to the PICU in our hospital population to be similar to that reported for adults, and is a relatively rare event in pediatric anesthesia. Most admissions were for children aged less than 5 years and were as a result of airway problems. Most cases were deemed potentially predictable.
Entropion correction in dogs and cats using a combination Hotz–Celsus and lateral eyelid wedge resection: results in 311 eyes
Authors: Read Robert A. , Broun Hugh C.
Published: December 2006

A novel surgical combination technique for the correction of lateral lower lid entropion in dogs and cats is described, involving a combination of Hotz–Celsus and lateral eyelid wedge resection procedures. The technique was used to treat 311 eyes with lower lid entropion: 269 canine (109 bilateral, 51 unilateral) and 42 feline (16 bilateral, 10 unilateral). The most common canine breeds were the Shar Pei, Rottweiler, Bull Mastiff and Labrador Retriever. Domestic cats made up the majority of feline cases. The overall success rate for a single surgical procedure to correct lower lid entropion with this technique was 94.2% per eye.
Comparison of cytologic and histologic evaluations of the conjunctiva in the normal equine eye
Authors: Bourges‐Abella Nathalie , Raymond‐Letron Isabelle , Diquelou Armelle , Guillot Emilie , Regnier Alain , Trumel Catherine
Published: December 2006

Objective  To describe the cells observed in conjunctival brush cytology (CBC) from normal horses and compare these findings with conjunctival structural histology so as to understand which cells are recovered from CBC.

Methods  This study was divided into three parts. (1) Conjunctival brush smears were collected from 20 healthy horses on both eyes and a differential count on 300 cells was carried out on May Grünwald–Giemsa (MGG) smears. (2) A similar protocol was used for whole eyes from five horses obtained rapidly after death from a slaughterhouse. The eyes were then assessed for conjunctival histology. (3) Cytobrush smears were collected from five healthy horses. Smears were examined after MGG or periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining.

Results  The differential cell count showed a majority of deep and intermediate epithelial cells with very few superficial and goblet cells in both eyes. A stratified columnar to cuboidal epithelium was observed on nearly the whole surface of the conjunctiva. A stratified squamous type was observed at the palpebral and bulbar edges. Areas with highest mucus cell indices were found from the nasal to the temporal edge of the equine inferior conjunctiva in the upper palpebral segment near the fornix and in a part of the nasal fornix. In MGG smears no mucus cells were identified; however, they were numerous in PAS smears (22.6% ± 11) and were mostly cylindrical cells (42.5% ± 14.4 PAS positive).

Conclusions  Cytobrush smears in the healthy horse are characterized by a majority of polyhedral and cylindrical cells and a few squamous cells. The cylindrical cells may be mucous cells and probably originate from the main stratified columnar to cuboidal epithelium.
Presumed and confirmed striatocapsular brain infarctions in six dogs
Authors: Rossmeisl John H. , Rohleder Jacob J. , Pickett J. Phillip , Duncan Robert , Herring Ian P.
Published: December 2006

Objective  To describe the clinical and diagnostic features of the canine sensorimotor syndrome caused by striatocapsular brain infarctions (SCI).

Animals studied  Six dogs with diagnostic imaging or postmortem evidence of SCI.

Procedures  Medical records of dogs with SCI were retrospectively reviewed and the signalment, history, clinical signs, antemortem clinicopathologic test results, diagnostic imaging findings, case outcomes, and pathologic findings recorded.

Results  All dogs had an acute onset of nonprogressive homonymous visual field deficits and contralateral general proprioceptive (GP) deficits. Contralateral hemiparesis and facial hypalgesia were noted in 5/6 dogs. CT scans were normal in 2/4 dogs, and revealed poorly defined hypoattenuating lesions in the subcortical white matter in two dogs. MRI exams were performed in 5/6 dogs and revealed unilateral, variably sized, striatocapsular lesions consistent with nonhemorrhagic infarctions. Diagnostic imaging (6/6) and postmortem examinations (2/6) suggested that SCI resulted from lesions in the vascular territories of the rostral choriodal (6/6) and lenticulostriate arteries (2/6). Diseases predisposing to infarction were not identified in 5/6 dogs. Improvements in mentation, behavior, proprioceptive deficits, and hemiparesis were seen in surviving dogs, but persistent, symptomatic sensory deficits were noted during the follow‐up period.

Conclusions  SCI should be considered as a differential diagnosis for dogs with acute onset, nonprogressive homonymous hemianopia, contralateral GP deficits or hemiparesis, and facial hypalgesia. MRI is the preferred modality for the antemortem imaging diagnosis of SCI. Although partial recovery occurred in all surviving dogs, visual and facial sensory disturbances persisted.
Use of a dermal biopsy punch for removal of ectopic cilia in dogs: 19 cases
Authors: D’Anna Nunzio , Sapienza John S. , Guandalini Adolfo , Guerriero Alessandra
Published: December 2006

Objective  To evaluate the use of a dermal biopsy punch for accurate and quick removal of ectopic cilia in dogs.

Animals studied  This study reports the treatment of ectopic cilia detected in 12 dogs during the period from June 2002 to December 2004. Five cases were affected with ectopic cilia in the right eye, and five in the left eye, with two cases affected bilaterally. Nineteen ectopic cilia were detected in 12 dogs.

Procedure  The technique described in this study consists of using a 2–3‐mm skin biopsy punch with the aid of an operating microscope.

Results  No recurrence was noted in any of the cases. The presurgical blepharospasm due to the presence of the cilia resolved as well as uneventful corneal healing of any associated corneal erosions or ulcers.

Conclusions  This method offers a simple, practical alternative to the traditional scalpel procedure as described in the veterinary ophthalmic literature.
Taeniacoenurus in the orbit of a chinchilla
Authors: Holmberg Bradford J. , Hollingsworth Steven R. , Osofsky Anna , Tell Lisa A.
Published: December 2006

A 4‐year old, male intact, captive‐bred chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) was presented due to progressive exophthalmos of the right eye over a 5‐month period. Ophthalmic examination revealed exophthalmos with dorsal displacement of the right globe. Retropulsion was decreased and a fluctuant, subcutaneous mass could be palpated posterior and dorsal to the central aspect of the zygomatic bone. Transdermal ultrasonography revealed a fluid‐filled mass consistent with a cyst located within the ventral right orbit. Computed tomography demonstrated dorsal displacement of the globe, lateral displacement of the zygomatic arch, and numerous mineral‐dense foci within the lumen of the cyst. The cyst was removeden blocby ventral transpalpebral orbitotomy. Histopathology revealed a single capsulated cyst with multiple invaginated protoscolices, characterized by a prominent scolex with refractile hooklets, suckers, and abundant calcareous corpuscles consistent with aTaeniacoenurus. Exophthalmos resolved with surgical therapy and there was no evidence of recurrence or postoperative complications over a period of 2 years. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of an orbital cyst of parasitic origin in a chinchilla.
Primary conjunctival mast cell tumor in a Labrador Retriever
Authors: Barsotti Giovanni , Marchetti Veronica , Abramo Francesca
Published: December 2006

A 4‐year‐old, intact male Labrador Retriever with a rapidly progressive conjunctival mass was evaluated. Ocular examination showed a 2‐cm elongated mass arising from the superior bulbar conjunctiva of the left eye. The mass resulted in distortion of the palpebral fissure and contacted the superior aspect of the cornea without modifying its structure; no adhesion to the sclera was detected. The superior palpebral conjunctiva was unaffected, and the remaining ocular examination was normal. The initial diagnostic work‐up included CBC, serum biochemical analysis, urinalysis, and fine needle biopsy of the mass. A poorly differentiated mast cell tumor was diagnosed by cytology. Immunocytochemistry was performed to evaluate Ki‐67 proliferation index, and 54/1000 tumoral nuclei showed a dark red staining. After a complete clinical staging, the mass was excised and identified histologically as a grade‐II mast cell tumor. An adjuvant treatment with prednisone and vinblastine was instituted because of the limited excisional margins. No evidence of local recurrence or metastasis has been apparent during the 29‐month follow‐up period. This report contributes to the current literature pertaining to canine conjunctival mast cell tumors; unfortunately, the paucity of case reports and the absence of large studies regarding this tumor make conclusions regarding its biologic behavior impossible.
Molecular phylogeny of Pacific Island Colymbetinae: radiation of New Caledonian and Fijian species (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae)
Authors: Balke Michael , Wewalka Günther , Alarie Yves , Ribera Ignacio
Published: December 2006

We present a molecular phylogeny and taxonomic review of the Pacific island colymbetine diving beetles, focusing on the Fijian and New Caledonian faunas. Four new species are described: Rhantus monteithi and R. poellerbauerae from New Caledonia, and R. kini and R. bula from Fiji. We also describe the 3rd instar larvae of R. monteithi and R. poellerbauerae spp. nov., assigned to adults using mtDNA sequence data and discuss larval characters in the light of phylogeny. The phylogenetic hypotheses derived from both parsimony and Bayesian inference based on 3508 aligned nucleotides from a combination of mitochondrial (cox1, cob and rrnL‐tRNALeu‐Nad1) and nuclear genes (18S rRNA and H3) reveal a clade comprising R. novaecaledoniae, R. alutaceus, R. pseudopacificus, R. monteithi sp. nov. and R. poellerbauerae sp. nov., which agrees with the R. pacificus group sensu Balke (1993). Carabdytes upin was included within this clade, possibly indicating paraphyly of the genus Rhantus. Rhantus annectens, R. bacchusi, R. supranubicus, R. suturalis, R. simulans, and the Palearctic R. exsoletus, R. latitans and R. bistriatus formed a clade corresponding to the R. suturalis group sensu Balke (2001). Rhantus vitiensis, previously assigned to the R. pacificus group, was included in the R. suturalis clade. We find some support for a scenario where the Pacific was colonized out of the Northern hemisphere only during the past c. 12 million years, rejecting a Gondwanan origin of the morphologically isolated endemics. The new species are all characterized by mtDNA haplotype clusters, the degree of divergence between sister species pairs ranging from 1.3 to 7%, while R. novaecaledoniae individuals from all over New Caledonia apparently form one morphospecies, with moderate genetic diversity (up to 2.3% mtDNA divergence between populations). The sisters R. pollerbauerae sp. nov. + R. monteithi sp. nov. occur sympatrically on Mont Panié but appear ecologically segregated, while the sisters R. vitiensis + R. bula sp. nov. were encountered syntopically on Viti Levu. Comparing genetic and morphological data of Fijian Rhantus and Copelatus diving beetles, we here show that even in island radiations it is not per se possible to know if mitochondrial DNA barcoding would perform well (Rhantus: YES, Copelatus: NO). At the same time we show that fixed cutoff values, as sometimes used to discriminate between barcodes, thus species, might be meaningless. We underpin the importance of morphology for sustainable exploration of global diversity.
Kit‐positive interstitial cells in the rabbit urethra: structural relationships with nerves and smooth muscle
Authors: Lyons Alan D. , Gardiner Tom A. , McCloskey Karen D.
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVE

To identify interstitial cells (ICs) in the wall of the rabbit urethra using antibodies to the Kit receptor, and to examine their location, morphology and relationship with nerves and smooth muscle cells (SMCs), as studies of enzymatically isolated cells from the rabbit urethra have established that there are specialized cells that show spontaneous electrical activity and have morphological properties of ICs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Urethral tissues from rabbits were fixed, labelled with antibodies and examined with confocal microscopy. Some specimens were embedded in paraffin wax and processed for histology. Histological sections from the most proximal third and mid‐third region of rabbit urethra were stained with Masson’s Trichrome to show their cellular arrangement.

RESULTS

Sections from both regions had outer longitudinal and inner circular layers of SM, and a lamina propria containing connective tissue and blood vessels; the lumen was lined with urothelial cells. The mid‐third region had a more developed circular SM layer than the most‐proximal samples, and had extensive inner longitudinal SM bundles in the lamina propria. Labelling with anti‐Kit revealed immunopositive cells within the wall of the rabbit urethra, in the circular and longitudinal layers of the muscularis. Double‐labelling with an antibody to SM myosin showed Kit‐positive cells on the boundary of the SM bundles, orientated parallel to the axis of the bundles. Others were in spaces between the bundles and often made contact with each other. Kit‐positive cells were either elongated, with several lateral branches, or stellate with branches coming from a central soma. Similar cells could be labelled with vimentin antibodies. Their relationship with intramural nerves was examined by double immunostaining with an anti‐neurofilament antibody. There were frequent points of contact between Kit‐positive cells and nerves, with similar findings in specimens double‐immunostained with anti‐neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS).

CONCLUSION

Kit‐positive ICs were found within the SM layers of the rabbit urethra, in association with nerves, on the edge of SM bundles and in the interbundle spaces. The contact with nNOS‐containing neurones might imply participation in the nitrergic inhibitory neurotransmission of the urethra.
Oxybutynin transdermal system improves the quality of life in adults with overactive bladder: a multicentre, community‐based, randomized study
Authors: Sand Peter , Zinner Norman , Newman Diane , Lucente Vincent , Dmochowski Roger , Kelleher Con , Dahl Naomi V.
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVE

To assess health‐related quality‐of‐life (HRQoL) and safety with the oxybutynin transdermal system (OXY‐TDS) (Oxytrol®, Watson Pharma, Corona, CA, USA) in the Multicentre Assessment of Transdermal Therapy in Overactive Bladder With Oxybutynin (MATRIX) study, as HRQoL measurements are increasingly important in evaluating pharmacotherapy for overactive bladder (OAB).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This randomized, open‐label, community‐based study enrolled 2878 participants aged ≥18 years who had been given a diagnosis of OAB. The 327 study sites were representative of various practice types. All participants were treated with OXY‐TDS 3.9 mg/day for ≤6 months. HRQoL was assessed using the King’s Health Questionnaire (KHQ); the primary endpoint was the change in KHQ scores from baseline to study end.

RESULTS

Most enrolees (2052/2625; 78.2%) had moderate to severe OAB at baseline (Patient Perception of Bladder Condition score ≥ 4 on a scale of 1–6), and most (1632/2859; 57.1%) had been given previous drug treatment for OAB. Of 2592 with evaluable baseline KHQ scores, 92.2% reported urgency and 88.2% reported urge urinary incontinence. The most impaired domains at baseline were Incontinence Impact (69.3), Symptom Severity (55.9), and Sleep/Energy (54.2). There were clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in nine of 10 domains at the study end; the greatest improvements were in Incontinence Impact (−13.5), Symptom Severity (−12.4), and Role Limitations (−13.3). The treatment was well tolerated, with low incidences of drug‐related anticholinergic adverse effects such as dry mouth (75; 2.6%), constipation (44; 1.5%), and dizziness (21; 0.7%). There were drug‐related application‐site reactions, including pruritus, erythema, dermatitis and irritation, in 14.0% of participants.

CONCLUSIONS

OXY‐TDS treatment was well tolerated in this diverse, community‐based population, and resulted in clinically significant improvements in HRQoL, regardless of baseline characteristics.
Probabilistic epigenesis
Authors: Gottlieb Gilbert
Published: December 2006

The notion that phenotypic traits, including behavior, can be predetermined has slowly given way in biology and psychology over the last two decades. This shift in thinking is due in large part to the growing evidence for the fundamental role of developmental processes in the generation of the stability and variations in phenotype that researchers in developmental and evolutionary sciences seek to understand. Here I review the tenets of a metatheoretical model of development called probabilistic epigenesis (PE) and explore its implications for furthering our understanding of developmental and evolutionary processes. The PE framework emphasizes the reciprocity of influences within and between levels of an organism's developmental manifold (genetic activity, neural activity, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural influences of the external environment) and the ubiquity of gene–environment interaction in the realization of all phenotypes.
Attention genes
Authors: Posner Michael I. , Rothbart Mary K. , Sheese Brad E.
Published: December 2006

A major problem for developmental science is understanding how the cognitive and emotional networks important in carrying out mental processes can be related to individual differences. The last five years have seen major advances in establishing links between alleles of specific genes and the neural networks underlying aspects of attention. These findings have the potential of illuminating important aspects of normal development and its pathologies. We need to learn how genes and experience combine to influence the structure of neural networks and the efficiency with which they are exercised. Methods for addressing these issues are central to progress in the decade ahead.
Music, evolution and language
Authors: Masataka Nobuo
Published: December 2006

Darwin (1871) noted that the human musical faculty ‘must be ranked amongst the most mysterious with which he is endowed’. Indeed, previous research with human infants and young children has revealed that we are born with variable musical capabilities. Here, the adaptive purpose served by these differing capabilities is discussed with reference to comparative findings regarding the acoustic behavior of nonhuman primates. The findings provide evidence supporting Darwin's hypothesis of an intermediate stage of human evolutionary history characterized by a communication system that resembles music more closely than language and possibly acting as a precursor for both current language and music.
Sleeper effects
Authors: Maurer Daphne , Mondloch Catherine J. , Lewis Terri L.
Published: December 2006

Early experience preserves and refines many capabilities that emerge prenatally. Here we describe another role that it plays – establishing the neural substrate for capabilities that emerge at a much later point in development. The evidence comes from sleeper effects: permanent deficits when early experience was absent in capabilities that normally emerge long after birth. We provide evidence of sleeper effects for three aspects of vision, based on our research with children who were deprived of early visual input by congenital cataracts: contrast sensitivity for mid and high spatial frequencies, holistic face processing, and the ability to recognize the identity of faces based on small differences in the spacing among facial features.
What's in a look?
Authors: Aslin Richard N.
Published: December 2006

The most common behavioral technique used to study infant perception, cognition, language, and social development is some variant of looking time. Since its inception as a reliable method in the late 1950s, a tremendous increase in knowledge about infant competencies has been gained by inferences made from measures of looking time. Here we examine the logic, utility, and future prospects for further gains in our understanding of infant cognition from the use of looking time measures.
Action in development
Authors: Von Hofsten Claes
Published: December 2006

It is argued that cognitive development has to be understood in the functional perspective provided by actions. Actions reflect all aspects of cognitive development including the motives of the child, the problems to be solved, and the constraints and possibilities of the child's body and sensorimotor system. Actions are directed into the future and their control is based on knowledge of what is going to happen next. Such knowledge is available because events are governed by rules and regularities. The planning of actions also requires knowledge of the affordances of objects and events. An important aspect of cognitive development is about how the child acquires such knowledge.
Neuroconstructivism
Authors: Westermann Gert , Mareschal Denis , Johnson Mark H. , Sirois Sylvain , Spratling Michael W. , Thomas Michael S.C.
Published: December 2006

Neuroconstructivism is a theoretical framework focusing on the construction of representations in the developing brain. Cognitive development is explained as emerging from the experience‐dependent development of neural structures supporting mental representations. Neural development occurs in the context of multiple interacting constraints acting on different levels, from the individual cell to the external environment of the developing child. Cognitive development can thus be understood as a trajectory originating from the constraints on the underlying neural structures. This perspective offers an integrated view of normal and abnormal development as well as of development and adult processing, and it stands apart from traditional cognitive approaches in taking seriously the constraints on cognition inherent to the substrate that delivers it.
Core knowledge
Authors: Spelke Elizabeth S. , Kinzler Katherine D.
Published: December 2006

Human cognition is founded, in part, on four systems for representing objects, actions, number, and space. It may be based, as well, on a fifth system for representing social partners. Each system has deep roots in human phylogeny and ontogeny, and it guides and shapes the mental lives of adults. Converging research on human infants, non‐human primates, children and adults in diverse cultures can aid both understanding of these systems and attempts to overcome their limits.
Shared intentionality
Authors: Tomasello Michael , Carpenter Malinda
Published: December 2006

We argue for the importance of processes of shared intentionality in children's early cognitive development. We look briefly at four important social‐cognitive skills and how they are transformed by shared intentionality. In each case, we look first at a kind of individualistic version of the skill – as exemplified most clearly in the behavior of chimpanzees – and then at a version based on shared intentionality – as exemplified most clearly in the behavior of human 1‐ and 2‐year‐olds. We thus see the following transformations: gaze following into joint attention, social manipulation into cooperative communication, group activity into collaboration, and social learning into instructed learning. We conclude by highlighting the role that shared intentionality may play in integrating more biologically based and more culturally based theories of human development.
On pedagogy
Authors: Gergely György , Egyed Katalin , Király Ildikó
Published: December 2006

Humans are adapted to spontaneously transfer relevant cultural knowledge to conspecifics and to fast‐learn the contents of such teaching through a human‐specific social learning system called ‘pedagogy’ (Csibra & Gergely, 2006). Pedagogical knowledge transfer is triggered by specific communicative cues (such as eye‐contact, contingent reactivity, the prosodic pattern of ‘motherese’, and being addressed by one's own name). Infants show special sensitivity to such ‘ostensive’ cues that signal the teacher's communicative intention to manifest new and relevant knowledge about a referent object. Pedagogy offers a novel functional perspective to interpret a variety of early emerging triadic communicative interactions between adults and infants about novel objects they are jointly attending to. The currently dominant interpretation of such triadic communications (mindreading) holds that infants interpret others’ object‐directed manifestations in terms of subjective mental states (such as emotions, dispositions, or intentions) that they attribute to the other person's mind. We contrast the pedagogical versus the mindreading account in a new study testing 14‐month‐olds’ interpretation of others’ object‐directed emotion expressions observed in a communicative cueing context. We end by discussing the far‐reaching implications of the pedagogical perspective for a wide range of early social‐cognitive competences, and for providing new directions for future research on child development.
Religion is natural
Authors: Bloom Paul
Published: December 2006

Despite its considerable intellectual interest and great social relevance, religion has been neglected by contemporary developmental psychologists. But in the last few years, there has been an emerging body of research exploring children's grasp of certain universal religious ideas. Some recent findings suggest that two foundational aspects of religious belief – belief in mind–body dualism, and belief in divine agents – come naturally to young children. This research is briefly reviewed, and some future directions are discussed.
Interrelated and interdependent
Authors: Diamond Adele
Published: December 2006

The possibilities for building and nourishing connections among the social, cultural, neuroscientific, biological, and cognitive sciences in the service of understanding children and their development are tremendously exciting. Crossing, and integrating across, disciplinary boundaries, especially those disciplines relating to biology/neuroscience, society/culture, cognition, emotion, perception, and motor function has greatly increased over the last decade and hopefully will increase exponentially in the future. All of these aspects of being human are multiply‐interrelated and we need to make far more progress in understanding those interrelations.
HISTORY ILLUMINATED: WILLIAM HOLMAN HUNT'S LONDON BRIDGE
Authors: MARSHALL NANCY ROSE
Published: December 2006

Grappling with the complex problem of how to represent history through the experience of ordinary people, William Holman Hunt's London Bridge of 1864 combined a modern urban crowd scene, a careful choice of depicted location, and an unusual deployment of light effects to create a painting about Victorian perceptions of time itself. By portraying a night‐time scene lit by the gas illuminations on the bridge in honour of the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Hunt drew on the traditional aesthetic of the sublime to create a spectacle of an historic event – a royal marriage – that inspired both wonder and fear. Juxtaposing the flame‐lit city with the moonlit Thames at the charged site of London Bridge allowed the artist to set in play the common Victorian framework one might term the ‘moralizing sublime’. This pervasive mode of thought involved reading the mighty strivings of man and the modern industrial city as puny, transitory glimmers in comparison with the infinite onward rush of time; paradoxically, it also permitted the wilful overlooking of any negative yet ephemeral consequences of modernity. These ideas were underscored by the original exhibition of London Bridge with another work by Hunt in which light plays a key role in producing meaning: The Afterglow in Egypt.
ARTISANS, CONSUMERS AND CORPOREALITY IN SIGNAC'S PARISIAN INTERIORS
Authors: ROSLAK ROBYN
Published: December 2006

This article discusses three paintings by Paul Signac which represent, it is argued, uncomfortably and with a critical edge informed by the artist's anarchist politics, the production of fashionable commodities by working‐class Parisian women, and the fetishizing of those commodities by the (sub)urban middle class. Finisher and Trimmer (Fashion), rue du Caire (also called Milliners) (1885–86) pictures two milliners whose bodies at work acknowledge the pressures placed upon them by the factories and department stores with which they were forced to compete. Dining Room (1886–87) and A Parisian Sunday (1888–90) picture well‐to‐do Parisians at home, surrounded by stylish commodities that compete for attention with their bored or estranged owners. All three paintings recall the ideas of the anarchist writer Pierre Kropotkin, in particular his objection to ‘the spending of useless toil on objects … to satisfy the dull vanity of the rich’.
A GENERALIZED TWO‐STAGE RANDOMIZED RESPONSE PROCEDURE IN COMPLEX SAMPLE SURVEYS
Authors: Saha Amitava
Published: December 2006

The randomized response (RR) technique pioneered by Warner, S.L. (1965)[Randomised response: a survey technique for eliminating evasive answer bias. J. Amer. Statist. Assoc.60, 63–69] is a useful tool in estimating the proportion of persons in a community bearing sensitive or socially disapproved characteristics. Mangat, N.S. & Singh, R. (1990)[An alternative rendomized response procedure. Biometrika77, 439–442] proposed a modification of Warner's procedure by using two RR techniques. Presented here is a generalized two‐stage RR procedure and derivation of the condition under which the proposed procedure produces a more precise estimator of the population parameter. A comparative study on the performance of this two‐stage procedure and conventional RR techniques, assuming that the respondents' jeopardy level in this proposed method remains the same as that offered by the traditional RR procedures, is also reported. In addition, a numerical example compares the efficiency of the proposed method with the traditional RR procedures.
ON CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR GENERALIZED ADDITIVE MODELS BASED ON PENALIZED REGRESSION SPLINES
Authors: Wood Simon N.
Published: December 2006

Generalized additive models represented using low rank penalized regression splines, estimated by penalized likelihood maximisation and with smoothness selected by generalized cross validation or similar criteria, provide a computationally efficient general framework for practical smooth modelling. Various authors have proposed approximate Bayesian interval estimates for such models, based on extensions of the work ofWahba, G. (1983)[Bayesian confidence intervals for the cross validated smoothing spline.J. R. Statist. Soc. B45, 133–150] andSilverman, B.W. (1985)[Some aspects of the spline smoothing approach to nonparametric regression curve fitting.J. R. Statist. Soc. B47, 1–52] on smoothing spline models of Gaussian data, but testing of such intervals has been rather limited and there is little supporting theory for the approximations used in the generalized case. This paper aims to improve this situation by providing simulation tests and obtaining asymptotic results supporting the approximations employed for the generalized case. The simulation results suggest that while across‐the‐model performance is good, component‐wise coverage probabilities are not as reliable. Since this is likely to result from the neglect of smoothing parameter variability, a simple and efficient simulation method is proposed to account for smoothing parameter uncertainty: this is demonstrated to substantially improve the performance of component‐wise intervals.
LOCAL POLYNOMIAL QUASI‐LIKELIHOOD REGRESSION ON RANDOM FIELDS
Authors: Choi H. , Lee Y. K. , Park B. U. , Yu K. S.
Published: December 2006

In this paper, local quasi‐likelihood regression is considered for stationary random fields of dependent variables. In the case of independent data, local polynomial quasi‐likelihood regression is known to have several appealing features such as minimax efficiency, design adaptivity and good boundary behaviour. These properties are shown to carry over to the case of random fields. The asymptotic normality of the regression estimator is established and explicit formulae for its asymptotic bias and variance are derived for strongly mixing stationary random fields. The extension to multi‐dimensional covariates is also provided in full generality. Moreover, evaluation of the finite sample performance is made through a simulation study.
A Disparity of Esteem: Relative Group Status in Northern Ireland after the Belfast Agreement
Authors: Mac Ginty Roger , Du Toit Pierre
Published: December 2006

Using the case of a deeply divided society (Northern Ireland) in the aftermath of a major peace accord, this article combines two methodological approaches to assess the public reception of the peace accord and its impact on intergroup competition. The social psychological concept of esteem (central to social identity theory) and time‐series data are used to assess intergroup relations between Protestant‐unionists and Catholic‐nationalists in Northern Ireland in the wake of the 1998 peace accord. By illustrating the disparity of esteem between the two main politico‐religious groups, the article indicates early settlement weakness. Moreover, it suggests a conceptual approach that may be applicable to the study of intergroup competitions in other divided societies.
“For God and for the Crown”: Contemporary Political and Social Attitudes among Orange Order Members in Northern Ireland
Authors: McAuley James W. , Tonge Jonathan
Published: December 2006

The Protestant Orange Order is the largest organization in civil society in Northern Ireland. From 1905 until 2005, the Order was linked to the Ulster Unionist Party, until recently the dominant local political force. However, widespread Unionist disenchantment with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement led to a shift in the votes of Orange Order members, in common with other Protestants, to the anti‐Agreement Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which traditionally has had no links to the Order. This article examines the political, religious, and cultural attitudes of Orange Order members that prompted such a switch. It suggests that a combination of cultural and political insecurities over the fate of Protestant‐British‐Unionism has led to a realignment of Orangeism towards the stronger brand of Protestant and Unionist politics offered by the DUP.
Cross‐Community Contact, Perceived Status Differences, and Intergroup Attitudes in Northern Ireland: The Mediating Roles of Individual‐level versus Group‐level Threats and the Moderating Role of Social Identification
Authors: Tausch Nicole , Hewstone Miles , Kenworthy Jared , Cairns Ed , Christ Oliver
Published: December 2006

We tested a model which examined the relationship between contact quantity and quality, relative ingroup status, and intergroup attitudes in Northern Ireland. Intergroup anxiety was considered an individual‐level mediator and realistic and symbolic threat as group‐level mediators in the model. We examined the idea that the strength of ingroup identification moderates the predictive power of individual‐ versus group‐level variables. Both contact and relative ingroup status predicted anxiety and perceived threats to the ingroup, which were significant mediators in the model. Our results also suggest that while anxiety predicts attitudes for low but not high identifiers, symbolic threats to the ingroup are more important for high than for low identifiers. There was also some evidence indicating that status perceptions moderate contact effects. We discuss these results in terms of their implications for intergroup relations in Northern Ireland.