bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Computational Mechanisms of Mate Choice
Authors: Castellano Sergio
Published: February 2010

In many species, mating signals encode information important for both species recognition and mate quality assessment. I investigate how the computational mechanisms used by females to integrate the two sources of information can affect their mating decisions. First, I present a sequential analysis model of decision making based on a two‐component signal, in which the first component encodes information important for mate quality assessment and the second component for species recognition. When the components interact additively, the ability of females to discriminate between signals that differ in only the component important for mate‐quality assessment is the same independently of the value of the species‐recognition component. In contrast, when the components interact multiplicatively, discrimination in mate quality depends also on the species‐recognition component, which can either amplify or attenuate the perceived differences in mate quality. In the second part of the paper, I show results of a two‐choice phonotaxis experiment on female Italian treefrogs, Hyla intermedia, that confirm the model predictions by showing that directional preferences for call rate (important for mate‐quality assessment) are stronger when pulse‐rate and fundamental frequency (important for species recognition) are close to the preferred population mean than when they are either higher or lower than the mean.
No Plastic Responses to Experimental Manipulation of Sperm Competition per se in a Free‐Living Flatworm
Authors: Sandner Peter , Schärer Lukas
Published: February 2010

In the absence of sperm competition evolutionary theory predicts low mating rates and low ejaculate expenditure per mating, and sex allocation theory for simultaneous hermaphrodites predicts a strongly female‐biased sex allocation. In the presence of sperm competition a shift towards a more male‐biased sex allocation and a higher ejaculate expenditure are predicted. The free‐living flatworm Macrostomum lignano has been shown to respond plastically in mating rate, testis size, and sperm transfer to manipulation of the social group size, a proxy of the strength of sperm competition. However, manipulation of social group size may manipulate not only sperm competition, but also other factors, such as food supply and metabolite concentration. In this study we therefore manipulated sperm competition per se by repeatedly exposing individuals to partners that have either mated with rivals or not, while keeping the social group size constant. Our results suggest that M. lignano does not have the ability to detect sperm competition per se, as worms experimentally exposed to the presence or absence of sperm competition did not differ in sex allocation, sperm transfer or mating behavior. A response to our manipulation would have required individual recognition, the ability to detect self‐referencing tags, or tags or traces left by rivals on or in the mating partners. We first discuss the possibility that highly efficient sperm displacement may have decreased the difference between the treatment groups and then propose three alternative cues that may allow M. lignano to respond plastically to the social group size manipulation used in earlier studies: assessment of the mating rate, chemical cues, or tactile cues.
Evidence that Refractoriness to Long and Short Daylengths Regulates Seasonal Reproductive Transitions in Mediterranean Goats
Authors: Gómez‐Brunet A , Santiago‐Moreno J , Toledano‐Díaz A , López‐Sebastián A
Published: February 2010

Contents

Two experiments were performed to assess the role of refractoriness to long and short daylengths in the timing of seasonal reproductive transitions in Mediterranean Malagueña goats. In the first experiment, intact adult does were either maintained under natural photoperiod conditions (NP; n = 5) or exposed to a constant long day photoperiod (LD – 16 h light/day; n = 5) from June to December 2005. In the second experiment, does were maintained either under NP conditions (n = 5) or received a series of subcutaneous melatonin implants (MI) from December 2005 to June 2006 to mimic a short day signal (n = 5). In both experiments, ovulatory activity was assayed by determining progesterone concentrations in blood samples collected twice per week. The onset of seasonal ovulatory activity did not differ (p > 0.05) between the LD and NP does (3 October ±5 days and 23 September ±3 days respectively). The simulated short days did not modify (p > 0.05) the timing of the end of ovulatory activity. The MI does become anoestrus at the same time (1 March ±9 days) as their NP counterparts (23 February ±8 days). These results indicate that, in Malagueña does, the onset and offset of anoestrus are not driven by photoperiod changes but appear to be the result of long and short day refractoriness respectively. An endogenous circannual rhythm may therefore be involved in regulating seasonal reproductive changes in these animals.
Necrotizing sialometaplasia of the parotid gland associated with angiocentric T‐cell lymphoma: A case report and review of the Literature
Authors: Yoshioka Takako , Harada Mizue , Umekita Yoshihisa , Taguchi Shuhei , Higashi Michiyo , Nakamura Daisuke , Suzuki Shinsuke , Tanimoto Akihide
Published: February 2010

A very rare case of necrotizing sialometaplasia of the parotid gland associated with angiocentric T‐cell lymphoma was described. A 66‐year‐old male had left neck and pharyngeal masses and biopsy specimen showed a monotonous proliferation of atypical lymphoid cells with massive necrosis in the parotid gland. Angiocentric pattern or vascular invasion by the lymphoid cells was observed and the involved parotid gland exhibited squamous metaplasia of the ducts and acini; necrotizing sialometaplasia. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a cytotoxic T‐cell phenotype of the lymphoid cells (CD3+, CD4‐, CD5+, CD8+, CD56‐, Granzyme B+, TIA‐1+, Perforin‐) but in situ hybridization showed no relation to Epstein‐Barr virus. Although necrotizing sialometaplasia is relatively rare in the parotid gland, angiocentric T‐cell lymphoma should be considered for a causative condition of necrotizing sialometaplasia.
Successful percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy in a haemodynamically unstable patient with massive pulmonary embolism
Authors: PORRES‐AGUILAR Mateo , MUNOZ Oscar C. , ALVAREZ Paola , GONZALEZ‐AYALA Emilio
Published: February 2010

Massive pulmonary embolism with haemodynamic instability has a high mortality. Traditionally these patients are treated with i.v. thrombolytic therapy. When this therapeutic approach is contraindicated, surgical embolectomy and most recently, percutaneous mechanical interventions are alternative treatment options. This case report presents a 73‐year‐old female with a residual hemiparesis secondary to a mengingioma resection 45 days previously, who presented with progressive shortness of breath, accompanied by oppressive chest pain, hypotension, tachycardia and severe hypoxaemia. CT pulmonary angiogram confirmed a massive pulmonary embolism extending into the lobar branches bilaterally. The patient was treated with percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy with excellent haemodynamic and clinical outcomes.
Readiness for self‐directed learning among nursing students in Thailand
Authors: Klunklin Areewan , Viseskul Nongkran , Sripusanapan Acharaporn , Turale Sue
Published: February 2010

This study took place in Thailand where didactic and lecture‐driven teaching styles are beginning to transform into student‐centered methods. At Chiang Mai University Faculty of Nursing in Thailand, the readiness of 272 undergraduate students to undertake self‐directed learning was investigated using two instruments: a demographic data questionnaire and Guglielmino's Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale. The study found that the overall self‐directed learning readiness of participants was at a high level in the categories of openness to learning opportunities, self‐concept as an effective learner, initiative and independence in learning, informed acceptance of responsibility for one's own learning, creativity, and the ability to use basic study and problem‐solving skills. The findings provide encouragement to nurse educators to further apply self‐directed learning in nursing courses, to improve teaching and learning methods, and promote life‐long learning for nurses within Thailand and elsewhere.
Comparison of labor induction with titrated oral misoprostol solution between nulliparous and multiparous women
Authors: Cheng Shi‐Yann , Hsue Chao‐Song , Hwang Geen‐Hour , Chen Walter , Li Tsai‐Chung
Published: February 2010

Aim:  To compare the outcomes of labor induction with oral misoprostol solution between nulliparous and multiparous women.

Methods:  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation with a Bishop score ≤6 who underwent labor induction with titrated oral misoprostol solution. The women were allocated into two groups: nulliparous and multiparous. The women received one basal unit of misoprostol solution (20 mL, 1 µg/mL) every hour for four doses; additional doses were titrated against individual uterine response. The interval of latent and active phase and vaginal delivery within 12 h were the primary outcomes.

Results:  Of the 112 women included in the study, 49 (43.8%) mulliparae and 63 (56.2%) multiparae underwent labor induction with titrated oral misoprostol solution. Complete vaginal delivery occurred within 12 h in 21 (42.9%) nulliparae and 54 (85.7%) multiparae (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.39–0.76). All induction intervals, including the latent and active phases, were significantly shorter in the multiparous group (P < 0.01). Induction failure did not occur in any patient in either of the groups. There were no instances of hyperstimulation, which was defined as tachysystole or hypertonus with nonreassuring fetal heart rate pattern, although tachysystole, defined as the presence of at least six contractions in 10 min over at least two 10‐min windows, occurred in four (8.2%) nulliparous women and in four (6.3%) multiparous women. Hypertonus, defined as a single contraction lasting more than 2 min, did not occur in either group. None of the neonates in either group had an Apgar score of <7 at 1 min.

Conclusion:  Titrated oral misoprostol solution is a promising method of labor induction for both nulliparous and multiparous women.
Heterogeneous landscapes promote population stability
Authors: Oliver Tom , Roy David B. , Hill Jane K. , Brereton Tom , Thomas Chris D.
Published: February 2010

Ecology Letters(2010) 13: 473–484

Habitat heterogeneity is often suggested as being important for the stability of populations, and promoted as a means to aid the conservation of species, but the evidence for such an assumption is poor. Here we show that heterogeneous landscapes that contain a variety of suitable habitat types are associated with more stable population dynamics for 35 British butterfly species from 166 sites. In addition, topographic heterogeneity may also promote stability. Our results were robust to different measures of population variability, differences in mean abundance among sites, and to the spatial scale (radius 1–5 km around the centres of sites) at which landscapes were analysed. Responses to landscape heterogeneity differed among species; for more mobile ‘wider‐countryside’ species, habitat heterogeneity at larger landscape scales had the strongest effect on population dynamics. We suggest that heterogeneous landscapes offer a greater range of resources and microclimates, which can buffer populations against climatic variation and generate more stable population dynamics.
Evolution of resistance to the Bacillus sphaericus Bin toxin is phenotypically masked by combination with the mosquitocidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis
Authors: Wirth Margaret C. , Walton William E. , Federici Brian A.
Published: February 2010

Two insecticidal bacteria are used as larvicides to control larvae of nuisance and vector mosquitoes in many countries, Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis and B. sphaericus. Field studies show both are effective, but serious resistance, as high as 50 000‐fold, has evolved where B. sphaericus is used against Culex mosquitoes. To improve efficacy and deal with even greater potential problems of resistance, we previously developed several recombinant larvicidal bacteria that combine the best mosquitocidal proteins of these bacteria. In the present study, we report laboratory selection studies using our best recombinant strain against larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. This recombinant, Bti/BsBin, is a strain of B. thuringiensis ssp. israelensis engineered to produce a large amount of the B. sphaericus binary (Bin) toxin, which makes it more than 10‐fold as mosquitocidal as the its parental strains. Here we show that larvae exposed to Bti/BsBin failed to develop significant resistance after 30 successive generations of heavy selection pressure. The highest level of resistance obtained at the LC95 level was 5.2‐fold, but declined to less than two‐fold at the 35th generation. Testing the selected populations against B. sphaericus alone showed resistance to Bin evolved, but was masked by combination with B. thuringiensis ssp. israelensis. These results suggest that recombinant bacterial strains have improved mosquito and vector management properties compared with the wild‐type strains used in current commercial formulations, and should prove useful in controlling important human diseases such as malaria and filariasis on a long‐term basis, even when used intensively under field conditions.
THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF PROTECTING INVENTORIED ROADLESS AREAS: A SPATIAL HEDONIC PRICE STUDY IN NEW MEXICO
Authors: IZÓN GERMÁN M. , HAND MICHAEL S. , FONTENLA MATIAS , BERRENS ROBERT P.
Published: February 2010

The objective of this paper is to examine the off‐site benefits, as capitalized into housing values, of protecting 1.6 million acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) in the state of New Mexico, United States. In light of petitions filed by various U.S. states to maintain the status of IRAs as roadless lands, spatial hedonic price models are estimated and used to calculate the implicit value of IRAs in New Mexico. Findings show that a two‐stage least squares (2‐SLS), robust spatial‐lag model is the most appropriate econometric representation of the hedonic price function, and that IRA lands are a significant and positive determinant of house value. After controlling for the presence of Wilderness Areas (WAs) and other characteristics, results indicate that, on average, there is a 5.6% gain in the property value of a house from being located in, or adjacent to, a Census tract with IRAs. In the aggregate, this gain represents 3.5% of the value of all owner‐occupied units in New Mexico ($1.9 billion in capitalized value, or an annualized value in perpetuity of $95 million, assuming a 5% interest rate).(JELR22, H40, Q51, C21)
The journey through Pick's Disease with a loved one: a personal account
Authors: McFarland D. M.
Published: February 2010

MCFARLAND D.M. (2010) The journey through Pick's Disease with a loved one: a personal account. International Nursing Review57, 142–144

Background:  The aim of this short communication is to share my personal experience of caring for a terminally ill family member who was afflicted with Pick's disease. I tell my story in the hope of increasing society's awareness on this little known but devastating disease and assisting those who might be facing a similar situation. Pick's disease is a rare and incurable type of dementia that is associated with atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain over time as a result of accumulation of tau protein fibres known as Pick's bodies. The exact cause is not known, but genetic predisposition is implicated in some disease cases. Pick's disease tends to affect men and women alike. It affects thinking, language and problem solving.

Methods:  Data supporting this document were obtained from a thorough review of the literature and Internet search on Pick's disease, as well as from a personal experience with Pick's disease as it was unfolding.

Results  Clinical features, diagnosis and treatment, and stages of the disease are presented.

Conclusion:  Very little is known about Pick's disease. Additional research is needed to inform practice about tau protein dementias.
Contrasting patterns in the invasions of European terrestrial and freshwater habitats by alien plants, insects and vertebrates
Authors: Pyšek Petr , Bacher Sven , Chytrý Milan , Jarošík Vojtěch , Wild Jan , Celesti‐Grapow Laura , Gassó Núria , Kenis Marc , Lambdon Philip W. , Nentwig Wolfgang , Pergl Jan , Roques Alain , Sádlo Jiří , Solarz Wojciech , Vilà Montserrat , Hulme Philip E.
Published: February 2010

Aim  To provide the first comparative overview on the current numbers of alien species that invade representative European terrestrial and freshwater habitats for a range of taxonomic groups.

Location  Europe.

Methods  Numbers of naturalized alien species of plants, insects, herptiles, birds and mammals occurring in 10 habitats defined according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) were obtained from 115 regional data sets. Only species introduced after ad 1500 were considered. Data were analysed by ANCOVA and regression trees to assess whether differences exist among taxonomic groups in terms of their habitat affinity, and whether the pattern of occurrence of alien species in European habitats interacts with macroecological factors such as insularity, latitude or area.

Results  The highest numbers of alien plant and insect species were found in human‐made, urban or cultivated habitats; if controlled for habitat area in the region, wetland and riparian habitats appeared to support relatively high numbers of alien plant species too. Invasions by vertebrates were more evenly distributed among habitats, with aquatic and riparian, woodland and cultivated land most invaded. Mires, bogs and fens, grassland, heathland and scrub were generally less invaded. Habitat and taxonomic group explained most variation in the proportions of alien species occurring in individual habitats related to the total number of alien species in a region, and the basic pattern determined by these factors was fine‐tuned by geographical variables, namely by the mainland–island contrast and latitude, and differed among taxonomic groups.

Main conclusions  There are two ecologically distinct groups of alien species (plants and insects versus vertebrates) with strikingly different habitat affinities. Invasions by these two contrasting groups are complementary in terms of habitat use, which makes an overall assessment of habitat invasions in Europe possible. Since numbers of naturalized species in habitats are correlated among taxa within these two groups, the data collected for one group of vertebrates, for example, could be used to estimate the habitat‐specific numbers of alien species for other vertebrate groups with reasonable precision, and the same holds true for insects and plants.
Similar regional effects among local habitats on the structure of tropical reef fish and coral communities
Authors: Burgess Scott C. , Osborne Kate , Caley M. Julian
Published: February 2010

Aim  We examined data on corals and reef fishes to determine how particular local habitat types contribute to variation in community structure across regions covering gradients in species richness and how consistent this was over time.

Location  Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia.

Methods  We compared large‐scale (1300 km), long‐term (11 years) data on fishes and corals that were collected annually at fixed sites in three habitats (inshore, mid‐shelf and outer‐shelf reefs) and six regions (latitudinal sectors) along a gradient of regional species richness in both communities. We used canonical approaches to partition variation in community structure (sites × species abundance data matrices) into components associated with habitat, region and time and Procrustes analyses to assess the degree of concordance between coral and fish community structure.

Results  Remarkably similar patterns emerged for both fish and coral communities occupying the same sites. Reefs that had similar coral communities also had similar fish communities. The fraction of the community data that could be explained by regional effects, independent of pure habitat effects, was similar in both fish (33%) and coral (36.9%) communities. Pure habitat effects were slightly greater in the fish (31.3%) than in the coral (20.1%) community. Time explained relatively little variation (fish = 7.9%, corals = 9.6%) compared with these two spatial factors.

Conclusions  Our results indicate either that fish and coral communities were structured in similar ways by processes associated with region, habitat and time, or that the variation in fish community structure tracked variation associated with the coral communities at these sites and thereby reflects an indirect link between the environment and the structure of fish communities mediated by corals. Irrespective of the causes of such commonality, we demonstrate that community structure, not just species richness, can be related to both habitat differences and regional setting simultaneously.
Macroecological patterns in soil communities
Authors: Decaëns Thibaud
Published: February 2010

Aim To review published evidence regarding the factors that influence the geographic variation in diversity of soil organisms at different spatial scales.

Location Global.

Methods A search of the relevant literature was conducted using the Web of Science and the author's personal scientific database as the major sources. Special attention was paid to include seminal studies, highly cited papers and/or studies highlighting novel results.

Results Despite their significant contribution to global biodiversity, our taxonomic knowledge of soil biota is still poor compared with that of most above‐ground organisms. This is particularly evident for small‐bodied taxa. Global patterns of soil biodiversity distribution have been poorly documented and are thought to differ significantly from what is reported above‐ground. Based on existing data, it appears that microorganisms do not respond to large‐scale environmental gradients in the same way as metazoans. Whereas soil microflora seem to be mainly represented by cosmopolitan species, soil animals respond to altitudinal, latitudinal or area gradients in the same way as described for above‐ground organisms. At local scales, there is less evidence that local factors regulate above‐ and below‐ground communities in the same way. Except for a few taxa, the humpbacked response to stress and disturbance gradients doesn't seem to apply underground. Soil communities thus appear weakly structured by competition, although competitive constraints may account for assembly rules within specific taxa. The main factor constraining local soil biodiversity is the compact and heterogeneous nature of soils, which provides unrivalled potential for niche partitioning, thus allowing high levels of local biodiversity. This heterogeneity is increased by the impact of ecosystem engineers that generate resource patchiness at a range of spatio‐temporal scales.
Time‐of‐Flight Cameras in Computer Graphics
Authors: Kolb A. , Barth E. , Koch R. , Larsen R.
Published: February 2010

A growing number of applications depend on accurate and fast 3D scene analysis. Examples are model and lightfield acquisition, collision prevention, mixed reality and gesture recognition. The estimation of a range map by image analysis or laser scan techniques is still a time‐consuming and expensive part of such systems.

A lower‐priced, fast and robust alternative for distance measurements are time‐of‐flight (ToF) cameras. Recently, significant advances have been made in producing low‐cost and compact ToF devices, which have the potential to revolutionize many fields of research, including computer graphics, computer vision and human machine interaction (HMI).

These technologies are starting to have an impact on research and commercial applications. The upcoming generation of ToF sensors, however, will be even more powerful and will have the potential to become ‘ubiquitous real‐time geometry devices’ for gaming, web‐conferencing, and numerous other applications. This paper gives an account of recent developments in ToF technology and discusses the current state of the integration of this technology into various graphics‐related applications.
Constrained Texture Mapping using Image Warping
Authors: Seo H. , Cordier F.
Published: February 2010

We introduce in this paper a new method for smooth foldover‐free warping of images. It allows users to specify the constraints in two different ways: positional constraints to constrain the position of points in the image and gradient constraints to constrain the orientation and scaling of some parts of the image. We then show how our method is used for texture mapping with hard constraints. We start with an unconstrained planar embedding of the target mesh calculated with conventional methods. In order to obtain a mapping that satisfies the user‐defined constraints, we use our warping method to align the features of the texture image with those of the unconstrained embedding. Compared to previous work, our method generates a smoother texture mapping and offers higher level of control for defining the constraints.
State of the Art in Example‐Based Motion Synthesis for Virtual Characters in Interactive Applications
Authors: Pejsa T. , Pandzic I.S.
Published: February 2010

Animated virtual human characters are a common feature in interactive graphical applications, such as computer and video games, online virtual worlds and simulations. Due to dynamic nature of such applications, character animation must be responsive and controllable in addition to looking as realistic and natural as possible. Though procedural and physics‐based animation provide a great amount of control over motion, they still look too unnatural to be of use in all but a few specific scenarios, which is why interactive applications nowadays still rely mainly on recorded and hand‐crafted motion clips. The challenge faced by animation system designers is to dynamically synthesize new, controllable motion by concatenating short motion segments into sequences of different actions or by parametrically blending clips that correspond to different variants of the same logical action. In this article, we provide an overview of research in the field of example‐based motion synthesis for interactive applications. We present methods for automated creation of supporting data structures for motion synthesis and describe how they can be employed at run‐time to generate motion that accurately accomplishes tasks specified by the AI or human user.
Broadening the Study of Infant Security of Attachment: Maternal Autonomy‐support in the Context of Infant Exploration
Authors: Whipple Natasha , Bernier Annie , Mageau Geneviève A.
Published: February 2010

Although security of attachment is conceptualised as a balance between infants' attachment and exploratory behaviours, parental behaviours pertaining to infant exploration have received relatively little empirical attention. Drawing from self‐determination theory, this study seeks to improve the prediction of infant attachment by assessing maternal autonomy‐support during infant exploration, in addition to maternal sensitivity. Seventy‐one dyads participated in two home visits. Maternal sensitivity was assessed when the infants were 12 months old, whereas maternal autonomy‐support and infant attachment were assessed at 15 months. The results revealed that autonomy‐support explained an additional portion of the variance in attachment when maternal socioeconomic status and sensitivity were controlled. These results speak to the relevance of a theory‐driven approach to examining maternal behaviours in the context of child exploration.
A history of the future: the emergence of contemporary anti‐ageing medicine
Authors: Everts Mykytyn Courtney
Published: February 2010

The emergence of anti‐ageing medicine over the past 20 years has posed tremendous challenges for the understanding of ageing and the concomitant responsibilities of biomedicine. Though highly contentious and loosely organised at best, anti‐ageing targets ageing for biomedical intervention. This article examines a history of anti‐ageing in the United States from 1993 to 2008, outlining its evolution from a scientific ‘backwater’ to a field with such promise that many within and outside the field believe efficacious therapies are an inevitability. In large part, the language of anti‐ageing has shifted from predictions to expectations; it has become less a question of ‘if’ and more a question of ‘when’ and ‘how’ this rhetorical shift is directly linked with increasing legitimacy constructed upon a complex web of factors including mounting practitioner involvement, research interest, media attention, and popular desire. In this article I briefly review this history alongside the strategic histories marshalled by the various proponents and opponents to support their claims of legitimacy. The history of anti‐ageing medicine is one of an emerging scientific and clinical practice as well as a history of an idea that has very recently made its way out of science fiction and into science future.
Doing it my way: old women, technology and wellbeing
Authors: Loe Meika
Published: February 2010

This article focuses on women in their nineties (nonagenarians) who are ageing in place – or ageing at home – in upstate New York. I analyse these old women’s use of everyday technological tools to care for themselves and construct meaning. I argue that despite what we may expect, nonagenarian women can be and are technogenarians in their active and creative uses of everyday technologies. Old women utilise lifelong care work repertoires to identify, adjust, use and reject old and new technologies for their own everyday mobility, communication, nourishment, and physiological health. Perhaps most importantly techno‐savvy elders can maintain and achieve health and wellbeing, associated here with bodily comfort, social networks, self‐efficacy and intellectual life, in and beyond their homes. In these ways, nonagenarians can teach us how household technologies can be health and ageing technologies; instruments of continuity and control; or just the opposite.
Interactions Between Type of Instruction and Type of Language Feature: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Spada Nina , Tomita Yasuyo
Published: February 2010

A meta‐analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of explicit and implicit instruction on the acquisition of simple and complex grammatical features in English. The target features in the 41 studies contributing to the meta‐analysis were categorized as simple or complex based on the number of criteria applied to arrive at the correct target form (Hulstijn & de Graaff, 1994). The instructional treatments were classified as explicit or implicit following Norris and Ortega (2000). The results indicate larger effect sizes for explicit over implicit instruction for simple and complex features. The findings also suggest that explicit instruction positively contributes to learners’ controlled knowledge and spontaneous use of complex and simple forms.
Skin problems in stoma patients
Authors: Nybaek H , Jemec GBE
Published: February 2010

Ostomy patients are dependent on the integrity of their peristomal skin to maintain a normal lifestyle. Peristomal skin problems are thought to be common and may interfere with the use of ostomy pouching systems. This is a specialist area not commonly seen by dermatologists. This article seeks to provide an overview of the topic for the general dermatologist. A systematic literature search was conducted. The articles found were reviewed and relevant articles were selected by two investigators. Loss of skin integrity may be related to chemical injury, mechanical destruction, infectious conditions, immunological reactions, disease‐related conditions. Peristomal irritant dermatitis caused by skin contact with ostomy effluent is by far the most ordinary condition seen. Mechanical trauma, infection and aggravation of pre‐existing skin diseases are also seen. Allergic contact dermatitis, which is often cited as the cause of peristomal skin problems, appears to be a rare condition with an estimated prevalence of only 0.6%. In spite of the importance of the integrity of peristomal skin, the topic is poorly described in the literature. The existing publications suggest that although peristomal skin disease can be diagnosed and treated, additional information on both patients and physicians is necessary to optimize patient care.
Effects of sample size and intraspecific variation in phylogenetic comparative studies: a meta‐analytic review
Authors: Garamszegi László Z. , Møller Anders P.
Published: February 2010

Comparative analyses aim to explain interspecific variation in phenotype among taxa. In this context, phylogenetic approaches are generally applied to control for similarity due to common descent, because such phylogenetic relationships can produce spurious similarity in phenotypes (known as phylogenetic inertia or bias). On the other hand, these analyses largely ignore potential biases due to within‐species variation. Phylogenetic comparative studies inherently assume that species‐specific means from intraspecific samples of modest sample size are biologically meaningful. However, within‐species variation is often significant, because measurement errors, within‐ and between‐individual variation, seasonal fluctuations, and differences among populations can all reduce the repeatability of a trait. Although simulations revealed that low repeatability can increase the type I error in a phylogenetic study, researchers only exercise great care in accounting for similarity in phenotype due to common phylogenetic descent, while problems posed by intraspecific variation are usually neglected. A meta‐analysis of 194 comparative analyses all adjusting for similarity due to common phylogenetic descent revealed that only a few studies reported intraspecific repeatabilities, and hardly any considered or partially dealt with errors arising from intraspecific variation. This is intriguing, because the meta‐analytic data suggest that the effect of heterogeneous sampling can be as important as phylogenetic bias, and thus they should be equally controlled in comparative studies. We provide recommendations about how to handle such effects of heterogeneous sampling.
Developmental origins of disruptive behaviour problems: the ‘original sin’ hypothesis, epigenetics and their consequences for prevention
Authors: Tremblay Richard E.
Published: February 2010

This paper reviews publications on developmental trajectories of disruptive behaviour (DB) problems (aggression, opposition‐defiance, rule breaking, and stealing‐vandalism) over the past decade. Prior to these studies two theoretical models had strongly influenced research on DB: social learning and disease onset. According to these developmental perspectives, children learn DB from their environment and onset of the disease is triggered by accumulated exposition to disruptive models in the environment, including the media. Most of the evidence came from studies of school age children and adolescents. Longitudinal studies tracing developmental trajectories of DB from early childhood onwards suggest an inversed developmental process. DB are universal during early childhood. With age, children learn socially acceptable behaviours from interactions with their environment. A ‘disease’ status is given to children who fail to learn the socially acceptable behaviours. The mechanisms that lead to deficits in using socially accepted behaviours are strongly intergenerational, based on complex genetic and environmental contributions, including epigenetic mechanisms. Prevention of these deficits requires early, intensive and long‐term support to parents and child. Newly discovered epigenetic mechanisms suggest that intensive perinatal interventions will have impacts on numerous aspects of physical and mental health, including DB. This review also concludes that: a) subtypes of disruptive behaviours should not be aggregated because they have different developmental trajectories and require specific corrective interventions; b) the overt–covert and destructive–nondestructive dimensions appear the most useful to create DB subtypes; c) overt DB onset before covert DB because the latter require more brain maturation; d) DB subtype taxonomies are more useful for clinicians than developmental taxonomies because the latter are post mortem diagnoses and clinicians’ retrospective information is unreliable; e) we need large‐scale collaborative preventive experimental interventions starting during early pregnancy to advance knowledge on causes and prevention of DB problems.
Fetal autonomic response to severe acidaemia during labour
Authors: van Laar JOEH , Peters CHL , Vullings R , Houterman S , Bergmans JWM , Oei SG
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: van Laar J, Peters C, Vullings R, Houterman S, Bergmans J, Oei S. Fetal autonomic response to severe acidaemia during labour. BJOG 2010;117:429–437.

Objective  Spectral analysis of heart‐rate variability is used to monitor autonomic nervous system fluctuations. The low‐frequency component is associated with sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation and the high‐frequency component is associated with parasympathetic modulation. The objective was to study whether changes in low‐frequency or high‐frequency power of heart‐rate variability occur in case of fetal distress.

Design  Case–control study.

Setting  Obstetric unit of a tertiary‐care teaching hospital.

Population  Twenty healthy human fetuses during labour at term of which ten had an umbilical artery pH < 7.05 (cases), and ten had an arterial pH > 7.20 (controls) after birth.

Methods  Spectral information about fetal beat‐to‐beat heart rate, calculated from direct fetal electrocardiogram registrations, was obtained by using a short‐time Fourier transform.

Main outcome measures  Absolute power and normalised power in the low‐frequency and high‐frequency bands.

Results  No differences were found between fetuses with and without acidaemia in absolute low or high frequency power (P = 0.2 and P = 0.3, respectively). During the last 30 minutes of labour, acidaemic fetuses had significantly increased normalised low‐frequency power (P = 0.01) and decreased normalised high‐frequency power (P = 0.03) compared with non‐acidaemic fetuses. These differences were not observed from 3 to 2 hours before birth (P = 0.7 and P = 0.9, respectively).

Conclusion  The autonomic nervous system of human fetuses at term responds adequately to severe stress during labour. Normalised low and high frequency power of heart‐rate variability might be able to discriminate between normal and abnormal fetal condition.
Confidential enquiries into maternal mortality
Authors: Walker JJ
Published: February 2010

Please cite this paper as: Walker J. Confidential enquiries into maternal mortality. BJOG 2010;117:379–381.
The Masculinity of Money: Automatic Stereotypes Predict Gender Differences In Estimated Salaries
Authors: Williams Melissa J. , Elizabeth Levy Paluck , Spencer-Rodgers Julie
Published: February 2010

We present the first empirical investigation of why men are assumed to earn higher salaries than women (the salary estimation effect). Although this phenomenon is typically attributed to conscious consideration of the national wage gap (i.e., real inequities in salary), we hypothesize instead that it reflects differential, automatic economic valuing of men and women. In the four studies described here, we demonstrate that the salary estimation effect is present in both student and community samples, is not explained by participants' awareness of real gender inequities in pay, and appears in descriptive tasks (i.e., estimating what men and women do earn; Studies 1 and 2) as well as in a prescriptive task (i.e., determining what men and women should earn; Study 3). Further, the salary estimation effect is best predicted by the degree to which participants hold an automatic stereotype that links men, more than women, with wealth (Study 4). These results suggest that differential estimates of men's and women's salaries, rather than deliberately reflecting reality, instead indicate a male-wealth stereotype that operates largely outside of awareness. We discuss the implications of these results for salary decision making and the unintentional perpetuation of the gender gap in wages.
Don't Rock the Boat: Women's Benevolent Sexism Predicts Fears of Marital Violence
Authors: Expósito Francisca , Herrera M. Carmen , Moya Miguel , Glick Peter
Published: February 2010

We examined how Spanish women's benevolent sexism (a sex-role attitude) affects their perceptions of whether a hypothetical husband will feel threatened by a wife's success at work. In a social perception study, female participants ( N = 210) read a vignette in which a husband and his wife argued over her job promotion. Women's benevolent sexism (but not hostile sexism) predicted viewing the husband as more threatened by his wife's promotion and more likely to aggress against her (intimate partner violence). The effect of women's benevolent sexism was robust and not mitigated when specific information about the husband's attitude (traditional, egalitarian, no information) was provided. Belief that a husband would feel threatened by a wife's promotion partially mediated the relationship between women's benevolent sexism scores and their anticipation that the husband would become violent. Benevolently sexist women may embrace traditional roles in relationships in part to avoid antagonizing male partners, ultimately maintaining the status quo.
Searching for Housing as a Battered Woman: Does Discrimination Affect Reported Availability of a Rental Unit?
Authors: Barata Paula C. , Stewart Donna E.
Published: February 2010

Individual battered women have reported experiencing housing discrimination, but the extent of this problem has not been examined. This research used two experiments and a survey to determine if landlord discrimination could keep women from accessing rental units. In Study 1, a confederate asked 181 landlords about the availability of a rental unit in one of three living conditions (shelter, friends, no mention of current living conditions) and across two scenarios (does or does not have a child). Rental units were almost 10 times more likely to be available in the control condition compared to the shelter condition, χ2(1, N = 181) = 8.624, p = .003, and these results were not affected by whether or not the caller had a child, χ2(1, N = 181) = 0.214, p = .644. In Study 2, the confederate was employed and left a message on 92 landlords' answering machines in the same three living conditions. The hypothesized comparison between the shelter and the other two conditions combined was significant, χ2(1, N = 92) = 4.602, p = .032. Finally, in a telephone survey of 31 landlords, a substantial minority (23%) said they would not rent to a hypothetical battered woman. The results of our studies suggest that discrimination against battered women by landlords is a real problem that is likely contributing to the difficulties that women experience in finding safe and affordable long-term housing.
The Middle Ages: Change in Women's Personalities and Social Roles
Authors: Newton Nicola , Stewart Abigail J.
Published: February 2010

It has been argued that the predominant focus of midlife personality development is generativity; other research has found that social roles influence both its onset and its expression. In this article, we examine women's midlife personality development and its relationship to career and family commitments. Results for a sample of 90 women indicated that commitment to particular social projects in early midlife was associated with different patterns of identity, intimacy, and generativity levels at age 62. In addition, women who added social projects to existing projects during adulthood expressed similar levels of identity, intimacy, and generativity at age 62 as women whose social project commitments had stayed the same. For smaller subsamples of women in the study, longitudinal analyses assessed changes in personality development within middle age as well as the relationship between personality and the maintenance or addition of social projects. These results highlight important variation among women who followed different adult life paths.
Everyone Feels Empowered: Understanding Feminist Self-Labeling
Authors: Liss Miriam , Erchull Mindy J.
Published: February 2010

Research findings raise questions about whether the feminist identity development model provides information about women's social identification as a feminist. Specifically, the penultimate stage, Synthesis, has been theorized to capture when feminist identity formation coalesces and women take on the feminist label. However, available data have suggested this stage may not be related to feminist self-labeling, calling for a better understanding of the variables associated with identifying oneself as a feminist. An online questionnaire was administered to 653 female self-identified feminists and nonfeminists in order to investigate the association between feminist self-labeling and Synthesis scores and to better understand what it means to take on the social identity of a feminist. Feminist self-labeling was not associated with Synthesis; however, women who self-labeled as feminists were more likely to acknowledge the existence of sexism, view the current gender system as unjust, and believe that women should work together in order to enact change. Synthesis was related to a combination of feminism- and conservatism-related constructs. Women high in Synthesis viewed the current gender system as just yet also believed that women should work together to enact change. We discuss the paradox represented by this combination of beliefs as well as their implications for the feminist identity development model and the women's movement in general.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory and Development of an Abbreviated Version: The CFNI-45
Authors: Parent Mike C. , Moradi Bonnie
Published: February 2010

The present study undertakes the first factor analysis of the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory (CFNI) conducted since the instrument's development. Confirmatory factor analysis using data from 243 women offered mixed support for the original 84-item CFNI structure and pointed to ways to modify the structure and reduce the length of the measure; these modifications resulted in the nine-factor CFNI-45. The CFNI-45 demonstrates superior data-model fit and comparable reliability coefficients relative to the original form of the measure. The CFNI-45 subscales also yielded high correlations with corresponding original form subscales, supporting use of the CFNI-45 as an efficient measure of the original constructs. Potential uses of the CFNI-45 in research and practice that address the role of feminine gender-role conformity in women's experiences are discussed.