bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurophysiology and therapeutic receptor targets for stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Yoshimura Naoki , Miyazato Minoru
Published: March 2012

Stress urinary incontinence is the most common type of urinary incontinence in women. Stress urinary incontinence involves involuntary leakage of urine in response to abdominal pressure caused by activities, such as sneezing and coughing. The condition affects millions of women worldwide, causing physical discomfort as well as social distress and even social isolation. This type of incontinence is often seen in women after middle age and it can be caused by impaired closure mechanisms of the urethra as a result of a weak pelvic floor or poorly supported urethral sphincter (urethral hypermobility) and/or a damaged urethral sphincter system (intrinsic sphincter deficiency). Until recently, stress urinary incontinence has been approached by clinicians as a purely anatomic problem as a result of urethral hypermobility requiring behavioral or surgical therapy. However, intrinsic sphincter deficiency has been reported to be more significantly associated with stress urinary incontinence than urethral hypermobility. Extensive basic and clinical research has enhanced our understanding of the complex neural circuitry regulating normal function of the lower urinary tract, as well as the pathophysiological mechanisms that might underlie the development of stress urinary incontinence and lead to the development of potential novel strategies for pharmacotherapy of stress urinary incontinence. Therapeutic targets include adrenergic and serotonergic receptors in the spinal cord, and adrenergic receptors at the urethral sphincter, which can enhance urethral reflex activity during stress conditions and increase baseline urethral pressure, respectively. This article therefore reviews the recent advances in stress urinary incontinence research and discusses the neurophysiology of urethral continence reflexes, the etiology of stress urinary incontinence and potential targets for pharmacotherapy of stress urinary incontinence.
New primary resource increases predation on a pest in a banana agroecosystem
Authors: Mollot Gregory , Tixier Philippe , Lescourret Françoise , Quilici Serge , Duyck Pierre‐François
Published: March 2012

Primary resources may affect the structure of species assemblages in upper trophic levels of food webs. These bottom‐up effects may involve important ecological processes that affect pest control. For example, population densities of natural enemies may increase when alternative preys are favoured by a new resource.

Ants, particularly Solenopsis geminata Forel (Myrmicinae), are recognized as effective predators of herbivores eggs. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the addition of a primary resource in a banana agroecosystem will increase pest control of the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus Germar (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) by ants.

Using stable isotope analyses, we showed that S. geminata used the new resource pathway provided by the addition of a cover crop. This change was revealed by increased δ13C values (13C/12C) in a cover crop treatment (C4 plant) compared with a banana (C3 plant) in bare soil treatment.

We also showed that the abundance of S. geminata, as measured with pitfall traps, was 4.8–5.4‐fold higher in the cover crop treatment than in the bare soil treatment. Estimation of egg predation rates was in the range 7.8–70.3%, which occurred in plots with the lowest and highest S. geminata numbers, respectively.

The addition of a new primary resource in this system changed the origin of the carbon consumed by predators and increased their densities. The increased ant abundance resulted in increased predation of weevil eggs, which was consistent with our hypothesis. These results will be useful for the design of cropping systems that enhance the biological regulation of pests.
ArxA, a new clade of arsenite oxidase within the DMSO reductase family of molybdenum oxidoreductases
Authors: Zargar Kamrun , Conrad Alison , Bernick David L. , Lowe Todd M. , Stolc Viktor , Hoeft Shelley , Oremland Ronald S. , Stolz John , Saltikov Chad W.
Published: March 2012

Arsenotrophy, growth coupled to autotrophic arsenite oxidation or arsenate respiratory reduction, occurs only in the prokaryotic domain of life. The enzymes responsible for arsenotrophy belong to distinct clades within the DMSO reductase family of molybdenum‐containing oxidoreductases: specifically arsenate respiratory reductase, ArrA, and arsenite oxidase, AioA (formerly referred to as AroA and AoxB). A new arsenite oxidase clade, ArxA, represented by the haloalkaliphilic bacterium Alkalilimnicola ehrlichii strain MLHE‐1 was also identified in the photosynthetic purple sulfur bacterium Ectothiorhodospira sp. strain PHS‐1. A draft genome sequence of PHS‐1 was completed and an arx operon similar to MLHE‐1 was identified. Gene expression studies showed that arxA was strongly induced with arsenite. Microbial ecology investigation led to the identification of additional arxA‐like sequences in Mono Lake and Hot Creek sediments, both arsenic‐rich environments in California. Phylogenetic analyses placed these sequences as distinct members of the ArxA clade of arsenite oxidases. ArxA‐like sequences were also identified in metagenome sequences of several alkaline microbial mat environments of Yellowstone National Park hot springs. These results suggest that ArxA‐type arsenite oxidases appear to be widely distributed in the environment presenting an opportunity for further investigations of the contribution of Arx‐dependent arsenotrophy to the arsenic biogeochemical cycle.
Drug detection dogs in Australia: More bark than bite?
Authors: HICKEY SOPHIE , MCILWRAITH FAIRLIE , BRUNO RAIMONDO , MATTHEWS ALLISON , ALATI ROSA
Published: March 2012

Introduction and Aims.

Canines are often used by police for drug detection and deterrence. However, their effectiveness has been questioned. This paper aims to describe the experience of regular illicit drug users when in contact with drug detection dogs.

Design and Methods.

Regular ecstasy users (n = 2127) were interviewed across Australia between 2008 and 2010 as part of the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System.

Results.

Over the 3 year period, there was increased visibility of drug detection dogs by regular ecstasy users. New South Wales was the jurisdiction with the most reported sightings, mainly occurring at festivals or live music events. Despite this police presence, however, detection and deterrence rates remained low. Approximately two‐thirds of participants who had seen the drug detection dogs had drugs in their possession at the most recent sighting, yet less than 7% were positively identified by dogs. Further, the majority of participants in possession of drugs took no actions after sighting the dogs, whereas a small group hastily consumed the drugs.

Discussion and Conclusions.

The low proportion of reported positive notifications from the dogs by the participants who had drugs on them at the time of sighting questions the accuracy and effectiveness of this procedure. Despite the increased visibility of police drug detection dogs, regular ecstasy users continue to use and be in possession of illicit drugs in public, suggesting a limited deterrence effect. The hasty consumption of drugs upon sighting the dogs also raises health concerns.[Hickey S, McIlwraith F, Bruno R, Matthews A, Alati R. Drug detection dogs in Australia: More bark than bite? Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:778–783]
Buddhist thought and nursing: a hermeneutic exploration
Authors: McCaffrey Graham , Raffin‐Bouchal Shelley , Moules Nancy J.
Published: March 2012

In this paper I lay out the ground for a creative dialogue between Buddhist thought and contemporary nursing. I start from the observation that in tracing an arc from the existential human experience of suffering to finding compassionate responses to suffering in everyday practice Buddhist thought already appears to present significant affinities with nursing as a practice discipline. I discuss some of the complexities of entering into a cross‐cultural dialogue, which is already well under way in the working out of Western forms of Buddhism, and which is beginning to be reflected in nursing literature. I introduce philosophical hermeneutics as a useful framework for elaborating an open and constructive exchange. I then discuss key Mahayana Buddhist concepts of emptiness and two truths that lead to a dynamic and open way of understanding reality and responding in the world. I turn to examples of original texts to give a flavour of the varied and distinctive forms of literature in the Buddhist tradition. This is intended partly to keep the reader alert to cultural difference (from a Western standpoint, that is) while exploring the creative potential of Buddhist thought. Hermeneutics again provides a framework for interpretation. This paper establishes a philosophical ground for a critical and creative dialogue between Buddhist thought and nursing.
Concurrent analysis: a pragmatic justification
Authors: Snowden Austyn , Atkinson John
Published: March 2012

Concurrent analysis (CA) is a process of synthesizing conceptually equivalent data for the purpose of producing a coherent and predictive model in social science. The process of CA is detailed. In short, CA uses Thagard's concept of coherence as a method of explicating links between mental representations. The product is a wide analysis of all pertinent data. This paper provides a philosophical justification for the need and function of CA. The paper is divided into three sections. The first section reviews some problems with the metasynthetic literature. The purpose of this is that CA can be initially understood as a branch of this type of synthesis. The second section links Risjord's post‐paradigmatic position to Rorty's version of pragmatism in order to show the importance of the concept of coherence to these views. The reason for linking these issues is that CA is grounded in rejection of ontological priority. Instead it prioritises a pragmatic conception of coherence. The final section details the mechanics of CA. Concurrent analysis is presented as the most coherent method of synthesizing certain types of narrative evidence if pragmatism is prioritized over ontology. Examples are given from published studies using CA to illustrate the detail of the analysis and the practical value of the product. The examples show that CA appears useful under certain circumstances. These circumstances will be specified, and strengths and weaknesses of the method will be discussed.
Non‐renewable resource taxation: policy reform in Australia*
Authors: Hogan Lindsay
Published: March 2012

In July 2010, the Australian Government announced that, effective from 1 July 2012, the petroleum resource rent tax will apply to all offshore and onshore oil and gas projects (including liquefied natural gas and coal seam gas projects), and a minerals resource rent tax will apply to coal and iron ore projects. State/territory governments mainly apply ad valorem royalties to oil and gas, coal and iron ore projects; these royalty payments will be creditable under the Australian Government’s resource rent taxes. This paper argues that a hybrid system allows governments to collect a minimum return to the non‐renewable resource through the ad valorem royalty and a share of the rent from higher‐profit projects through the rent‐based tax. This paper also provides updated and expanded estimates of the potential shortfall in resource taxation revenue over the period 1992–1993 to 2009–2010 by comparing actual revenue with revenue under a range of hypothetical Brown taxes.
Construction of owner–manager identity in corporate social responsibility discourse
Authors: Lähdesmäki Merja
Published: March 2012

This article examines the different discursive resources on which small business owner–managers draw when understanding their sense of self in relation to corporate social responsibility. In the small business context, identity provides a justifiable framework to study corporate social responsibility, as decisions regarding socially responsible activities are mainly taken by managers and stem from their sense of who they are in the world. On the basis of 25 thematic interviews with owner–managers, two broad discursive resources were found that describe how they actively seek to create and legitimise their sense of self within the discussion on corporate social responsibility. These discursive resources are called being altruistic and being instrumental. The findings emphasise that the essential and also the most challenging feature in small business owner–managers' identity work is the process of reconciling economic values with the social and ethical aspects of business life.
Negativity bias in consumer price response to ethical information
Authors: Moosmayer Dirk C.
Published: March 2012

The increasing debate on corporate ethics raises the question of whether consumers are willing to reward and punish corporate behaviour based on its ethicality. In this context, this article investigates the direct effect on consumers' willingness to pay. Price response to product‐related ethical information is explored in an experiment dealing with social issues in sportswear and environmental issues in consumer electronics. It is shown that in both areas, consumers demonstrate an increased willingness to pay for ethically produced goods. However, the response is subject to a negativity bias. In contrast to prior research that used abstract stimulus measures, a ratio for quantifying this bias is suggested based on consumers' willingness to pay and their price expectations. This measure allows us to analyse a consumer's individual bias.
Consequences of concern: ethics, social responsibility, and well‐being
Authors: Promislo Mark D. , Giacalone Robert A. , Welch Jeremy
Published: March 2012

Prior research has studied the antecedents of beliefs regarding ethics and social responsibility (ESR). However, few studies have examined how individual well‐being may be related to such beliefs. In this exploratory study, we assessed the relationship between perceived importance of ESR – both individually and of one's company – and indicators of physical and psychological well‐being. Results demonstrated that perceived importance of ESR was associated with three aspects of well‐being: exuberance for life, sleep problems, and job stress. The results are discussed in terms of future directions for research, and the need for a conceptual framework connecting individual and organizational perceptions of ESR and outcomes of well‐being.
The consequences of social responsibility for small business owners in small towns
Authors: Besser Terry L.
Published: March 2012

This paper focuses on three under‐researched subjects in the corporate social responsibility literature: small businesses, small towns, and consequences of social responsibility for the business owner personally. Small businesses are the vast majority of businesses and make a significant contribution to national economic vitality. Their value to the survival of small towns, where they are often the only businesses, is even more important. Research indicates that the social performance of big and small businesses alike is dependent upon the values and disposition of the top decision maker. Therefore, insight into the owner's motivations for contributing to community betterment and the consequences of that behavior for the business and the owner will add to this literature. Equally important, this knowledge can inform policies aimed at increasing good citizenship for all sizes of businesses regardless of location.
Indications of virtues in conscientiousness and its practice through continuous improvement
Authors: Hernández José , Mateo Ricardo
Published: March 2012

There is convergence among researchers of the ‘Big Five’ personality traits taxonomy, that the dimension of conscientiousness best explains differences in work performance. This research is a literature review on the interrelationship between certain traits of the conscientiousness dimension and human virtues, or character traits. It also analyzes whether or not it is rational to argue that the continuous improvement culture enhances the exercise of these character traits. The personal effort to develop one's conscientiousness enriches one's character or way of being, and this development is a consequence of character moulding through an intellectual and willful effort enabling one not only to develop personal habits but also to improve task performance. Continuous improvement culture, on the one hand, should provide a work environment where employees can practice virtues, including those contained in conscientiousness. On the other hand, the requirement is that continuous improvement culture should be developed in an environment that respects the freedom and purpose of the individual.
Optimal Liquidity Provision Through a Demand Deposit Scheme: The Jacklin Critique Revisited
Authors: Zimper Alexander
Published: March 2012

We derive conditions such that optimal liquidity provisions through a demand deposit scheme can be sustainably implemented in a subgame perfect Nash equilibrium under the assumption that renegade investors have free access to ex post asset markets. As our qualitative main finding we demonstrate that such sustainability is more likely for ‘poor’ than for ‘rich’ scheme participants in terms of future income. By establishing sustainability for low future income populations, our formal analysis therefore offers an important qualification of Jacklin’s (1987) influential claim that an optimal demand deposit scheme is not sustainable whenever there exists the possibility of an ex post asset market.
Efficacy of systemic therapies for moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of long‐term treatment
Authors: Lucka T.C. , Pathirana D. , Sammain A. , Bachmann F. , Rosumeck S. , Erdmann R. , Schmitt J. , Orawa H. , Rzany B. , Nast A.
Published: March 2012

Background  Despite the chronicity of psoriasis, most systematic reviews focus on short‐term treatment.

Methods  The systematic search strategy and results from the German Psoriasis Guidelines were adapted. To update the data a literature search in Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library was conducted. The proportion of participants achieving ≥75% decrease in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) as well as Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) reduction at different time points were assessed. Trials were summarized with respect to time periods and study designs. Suitable trials were included in a meta‐analysis. Particular attention was paid to statistical approaches of handling dropouts.

Results  A total of 33 articles including 27 trials totaling 6575 patients with active treatment were included in the systematic review. Seven randomized controlled trials were eligible for the meta‐analysis. Over a 24 week treatment period infliximab [risk difference (RD) 78%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 72–83%] and ustekinumab 90 mg every 12 weeks (RD 77%, 95% CI 71–83%) were the most efficacious treatments. Adalimumab (RD: 60%, 95% CI 45–74%) showed results within the range of different etanercept dosages (etanercept 50 mg once weekly: RD 62%, 95% CI, 52–72%), (etanercept 25 mg twice weekly: RD 45%, 95% CI 34–56%), (etanercept 50 mg twice weekly: RD 56%, 95% CI 49–62%) and (etanercept 50 mg twice weekly until week 12, then 25 mg twice weekly: RD 50%, 95% CI 42–57%). After 24 weeks a decrease in efficacy for inflximab, adalimumab and etanercept was observed.

Conclusions  More sufficient data is required to draw reliable conclusions in extended long‐term treatment and head‐to‐head comparisons are necessary.
Dermoscopy of early stage mycosis fungoides
Authors: Lallas A. , Apalla Z. , Lefaki I. , Tzellos T. , Karatolias A. , Sotiriou E. , Lazaridou E. , Ioannides D. , Zalaudek I. , Argenziano G.
Published: March 2012

Background  Early stage mycosis fungoides (MF) is difficult to be clinically differentiated from chronic dermatitis (CD) in a high proportion of patients. Dermoscopy is a rapid, cheep, non‐invasive and widely used method for the evaluation of skin tumours and, recently, of inflammatory skin diseases, as well.

Objective  To describe the dermoscopic pattern of early stage MF and compare it with the dermoscopic features observed in CD.

Methods  This was a retrospective study. Dermoscopic images of lesions that were clinically equivocal between MF and CD were evaluated for the presence of predefined morphologic criteria. Diagnosis had been histopathologically and immunohistochemically confirmed in all cases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for predefined dermoscopic criteria in relation to the diagnosis of mycosis fungoides.

Results  A total of 67 dermoscopic images were selected for dermoscopic evaluation. Mycosis fungoides lesions exhibited a characteristic dermoscopic pattern consisting of fine short linear vessels (sensitivity 93.7%, specificity 97.1%) and orange‐yellowish patchy areas (sensitivity 90.6%, specificity 99.7%). A characteristic vascular structure resembling spermatozoa was also found to be highly specific for the diagnosis of mycosis fungoides. CD was typified by a different dermoscopic pattern, usually consisting of dotted vessels.

Conclusions  These observations provide a first indication that early stage MF exhibits a characteristic dermoscopic pattern which is different from CD. Prospective studies with long term follow‐up are needed to determine the value of these dermoscopic criteria in the differentiation between the two entities in the daily routine.
Habitat characteristics associated with wolverine den sites inNorwegian multiple‐use landscapes
Authors: May R. , Gorini L. , van Dijk J. , Brøseth H. , Linnell J. D. C. , Landa A.
Published: March 2012

Successful wolverine (Gulo gulo) reproduction, and thereby population viability especially in multiple‐use landscapes, is likely to be enhanced by availability of suitable den sites. We investigated which topographic features were selected for reproductive den sites by female wolverines in southernNorway (2000–2006) at three spatial scales (landscape, home‐range and site‐specific scales). At the site‐specific scale, den sites were associated with steep, rugged terrain with bare rock. At the home‐range and landscape scales, den sites were placed in rugged terrain at 1100 m a.s.l. and away from infrastructure (private roads and public roads). These features provide snowdrifts into which wolverines can excavate dry, safe cavities. Den sites were also placed away from infrastructure, indicating that den‐site distribution, and possibly successful reproduction, may be partly influenced by human activities. Recurrent use of specific topographic features may provide valuable information for guiding geographically differentiated management and monitoring efforts, and augmenting recovery of endangered wolverine populations.
Ethylene in vegetative development: a tale with a riddle
Authors: Vandenbussche Filip , Vaseva Irina , Vissenberg Kris , Van Der Straeten Dominique
Published: March 2012

The vegetative development of plants is strongly dependent on the action of phytohormones. For over a century, the effects of ethylene on plants have been studied, illustrating the profound impact of this gaseous hormone on plant growth, development and stress responses. Ethylene signaling is under tight self‐control at various levels. Feedback regulation occurs on both biosynthesis and signaling. For its role in developmental processes, ethylene has a close and reciprocal relation with auxin, another major determinant of plant architecture. Here, we discuss, in view of novel findings mainly in the reference plant Arabidopsis, how ethylene is distributed and perceived throughout the plant at the organ, tissue and cellular levels, and reflect on how plants benefit from the complex interaction of ethylene and auxin, determining their shape. Furthermore, we elaborate on the implications of recent discoveries on the control of ethylene signaling.

Contents

Summary
895

I.
Introduction
895

II.
A snapshot view on the ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathway in Arabidopsis
896

III.
Autocontrol of ethylene biosynthesis
897

IV.
Mechanistic control of ethylene signal components
898

V.
The auxin–ethylene circle
901

VI.
Tissue‐ and cell‐type‐specific regulation of ethylene
903

VII.
Cellular basis of ethylene effects on growth
904

Acknowledgements
906

References
906
Personality effects on cardiovascular reactivity: Need for closure moderates the impact of task difficulty on engagement‐related myocardial beta‐adrenergic activity
Authors: Richter Michael , Baeriswyl Eric , Roets Arne
Published: March 2012

An experiment assessed the joint effect of dispositional need for closure (NFC) and task difficulty on engagement‐related myocardial beta‐adrenergic activity. Participants who scored either low or high on the NFC scale performed an ambiguous categorization task with either low or high difficulty. Confirming the theory‐derived predictions, task difficulty effects on pre‐ejection period (PEP) reactivity were moderated by NFC. If difficulty was low, PEP reactivity was low and independent of the participants’ NFC level. If difficulty was high, participants with high NFC showed increased PEP reactivity compared to participants with low NFC. These results extend previous research on Wright's model of engagement‐related cardiovascular reactivity and suggest that the model may provide a useful framework for assessing the impact of personality on cardiovascular response.
Subclinical orthostatic pulse pressure confirms mothers' ratings of ADHD in preschoolers
Authors: Casavant Vanessa , Chae Christina , Sherwani Afsheen , Perlmuter Lawrence C.
Published: March 2012

Subclinical levels of orthostatic hypotension (OH) have been linked to a variety of emotional and behavioral outcomes across the life span. These connections are not surprising, given the multitude of correlated conditions, including autonomic control, cardiovascular functioning, baroreceptor activity, and dopamine and serotonin. The current study assessed blood pressure regulation in healthy preschool children ages 3–5 (n = 61). The Conner's Parent Rating Scale Revised was used to assess indexes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). With the difference between standing and supine pulse pressure as the index of orthostatic blood pressure regulation, the results indicated that efficient pulse pressure regulation was significantly correlated with lower ADHD scores. Poorer orthostatic pulse pressure regulation in response to an orthostatic challenge may be a risk for symptoms of ADHD.
Global care chains: a state‐of‐the‐art review and future directions in care transnationalization research
Authors: YEATES NICOLA
Published: March 2012

This article provides a state‐of‐the‐art review and sympathetic critique of global care chain (GCC) analysis, focusing on its contributions to a sustained research agenda on care transnationalization. GCC analysis has opened up theoretical perspectives and discursive spaces for the sophisticated understandings of globalization processes. Rooted in global network methodology and cognizant of the grounded, textured and embodied nature of care transnationalization, GCC analysis has significantly contributed to better understandings of the socio‐spatial dimensions of diverse forms of care provision worldwide and the identification of transnational political and policy responses. This research agenda is far from exhausted and future research could productively address the following critiques and the conceptual and theoretical issues to which they give rise: first, that GCC research may reinforce care work as women's work; second, that it privileges some aspects of care transnationalization over others; and, third, that GCC analysis renaturalizes the nation‐state. The discussion outlines the implications of these issues for future directions in care transnationalization research.
Global care, local configurations – challenges to conceptualizations of care
Authors: RAGHURAM PARVATI
Published: March 2012

Migration, along with the implied geographies of the ethics of care literature and policy initiatives vis‐à‐vis care have increasingly led to the adoption of the ‘global’ as the most appropriate level for analysing care. Much of the empirical work underpinning analyses of care, however, was done at particular sites and had specific emphases that are now being adopted in the analysis of care globally. In this article, I suggest the need for empirical research from other parts of the world to inform, build on and challenge the existing theorizations of transnational care. Using examples from India, I highlight some ways in which (a) recognizing the varied genealogies of care in different places, (b) bringing together the literature on care diamonds with that on care chains, and (c) recognizing the diversity of family forms and the increasing transnationalization of markets, the state and civil society may enrich existing care chain analysis. I thus suggest that we need to explore what differences in the infrastructural architecture of care means for how we theorize care in the context of migration. I outline some elements of a new research agenda, not only for research on India but also for recognizing the importance of heterogeneous care arrangements in a globalizing world of care.
The dual roles of transnational daughters and transnational wives: monetary intentions, expectations and dilemmas
Authors: THAI HUNG CAM
Published: March 2012

Utilizing in‐depth interview data from a larger study of Vietnamese transnational marriages, in this article I focus on how Vietnamese transnationally married daughters talk about their plans to provide financially for their elderly parents in the homeland. While single adult daughters from Vietnam are equally likely as single adult sons to provide financially for their parents, married daughters are much less likely to do so than married sons. Yet, paradoxically, a transnational marriage with the prospect of eventual international migration positions daughters as important potential financial providers, not because they are daughters, but because they are transnational daughters. When they eventually migrate, however, they will not only become transnational migrant daughters but also transnational migrant wives. These transnational daughters must, therefore, negotiate their intentions to provide monetary support, expected from them because they will become migrants, against their husbands' objections to the fact that their wives are daughters, and therefore, not responsible for monetary support to ageing parents according to traditional Vietnamese kinship practices.
Transnational marriages as a strategy of care exchange: veteran soldiers and their mainland Chinese spouses in Taiwan
Authors: LU MELODY CHIA‐WEN
Published: March 2012

In this article, I discuss how Taiwanese veterans and their mainland Chinese wives use transnational marriages as a strategy to obtain care and security in old age. The state's population, welfare and immigration policies shape the veterans' care needs and rights. Middle‐aged mainland Chinese women choose to migrate to provide security for themselves and better educational and economic opportunities for their children. I use Stafford's concept of ‘cycles of yang’ to explain why, despite state provision of care, family members prefer reciprocity of care and why they choose transnational marriage in preference to other forms of family formation. This framework blurs the distinction between caregivers and care receivers, and conceptualizes differential care needs as part of the life course. I use the concept of a care diamond to analyse how state policies, communal care and market forces together shape care relationships in transnational families and patterns of transnational mobility.
The reproductive labour of migrant workers
Authors: PARREÑAS RHACEL SALAZAR
Published: March 2012

In this article, I revisit my formulation of the ‘international division of reproductive labour’, also known as the ‘care chain’, and address its impacts on the study of migrant care workers. I also address future directions in the study of migrant care workers, calling attention to the contributions made in this special issue, specifically the need to focus on elderly care, different organizational arrangements of care, and the geopolitics of care.
Information‐theoretic model selection affects home‐range estimation and habitat preference inference: a case study of male Reeves’s Pheasants Syrmaticus reevesii
Authors: WANG YONG , XU JILING , CARPENTER JOHN P. , ZHANG ZHENGWANG , ZHENG GUANGMEI
Published: March 2012

Reeves’s Pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii is a vulnerable forest bird inhabiting broadleaved habitats dominated by oaks Quercus spp. in central China. Identifying home‐ranges and habitat associations is important for understanding the biology of this species and developing effective management and conservation plans. We used information‐theoretic criteria to evaluate the relative performance of four parametric (exponential power, one‐mode bivariate normal, two‐mode bivariate normal and two‐mode bivariate circle) and two non‐parametric models (adaptive and fixed kernel) for estimating home‐ranges and habitat associations of Reeves’s Pheasants. For parametric models, Akaike’s information criterion (AICc) and the likelihood cross‐validation criterion (CVC) were relatively consistent in ranking the bivariate exponential power model the least acceptable, whereas the two‐mode bivariate models performed better. The CVC suggested that kernel models, particularly the adaptive kernel, performed best among all six models evaluated. The average core area and 95% contour area based on the model with greatest support were 6.1 and 54.9 ha, respectively, and were larger than those estimated from other models. The discrepancy in estimates between models with highest and the lowest support decreased as the contour size increased; however, home‐range shapes differed between models. Minimum convex polygons that removed 5% of extreme data points (MCP95) were roughly half the size of home‐ranges based on kernel models. Estimates of home‐range and model evaluation were not affected by sample size (> 50 observations for each bird). Inference about habitat preference based on composition analysis and home‐range overlap varied between models. That with strongest support suggested that Reeves’s Pheasants selected mature fir and mixed forest, avoided farmland, and had mean among‐individual home‐range overlaps of 20%. We recommend non‐parametric methods, particularly the adaptive kernel method, for estimating home‐ranges and core areas for species with complex multi‐polar habitat preferences in heterogeneous environments with large habitat patches. However, we caution against the traditional convenience of using a single model to estimate home‐ranges and recommend exploration of multiple models for describing and understanding the ecological processes underlying space use and habitat associations.
Origins of irruptive migrations by Common Crossbills Loxia curvirostra into northwestern Europe revealed by stable isotope analysis
Authors: MARQUISS MICK , NEWTON IAN , HOBSON KEITH A. , KOLBEINSSON YANN
Published: March 2012

We used analyses of stable hydrogen isotope (δ2H) measurements in Common Crossbill feathers (δ2Hf) to infer the region of origin of Crossbills collected from different irruptions into Britain, Iceland and the Faeroes, comparing these values with those from birds sampled in breeding areas in Britain and elsewhere in the western Palaearctic. No differences in δ2Hf values were found between different species or sexes of Crossbills that could be presumed to have grown their feathers in the same region, but juveniles had lower δ2Hf values than adults that had grown their feathers in the same region. On the basis mainly of museum skins, immigrant birds were sampled from 30 different irruption years, spanning the period 1866–2009, with annual samples varying from one to 29 individuals. The variation in δ2Hf values within irruptions was substantially less than the variation between irruptions, indicating that irruptions in different years originated in different parts of the western Palaearctic boreal zone. Birds with lower δ2Hf values tended to arrive later in the migration season, which was consistent with the idea that they had travelled further. In 17 of the irruption years, the birds had mean δ2Hf values more than −120‰, suggesting that they had originated somewhere in the region extending from northern Scandinavia to northwestern Russia. In these years the birds arrived early, in June and July. In 10 of the irruption years, the mean δ2Hf values were between −120 and −130‰, suggesting origins further east, in northern Russia, east of Archangel (about 40°E). In only three of the 30 years (1898, 2002, 2009) the mean δ2Hf values were even lower (< 130‰), and these birds arrived in late July, August and September. Birds in these three irruptions had probably come from Siberia, east of the Ural Mountains. In at least three irruption years (1898, 1927, 1985) the observed range of δ2Hf values suggested that birds had come from more than one of these regions, including east of the Urals in 1898 and 1927.
Teachers’ recognition of children with ADHD: role of subtype and gender
Authors: Moldavsky Maria , Groenewald Carla , Owen Victoria , Sayal Kapil
Published: March 2012

Background

This study investigates the ability of primary school teachers to recognise Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the impact of subtype and child gender on recognition and proposed management.

Method

Primary school teachers read one of four types of vignette describing the behaviour of a 9‐year‐old child: either a boy or a girl with inattentive or combined subtype of ADHD. Teachers were asked about their conceptualisation of the child's difficulties and their thoughts about need for specialist referral and other interventions.

Results

Of 496 teachers, 99% identified the presence of a problem. Subtype (combined) of ADHD influenced teachers’ recognition of ADHD and agreement that medication might be helpful. Only 13% of teachers thought that medication might be helpful.

Conclusions

Results suggest a need for better teacher awareness about inattentive subtype of ADHD.
Partial hospitalization treatment for preschoolers with severe behavior problems: child age and maternal functioning as predictors of outcome
Authors: Martin Sarah E. , McConville David W. , Williamson Lauren R. , Feldman Greg , Boekamp John R.
Published: March 2012

Background

This study focused on the behavioral functioning and treatment outcomes of preschool‐aged children who attended a specialized, family focused psychiatric partial hospitalization program.

Method

Study data were collected between 2002 and 2007. Maternal reports of child behavioral functioning were obtained at program admission and discharge. Maternal parenting stress and psychiatric impairment were assessed at admission.

Results

Children's symptom severity decreased from admission to discharge, particularly with respect to externalizing symptoms. Both child age and maternal functioning emerged as predictors of treatment outcome.

Conclusions

Specialized partial hospitalization may be an effective approach to treatment for preschool children with severe psychopathology.
Scale in the effect of accessibility on population change: GIS and a statistical approach to road, air and rail accessibility in Finland, 1990–2008
Authors: Kotavaara Ossi , Antikainen Harri , Marmion Mathieu , Rusanen Jarmo
Published: March 2012

The matter of scale is often ignored when analysing accessibility and its effects on population change. While accessibility has a concentrating effect on the activities of society on a regional scale, it also has a decentralising effect within urban areas in developed countries, including Finland. Population change is the outcome of numerous individual location choices. However, the scale on which these choices form a pattern related to transport accessibility is unclear, because the increasing stochasticity in an accurate resolution forces consideration of the effect of accessibility on population dynamics in the context of local characteristics. The matter of scale on modelling the relationship between transport accessibility and population change is considered in this article by comparing results using six different resolutions: namely side lengths of grid cells involving 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 24 kilometres. Road, air and rail accessibility were related to population change with non‐linear regression, generalised additive models (GAM). Road accessibility was assessed by potentials originating from a gravity model. For revealing the effect on population change, air and rail accessibility were calculated as travel times to airports and stations. Analyses were based on exact population grid‐cell data, an accurate model of road and rail networks and using geographical information systems (GIS). The study shows that population change was strongly related to potential accessibility. Airport accessibility also had high importance, whereas railway accessibility did not have any significant effect. The relevance of modelled relationships was noted to be clearly dependent on geographical scale. The models have good predictive ability at a 24 × 24‐km resolution, but in resolutions more accurate than 12 × 12 km, much of the predictive power decreases. Our results strongly indicate that scale matters in accessibility analysis, and it should be taken into account in forthcoming population change studies.
Micro‐political and related barriers to stakeholder engagement in flood risk management
Authors: TSENG CHIN‐PEI , PENNING‐ROWSELL EDMUND C
Published: March 2012

Modern conceptualisations of flood risk management (FRM) embody the active engagement of citizens in the appraisal of risk and the development of risk reducing options. But such engagement is known not to be easy. The relevant literature suggests that the potential barriers to stakeholder engagement in FRM are conventionally theorised in three categories: stakeholder‐based barriers; time‐related barriers; and barriers caused by power inequalities. This paper describes research exploring these issues, by critiquing existing ideas about the barriers to stakeholder engagement in FRM and elsewhere, and by using a case study from Taiwan. Using in‐depth interviews of stakeholders we found that failure to acknowledge and take account of the micro‐politics in the engagement process brought about new impediments to participation: power sharing unexpectedly created new barriers. We conclude that these results may have relevance elsewhere but that conflicts will remain as long as there are choices to be made. Stakeholder engagement is about resolving these conflicts, but the promoters of flood risk reducing interventions need to be much more analytical in their efforts to understand the ‘micro‐political positions’ of all the stakeholders they encounter, rather than see such differences as themselves inherently problematic.
MDMA and 5‐HT neurotoxicity: the empirical evidence for its adverse effects in humans – no need for translation
Authors: Parrott Andrew C
Published: March 2012

In this issue of the BJP, Green et al. suggest that animal data could not be used to predict the adverse effects of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in humans and that MDMA did not produce 5‐HT neurotoxicity in the human brain. This proposal was, however, not accompanied by a review of the empirical evidence in humans. The neuroimaging data on 5‐HT markers in abstinent recreational ecstasy/MDMA users are extensive and broadly consistent. Reduced levels of the 5‐HT transporter (SERT) have been found by research groups worldwide using a variety of assessment measures. These SERT reductions occur across the higher brain regions and remain after controlling for potential confounds. There are also extensive empirical data for impairments in memory and higher cognition, with the neurocognitive deficits correlating with the extent of SERT loss. Hence, MDMA is clearly damaging to humans, with extensive empirical data for both structural and functional deficits.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is a commentary on Green et al., pp. 1523–1536 of this issue. To view this paper visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2011.01819.x. A rebuttal by Green et al. also appears in this issue, pp. 1521–1522. To view this rebuttal visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2012.01940.x
Pharmacological properties of S1RA, a new sigma‐1 receptor antagonist that inhibits neuropathic pain and activity‐induced spinal sensitization
Authors: Romero L , Zamanillo D , Nadal X , Sánchez‐Arroyos R , Rivera‐Arconada I , Dordal A , Montero A , Muro A , Bura A , Segalés C , Laloya M , Hernández E , Portillo‐Salido E , Escriche M , Codony X , Encina G , Burgueño J , Merlos M , Baeyens JM , Giraldo J , López‐García JA , Maldonado R , Plata‐Salamán CR , Vela JM
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The sigma‐1 (σ1) receptor is a ligand‐regulated molecular chaperone that has been involved in pain, but there is limited understanding of the actions associated with its pharmacological modulation. Indeed, the selectivity and pharmacological properties of σ1 receptor ligands used as pharmacological tools are unclear and the demonstration that σ1 receptor antagonists have efficacy in reversing central sensitization‐related pain sensitivity is still missing.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The pharmacological properties of a novel σ1 receptor antagonist (S1RA) were first characterized. S1RA was then used to investigate the effect of pharmacological antagonism of σ1 receptors on in vivo nociception in sensitizing conditions and on in vitro spinal cord sensitization in mice. Drug levels and autoradiographic, ex vivo binding for σ1 receptor occupancy were measured to substantiate behavioural data.

KEY RESULTS Formalin‐induced nociception (both phases), capsaicin‐induced mechanical hypersensitivity and sciatic nerve injury‐induced mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity were dose‐dependently inhibited by systemic administration of S1RA. Occupancy of σ1 receptors in the CNS was significantly correlated with the antinociceptive effects. No pharmacodynamic tolerance to the antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effect developed following repeated administration of S1RA to nerve‐injured mice. As a mechanistic correlate, electrophysiological recordings demonstrated that pharmacological antagonism of σ1 receptors attenuated the wind‐up responses in spinal cords sensitized by repetitive nociceptive stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These findings contribute to evidence identifying the σ1 receptor as a modulator of activity‐induced spinal sensitization and pain hypersensitivity, and suggest σ1 receptor antagonists as potential novel treatments for neuropathic pain.