bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in Ano‐Genital Distance in Spontaneously Cycling Female Mice
Authors: Dušek A , Bartoš L
Published: March 2012

Contents

A recently observed developmental instability of the ano‐genital distance (AGD) in female mice indicates that natural prenatal androgens do not have such a robust effect on female genital morphology as has been generally assumed. Part of this instability might be caused by oestrous cyclicity. To check this assumption, we examined the effect of the stage of the oestrous cycle on the AGD in adult (61–75 days old) female mice. Consistent with our assumption, the female AGD (1) varied during the oestrous cycle (p < 0.05), indicating thus rapid changes in morphology of female external genitalia, and (2) showed good repeatability (>0.66) in each stage of the oestrous cycle, suggesting that female genital morphology systematically varied within the oestrous cycle. Therefore, the stage of the oestrous cycle should be considered when assessing prenatal masculinization in adult female mice.
Screening of 170 Peruvian plant species for allelopathic activity by using the Sandwich Method
Authors: MORIKAWA CECILIA INES ONO , MIYAURA RIE , TAPIA Y FIGUEROA MARIA DE LOURDES , RENGIFO SALGADO ELSA LILIANA , FUJII YOSHIHARU
Published: March 2012

Peru is one of the 20 botanically extremely diverse countries in the world, with >17 000 flowering plants, of which 30% are endemic. So far, no systematic research has been conducted on the screening of the allelopathic plants. In this study, the allelopathic activity of 170 species from 61 families of Peruvian plants that were collected from the three main regions of Peru – the Costa (Pacific coastline), the Sierra (Andean mountains), and the Selva (Amazonian rainforest) – was evaluated. The allelopathic activity was determined by the Sandwich Method, which can evaluate the activity of leaf leachates. The species that were found to be highly inhibitory in this screening, under the criterion of >90% inhibition of the radicle of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seedlings, were Aristeguietia ballii and Diplostephium foliosissimum (Asteraceae) and Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae). All of these species are native plants from Peru. This study gives a strong clue regarding the potential of isolating potent allelochemicals from these plants in the future.
Effects of phosphorus and light intensity on the growth and competition of the two weed species, Veronica persica and Chorispora tenella
Authors: YIN LICHU , LUO JIANXIN , LUO LANFANG , XIE GUIXIAN
Published: March 2012

Veronica persica Poir. (Persian speedwell) is an invasive alien weed species in the upland soils throughout China. Its dominance in weed flora could be alleviated by Chorispora tenella (Pall.) (tender chorispora) in P‐poor soils and in an intense light environment. Here, three experiments in growth chambers were carried out in order to explore the effect of P and light intensity on the growth and competition of V. persica and C. tenella, the pH value in their rhizospheres, and the kinetic parameters (Km and Vmax) of the H2PO4‐ uptake by the two weed species. The ANOVA results showed that the light intensity and P level in the soil obviously influenced the growth of the two weed species. However, the effect of the P level in the soil was greater for V. persica and the effect of the light intensity was greater for C. tenella. The restriction of the growth of V. persica by a low P level in the soil was much more than that of C. tenella, but it was reversed in the two species in relation to a low light intensity. In addition, the pH was lower in the rhizosphere of C. tenella after the P‐deficient treatment and there was a lower Km in the uptake of H2PO4‐ than for V. persica, suggesting that C. tenella could adapt to a low‐P environment more easily. In conclusion, C. tenella growing together with V. persica had a competitive advantage under high‐light‐intensity and low‐P‐level conditions, but it lost its advantage with an increase in P fertilization and a decrease in light intensity.
Micromorphology of the petals of the invasive weed, Oxalis pes‐caprae
Authors: ARGIROPOULOS APOSTOLOS , RHIZOPOULOU SOPHIA
Published: March 2012

The alien, seedless Oxalis pes‐caprae has spread and colonized many areas of the Mediterranean Basin, relying on vegetative reproduction. The flowering of O. pes‐caprae is greatly accelerated by its exposure to sunlight. When the sun is shining, both sides of the petals of the funnel‐shaped, open flowers of O. pes‐caprae are exposed to the ambient conditions. In cloudy weather, only some portions of the abaxial petal surfaces of the trumpet‐shaped, closed flowers of O. pes‐caprae are exposed to the ambient conditions. The micromorphology of the petals of O. pes‐caprae was imaged by using light, scanning and atomic force microscopy. In O. pes‐caprae, conical cells are found only on the adaxial epidermis of the petals, which also consist of a narrow mesophyll with a loosely arranged parenchyma and convex cells on their abaxial epidermis. High‐resolution imaging of the petal surfaces, using atomic force microscopy, revealed that the epidermal cells are further ornamented by submicron sculptures, indicating a different roughness, density, and arrangement of the folds between the adaxial and abaxial sides of the petals. Submicron sculpturing increases the surface area of the adaxial epidermal cells of the petals and the distances between the folds are almost equal to the visible waveband. On the abaxial epidermal cells, the distances between the folds are smaller than the subwavelength spectrum. The high and the negligible values of roughness that were obtained on the adaxial and the abaxial surfaces might facilitate the capture and the reflection of light, respectively.
Cracking the olfactory code of a butterfly: the scent of ageing
Authors: Nieberding Caroline M. , Fischer Klaus , Saastamoinen Marjo , Allen Cerisse E. , Wallin Erika A. , Hedenström Erik , Brakefield Paul M.
Published: March 2012

Ecology Letters (2012) 15: 415–424

Although olfaction is a primary mode of communication, its importance in sexual selection remains understudied. Here, using the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, we address all the parameters of importance to sexual selection for a male olfactory signal. We show that variation in the male sex pheromone composition indicates male identity and male age. Courting males of different ages display small absolute (c. 200 ng) but large relative (100%) change of one specific pheromone component (hexadecanal) which, unlike the other components, showed no heritability. Females prefer to mate with mid‐aged over younger males and the pheromone composition is sufficient to determine this preference. Surprisingly refined information is thus present in the male olfactory signal and is used for sexual selection. Our data also reveal that there may be no ‘lek paradox’ to resolve once the precise signal of importance to females is identified, as hexadecanal is, as expected, depleted in additive genetic variation.
Successful endoscopic needle knife therapy combined with topical doxycycline injection of chronic sinus at ileal pouch–anal anastomosis
Authors: Li Y. , Shen B.
Published: March 2012

Aim  Chronic presacral sinus at the anastomosis after restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) has been difficult to manage and results in a high rate of pouch failure. The aim was to present a novel technique with a combining endoscopic doxycycline injection and needle knife therapy for a sinus at the ileoanal anastomosis.

Methods  We applied repeat Doppler ultrasound‐guided endoscopic needle knife therapy to open the orifice of the anastomotic sinus followed by topical injection of doxycycline.

Results  After six sessions of the endoscopic therapy, the refractory sinus was completely healed.

Conclusion  The Doppler ultrasound guided endoscopy therapy may provide an alternative treatment option for the patients with anastomotic sinus.
Colonic micropapillary carcinoma, a recently recognized subtype associated with histological adverse factors: clinicopathological analysis of 15 cases
Authors: Lino‐Silva L. S. , Salcedo‐Hernández R. A. , Caro‐Sánchez C. H.
Published: March 2012

Aim  Micropapillary carcinoma (MPC) is regarded as an aggressive variant of adenocarcinoma in any location. The reported proportion of a micropapillary carcinoma component in an entire tumour ranges from 5 to 95% and only one case of pure MPC has been reported. To date, approximately 130 cases of MPC in the colorectum have been reported, but it is likely that this small number is to some extent due to under‐reporting because this pattern is not well recognized by the general pathologist. All previous studies have combined colonic and rectal primary tumours and most have only analysed patients with clinical Stages I or II.

Method  We analysed 15 cases of MPC of the colon alone, diagnosed in our institution, and compared them with 105 conventional carcinomas of the colon.

Results  An MPC component was present in 10% of all colonic carcinomas. These tumours presented at a median age of 56 years, and all were of American Joint Committee on Cancer Stages III and IV. Subserosal tissue invasion was present in every case, 60% had more than four positive lymph nodes, 60% were accompanied by poorly differentiated conventional carcinoma, 40% had had an incomplete resection and a third demonstrated lymphovascular invasion. Despite these adverse prognostic factors, tumours containing MPC showed the same survival, stage by stage, as conventional adenocarcinoma in multivariate analysis, although 3‐year survival (81.7%vs 87.3%, P = 0.035) was worse on univariate analysis.

Conclusion  The histopathologist should be aware of the possibility of MPC. Three‐year survival is worse than in patients with conventional colonic carcinomas in Stage III.
A comparison of approaches for association studies of polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk
Authors: Ramsey S. D. , Holmes R. S. , McDermott C. L. , Blough D. K. , Petrin K. L. , Poole E. M. , Ulrich C. M.
Published: March 2012

Aim  Meta‐analyses have been used to evaluate associations between polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk, but the quality of individual studies used to inform them may vary substantially. Our aim was to apply well‐established quality‐control criteria to individual association studies and then compare the results of meta‐analyses that included or excluded studies that did not meet these criteria.

Method  We used meta‐analyses of studies reporting a relationship between polymorphisms and colorectal cancer published between 1996 and 2008. Polymorphism–cancer associations were derived in separate meta‐analyses including only those meeting the quality‐control criteria.

Results  Relative ORs varied substantially between the open and restricted group meta‐analyses for all variants except MTHFR 677 CT. However, the associations were modest and the direction of relative risk did not change after applying criteria. Publication bias was detected for all associations, except the restricted set of studies for GSTP1 GG.

Conclusion  We observed variation in calculated relative risk and changes in tests for publication bias that were dependent on the inclusion criteria used for association studies of polymorphisms and colorectal cancer. Standardizing study inclusion criteria may reduce the variation in findings for meta‐analyses of gene‐association studies of common diseases such as colorectal cancer.
Impact of age on clinicopathological outcomes and recurrence‐free survival after the surgical management of nonseminomatous germ cell tumour
Authors: Masterson Timothy A. , Carver Brett S. , Abel E. Jason , Pettus Joseph A. , Bosl George J. , Sheinfeld Joel
Published: March 2012

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

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

The effect of advancing age on the clinicopathological outcomes of men with germ cell testicular cancers remains uncertain.

Through the review and comparison of the present large cohort of men with testis cancer, we report on our experience in men aged ≥50 years. Our results showed similar clinical and pathological characteristics, and survival outcomes that compare favourably with those of men aged <50 years.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of age on clinicopathological findings and disease recurrence in men with nonseminomatous germ cell tumour (NSGCT) undergoing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We identified 1246 patients with NSGCT who underwent either primary or post‐chemotherapy‐RPLND (PC‐RPLND) between 1989 and 2006 from our prospective testis cancer database.

Perioperative characteristics were compared among men aged < or ≥50 years.

Multivariable models were used to evaluate the association of age with disease‐free survival, controlling for established clinical and pathological features.

RESULTS

Of 514 men undergoing primary and 732 men undergoing PC‐RPLND, 12 (2.3%) and 23 (3.1%) were aged ≥50 years, respectively.

There were no significant differences between men aged < or ≥50 years for perioperative clinicopathological characteristics, with the exception of pre‐RPLND CT nodal size.

The pathological distributions at primary RPLND were similar in men aged < or ≥50 years. After PC‐RPLND, there were no differences in RPLND histology, number of lymph nodes resected, estimated blood loss, hospital stay, or perioperative complication rate.

Age at surgery was not a significant predictor of disease recurrence when subjected to a multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggests that age at RPLND does not predict for disease recurrence and men aged ≥50 years had similar pre‐ and postoperative characteristics to those aged <50 years.

We conclude that RPLND can be safely performed in men aged ≥50 years and these patients should be offered optimal treatment regimens for NSGCT as directed according to established guidelines.
Carbohydrate restriction and lactate transporter inhibition in a mouse xenograft model of human prostate cancer
Authors: Kim Howard S. , Masko Elizabeth M. , Poulton Susan L. , Kennedy Kelly M. , Pizzo Salvatore V. , Dewhirst Mark W. , Freedland Stephen J.
Published: March 2012

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

It is known that both lactate inhibition and carbohydrate restriction inhibit tumour growth. What is unknown is whether the two work synergistically together.

This study adds that though the combination of lactate inhibition and carbohydrate restriction did not synergistically slow tumour growth in our model, we confirmed that carbohydrate restriction started after tumour inoculation slowed tumour growth. Moreover, lactate inhibition resulted in changes in the tumour microenvironment that may have implications for future metabolic targeting of prostate cancer growth.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if a no‐carbohydrate ketogenic diet (NCKD) and lactate transporter inhibition can exert a synergistic effect on delaying prostate tumour growth in a xenograft mouse model of human prostate cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

120 nude athymic male mice (aged 6–8 weeks) were injected s.c. in the flank with 1.0 × 105 LAPC‐4 prostate cancer cells.

Mice were randomized to one of four treatment groups: Western diet (WD, 35% fat, 16% protein, 49% carbohydrate) and vehicle (Veh) treatment; WD and mono‐carboxylate transporter‐1 (MCT1) inhibition via α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamate (CHC) delivered through a mini osmotic pump; NCKD (84% fat, 16% protein, 0% carbohydrate) plus Veh; or NCKD and MCT1 inhibition.

Mice were fed and weighed three times per week and feed was adjusted to maintain similar body weights.

Tumour size was measured twice weekly and the combined effect of treatment was tested via Kruskal–Wallis analysis of all four groups. Independent effects of treatment (NCKD vs WD and CHC vs Veh) on tumour volume were tested using linear regression analysis.

All mice were killed on Day 53 (conclusion of pump ejection), and serum and tumour sections were analysed for various markers. Again, combined and independent effects of treatment were tested using Kruskal–Wallis and linear regression analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in tumour volumes among the four groups (P= 0.09).

When testing the independent effects of treatment, NCKD was significantly associated with lower tumour volumes at the end of the experiment (P= 0.026), while CHC administration was not (P= 0.981). However, CHC was associated with increased necrotic fraction (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in tumour volumes were observed only in comparisons between mice fed a NCKD and mice fed a WD.

MCT1 inhibition did not have a significant effect on tumour volume, although it was associated with increased necrotic fraction.
SPORT: THE PERFORMANCE BUSINESS: SPECIAL REPORT
Authors: Crainer Stuart
Published: March 2012

Sport is universal. From Australian rules football in Tromsø, Norway, to golf at the Scott Base Country Club just 13 degrees above the South Pole, sport fascinates, thrills and exhilarates. It is also now a huge global business. At its heart is the art and science of performance.
WIN WIN
Authors: Peters Georgina
Published: March 2012

The worlds of business and sport are more closely related than ever before. Georgina Peters explores the mutual attractions.
A GOOD YARN
Authors: Crainer Stuart
Published: March 2012

How Desso transformed itself thanks to Cradle to Cradle thinking. Stuart Crainer recounts a good yarn.
GROUP THINKING
Authors: Peterson Randall
Published: March 2012

Conflicts and decision making in groups has long been a subject of fascination for Randall Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School. He talks to Business Strategy Review about what ignited his interest and his latest research and thinking.
ECLECTIC READING
Authors: Tavassoli Nader
Published: March 2012

If ever a field of study was both science and art, marketing seems to fit the bill. Which may be why Nader Tavassoli has a keen interest in diverse subjects: branding, consumer cognition, communication effectiveness, consumer behaviour across cultures and several others. What keeps his mind open to a constant flow of new possibilities? As you'll see by his suggested top ten list of books to read, Tavassoli believes strongly in delving into the arts and sciences.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: HOW SMART FIRMS CREATE PRODUCTIVE TIES
Authors: Hallen Benjamin L , Eisenhardt Kathleen M
Published: March 2012

Benjamin L Hallen and Kathleen M Eisenhardt, ‘Catalyzing strategies and efficient tie formation: How entrepreneurial firms obtain investment ties’, Academy of Management Journal, May 3, 2011.
VOICES: EVOLUTION MEETS THE OLYMPICS
Authors: Nicholson Nigel
Published: March 2012

Faster, higher, stronger. The Olympics celebrate the best of mankind. Or do they?Nigel Nicholson has evolved a different perspective.
WHAT A DAY LOOKS LIKE: DAN JONES
Authors: Crainer Stuart
Published: March 2012

Manchester‐based Dan Jones is the lead partner of the Sports Business Group at Deloitte. His clients include Everton Football Club, the International Rugby Board and the ATP Men's Tennis Tour. He is the co‐editor of the Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance and the Deloitte Football Money League. What does his day look like?
Dynamic Multi‐Activity Contests*
Authors: Arbatskaya Maria , Mialon Hugo M.
Published: March 2012

We develop a model of dynamic multi‐activity contests. Players simultaneously choose efforts in long‐run activities, observe each other's efforts in these activities, and then simultaneously choose efforts in short‐run activities. A player's long‐run and short‐run efforts complement each other in determining the player's probability of winning. We compare the outcomes of this two‐stage model to those of the corresponding model in which players choose efforts in all activities simultaneously. Interestingly, effort expenditures are always lower in the sequential multi‐activity contest than in the simultaneous multi‐activity contest. The implications of this result for the organization of military, litigation, innovation, academic, and sporting contests are highlighted.
Fiscal Policy in Real Time*
Authors: Cimadomo Jacopo
Published: March 2012

In this paper, I estimate the ex ante or intentional cyclical stance of fiscal policy in OECD countries. I use the fiscal plans reported at the time of budgeting, together with other information available to fiscal policy‐makers in real time. Indeed, fiscal plans might be significantly different from ex post outcomes because governments do not have complete control over their implementation, which is influenced by several exogenous factors. When fiscal‐policy rules are estimated using real‐time data, I show in this paper that OECD countries have often planned a counter‐cyclical fiscal stance, especially during economic expansions. This contrasts with conventional findings based on actual data, which tend to point towards a‐cyclicality or pro‐cyclicality. Forecast errors for the government structural balance and the output gap play a central role in explaining the differences between estimates based on ex ante and ex post data.
Riding High: Success in Sports and the Rise of Doping Cultures
Authors: Strulik Holger
Published: March 2012

In this paper, I develop a socioeconomic model that can be used to investigate the decisions made by professional athletes concerning doping. In their evaluation of whether to use performance‐enhancing drugs, athletes consider not only costs and benefits (through rank improvement) but also the approval from fellow athletes toward pro‐doping decisions. Peer‐group approval is modeled as a lagged endogenous variable, depending on the share of doping athletes in the history of a sport. As such, the model can explain an equilibrium of high incidence of doping as a “doping culture”. In addition to presenting comparative statics of the equilibrium (i.e., in order to answer the question of how a doping culture can be eliminated), I also investigate how doping decisions are affected by the standards set by the leader in a sport (e.g., Olympic qualification marks), and by the disproportionate public veneration of winners.
Teaching introductory statistics to blind students
Authors: Marson Stephen M. , Harrington Charles F. , Walls Adam
Published: March 2012

The challenges of learning statistics, particularly distributions and their characteristics, can be potentially monumental for vision impaired and blind students. The authors provide some practical advice for teaching these students.
GOODWIN'S LOTKA–VOLTERRA MODEL IN DISAGGREGATIVE FORM: A CORRECTION NOTE
Authors: Rodousakis Nikolaos
Published: March 2012

This paper investigates Goodwin's Lotka–Volterra model in disaggregative form. Contrary to the known literature, it is found that both the economic significance and the dynamic behaviour of the model depend on the eigenvalues of the material input coefficients matrix.
Applications to Come off the UK Sex Offender Register: the Position After F and Thompsonv. Home Office 2010
Authors: Thomas Terry , Thompson David
Published: March 2012

The sex offender register for purposes of monitoring and supervising those living in the community who have been convicted of sexual offences is a policy developed in the USA and followed by only a few European countries – the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Jersey and France; Australia, Canada and a few other countries have adopted registers. The UK register started in 1997 and has recently been the subject of legal challenge concerning its ‘lifetime’ registration provisions. The UK Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that the current law is not compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights because it has no right of appeal against registration for those who are assessed as no longer at risk of reoffending. This article considers the mechanisms for deregistering sex offenders that have now been proposed.
A minimal algorithm for computing the likelihood of binocular correspondence1
Authors: MITSUDO HIROYUKI
Published: March 2012

I present an algorithm for calculating the likelihood of obtaining stereo images under the assumption that both eyes view the same scene, and test this algorithm using numerical simulations. Each stereo pair analyzed was based on two slightly different views of the same three‐dimensional (3‐D) scene (binocularly correlated) or two entirely different views of unrelated scenes (binocularly uncorrelated). The correlated stereo pair contained local binocular disparities that defined a consistent 3‐D structure. A likelihood ratio was computed for each stereo pair, by assuming the increase of the local cross‐correlation due to the epipolar constraint for binocular correspondence. For complex, random‐dot and natural stereo images, the likelihood ratio correctly predicted whether the two eyes viewed the same 3‐D scene. The results indicate that the algorithm proposed here is useful in modeling human stereopsis.
Early studies of binocular and stereoscopic vision1
Authors: WADE NICHOLAS J. , ONO HIROSHI
Published: March 2012

The revolution in binocular vision (in the 1830s) was occasioned by Wheatstone's invention and application of the stereoscope to demonstrate depth from retinal disparity. The stereoscope, perhaps more than any other instrument, ushered in the era of experimentation to vision. It fulfilled the scientific desire to examine binocular vision by observation and experiment. The stereoscope is a simple optical device that presents slightly different figures to each eye. If these figures have appropriate horizontal displacements or disparities then depth is seen. Wheatstone achieved for space perception what Newton had for color vision: the phenomena could be removed from their object base. Newton's decomposition of white light into its spectral components removed the perception of color from the colored objects that naturally conveyed it. Wheatstone's decomposition of stereoscopic depth into its disparate projections to each eye removed the perception of depth from the solid objects that naturally conveyed it. Color and depth could be examined in the laboratory, and the methods of the natural sciences could be applied to their investigation.
Effects of the amount of monocular shape information on stereo scaling problem
Authors: SHIGEMASU HIROAKI , SATO TAKAO
Published: March 2012

The perception of a three‐dimensional shape from binocular disparity depends on the estimation of viewing distance. Therefore, in the absence of good distance information, an observer misestimates the viewing distance and perceives a wrong depth for an object. While motion depth cues can theoretically overcome this problem, past studies have reported inconsistent results. We examined whether differences in the amount of monocular shape information between the stimuli used in these past studies can resolve the discrepancy. The amount of information was manipulated by changing the presence of object boundaries, dot density, and rotation angles. The results indicate the effect of the amount of monocular shape information and thus suggest its significance in accounting for the discrepancies among past studies. It should also be noted that shape factors interact with viewing distance. Motion cues cannot correct distortion at near viewing distance. This suggests that the cue that gives the larger depth dominates in determining perceived shape.
“God Must Have Been Sleeping”: Faith as an Obstacle and a Resource for Rwandan Genocide Survivors in the United States
Authors: Fox Nicole
Published: March 2012

In 1994, 1 million Rwandans were violently killed in only 100 days. Devastating for some Rwandan survivors was the significant role that some Catholic parishes and leaders took in ignoring, facilitating, and even perpetuating the genocide. This article seeks to understand how Rwandan genocide survivors draw on religion as they negotiate their postgenocide identities in the United States and comprehend their current faiths, beliefs, and practices. Based on qualitative interviews with Rwandan survivors now located within the United States, I argue that the experiences of religiosity postgenocide serve as both an obstacle and a resource in postgenocide life, creating significant individual and local ramifications for community engagement, reconciliation, and trauma recovery.
Pornography, Religion, and the Happiness Gap: Does Pornography Impact the Actively Religious Differently?
Authors: Patterson Richard , Price Joseph
Published: March 2012

Club good models developed by economists suggest that the club provides a benefit to members by fostering the provision of semi‐public goods. In the case of religion, churches create enforcement mechanisms to reduce free riding. Consequently, the psychic costs of deviant activity should be higher for individuals who belong to religious groups with strong social norms. Data from the General Social Survey are used to examine whether the cost of using pornography is greater for the more religiously involved. We measure the cost of using pornography as the happiness gap or the gap between the average happiness reported by individuals who do and individuals who do not report using pornography. The happiness gap is larger for individuals who regularly attend church and who belong to religious groups with strong attitudes against pornography.
A Research Note on English‐Speaking Buddhists in the United States
Authors: Leamaster Reid J.
Published: March 2012

Using data from the 2007 Pew Religious Landscape survey (PRLS), which includes over 650 Buddhist respondents (after weighting), this research note examines the usefulness of previously devised typologies for describing the religious and social characteristics of Buddhists in the United States. Existing “two Buddhisms” typologies capture the category breaks of the U.S. Buddhist landscape, with a couple of exceptions: convert Buddhists report higher rates of belief and higher rates of social activity than do those born into the religion. Analysis also shows that three‐group typologics capture additional complexity within the U.S. Buddhist landscape. Examination of the social characteristics of Buddhists in the United States mostly corroborates previous assumptions with one exception, women do not outnumber men.
Charisma, Status, and Gender in Groups With and Without Gurus
Authors: Levi Martin John , Van Gunten Tod , Zablocki Benjamin D.
Published: March 2012

A number of studies have noted that small religious groups with charismatic leaders seem to have different gender dynamics than do groups without. We argue that the presence of such a leader changes what charisma “means” in such a group. Without such a leader, strong personalities may appear charismatic and lead to positions of high status—and such dynamics historically have tended to be associated with a positional advantage to males. With such a leader, however, charisma is more likely to be compatible with receptivity and decoupled from gender characteristics that tend to disadvantage women, leading charismatic women to have greater status than they would otherwise have.
Storytelling in Liberal Religious Advocacy
Authors: Braunstein Ruth
Published: March 2012

Previous research suggests liberal religious advocates often find it necessary to use broadly accessible technical or moral language to communicate with policymakers and public audiences, yet this conformity to secular speech norms diminishes the distinctiveness of their religious voices. Communicating through storytelling offers them one way of overcoming this dilemma. This is demonstrated by examining liberal religious advocacy during recent healthcare reform debates in the United States, using data from interviews and public communications by advocates. By embedding stories within religiopolitical performances that highlight their religious identities, advocates convey policy‐relevant information without relying on explicitly religious language that may be inaccessible or unpersuasive to diverse audiences. They also deploy storytelling strategically, bearing witness to injustices experienced firsthand, secondhand, from the pews, and from the past, depending on the context. These findings have implications for ongoing debates about religious citizens’ capacity to communicate across lines of difference in the public sphere.
The importance of individuals: intraspecific diversity of mycorrhizal plants and fungi in ecosystems
Authors: Johnson David , Martin Francis , Cairney John W. G. , Anderson Ian C.
Published: March 2012

A key component of biodiversity is the number and abundance of individuals (i.e. genotypes), and yet such intraspecific diversity is rarely considered when investigating the effects of biodiversity of mycorrhizal plants and fungi on ecosystem processes. Within a species, individuals vary considerably in important reproductive and functional attributes, including carbon fixation, mycelial growth and nutrient utilization, but this is driven by both genetic and environmental (including climatic) factors. The interactions between individual plants and mycorrhizal fungi can have important consequences for the maintenance of biodiversity and regulation of resource transfers in ecosystems. There is also emerging evidence that assemblages of genotypes may affect ecosystem processes to a similar extent as assemblages of species. The application of whole‐genome sequencing and population genomics to mycorrhizal plants and fungi will be crucial to determine the extent to which individual variation in key functional attributes is genetically based. We argue the need to unravel the importance of the diversity (especially assemblages of different evenness and richness) of individuals of both mycorrhizal plants and fungi, and the need to take a ‘community genetics’ approach to better understand the functional significance of the biodiversity of mycorrhizal symbioses.

Contents

Summary
614

I.
Introduction
615

II.
The potential importance of intraspecific diversity in ecosystems
615

III.
How diverse are mycorrhizal plant and fungal populations in ecosystems?
615

IV.
What is the magnitude of physiological variation within species?
617

V.
The need to understand links between mycorrhizal plant and fungal traits
618

VI.
How do assemblages of individuals affect ecosystems?
619

VII.
How do interactions between mycorrhizal plants and fungi affect intraspecific diversity?
620

VIII.
Can we predict the conditions when intraspecific diversity matters most for regulating ecosystem processes?
621

IX.
Population genomics: the future to understanding the importance of fungal intraspecific diversity?
621

X.
Conclusion: the need for a ‘community genetics’ approach in future mycorrhizal symbiosis research
624

Acknowledgements
625

References
625
Applications of Monoclonal Antibodies to Human Follicle‐Stimulating Hormone in Enzyme Immunoassays
Authors: Chen KW , Chow SN , Lee CY
Published: March 2012

Monoclonal antibodies against human follicle‐stimulating hormone (hFSH) were generated by using an improved hybridoma technique with a semisolid medium in methylcellulose for initial cloning. The generated monoclonal antibodies were characterized with respect to their subunit and epitope specificity as well as cross‐reactivity to other glycoprotein hormones. Monoclonal antibodies of high affinity and high specificity to hFSH were finally selected for applications in sandwich enzyme immunoassay. The monoclonal antibody specific to the alpha‐subunit of FSH was coated on microtiter wells and served as the first antibody. The other high‐affinity monoclonal antibody specific to beta‐subunit of FSH was labeled with horseradish peroxidase and served as the second antibody. This immunoassay can be performed within 70 min at room temperature and has a minimum sensitivity of 2 mIU/ml for serum sample.
Generation of Monoclonal Antibodies to Alpha‐Fetoprotein and Application in Solid‐Phase Enzyme Immunoassay
Authors: Kuo CY , Fu J. , Yeh MY , Su SL , Lee CY
Published: March 2012

By using an improved hybridoma technique, monoclonal antibodies specific to alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) were generated. After three subcutaneous immunizations and three intravenous boosters, cell fusion experiments were performed. The hybrid cells were initially cultured in a semisolid medium containing methylcellulose and later transferred to a liquid medium for subculture. Out of 800 colonies recovered after two cell fusion experiments, 16 were shown to exhibit affinity to AFP by radioimmunoassay. Six hybrid cell lines which showed high affinity and specificity were selected for further evaluation. From the results of a cross‐matching procedure, two pairs of antibodies (AFP 3 and AFP 05; AFP 3 and AFP 013) reacting with discrete antigenic determinants were identified for preparing solid‐phase sandwich enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits. The association constants between AFP and these three antibodies (AFP 3, AFP 05, and AFP 013) were 2.0, 3.7, and 3.8 × 10(9) M‐1, respectively. The immunoglobulin subclass of them was determined to be IgG1. The EIA procedure designed could be performed within 40 min in a one‐stage incubation and 70 min in a two‐stage incubation. The incubation time was shown to be equal to or shorter than that of any other known commercial kits and the sensitivity was less than 1 IU/ml. In order to avoid the high‐dose hook effect which occurred in the one‐stage incubation procedure, a two‐stage incubation protocol was advised.
Cotransfection of Nucleic Acid Segments by Sendai Virus Envelopes
Authors: Bartzatt R.
Published: March 2012

It is reported here that Sendai virus envelopes (SVE) can be used to transfect multiple copies of DNA segments of different varieties and size. This capability further increases the usefulness of SVE. In addition, the ability to simultaneously transfect multiple copies of different genome segments promises to be a powerful tool in the field of molecular biology. The simultaneous transfection of NEO gene and cytomegalovirus immediate early antigen gene was successfully done. Sendai virus envelopes (SVE)1 have been used successfully to study carcinogenesis of Epstein‐Barr virus (1, 2). SVE have been shown to have a large carrying capacity (3) for the microinjection of macromolecules into target cells. SVE are hollow vesicles constructed from the viral proteins hemagglutinin HN and fusion factor F.
Total Fatty Acids of Hair Lipids in Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Gershbein LL , Lloyd‐Still JD , Rimkus WV
Published: March 2012

In a preliminary study, total fatty acids of lipids removed from hair of subjects of either sex with cystic fibrosis (n = 17; average age 8.3 years) and controls (n = 24; average age 9.1 years) were analyzed by gas chromatography. In contrast to the blood lipids in cystic fibrosis which display various fatty acid changes as a depression in 18:2 and increases in 16:0, 16:1, and 18:1, such profiles did not occur with the hair lipids. With the latter, total fatty acids in cystic fibrosis showed decrements in 18:1 and in the lesser concentrations of 20:1 and members below C14 as compared to the respective control series.
Purification and Characterization of endo‐ and exo‐lnulinase1
Authors: Azhari Rosa , Szlak Alda M. , Ilan Ehud , Sideman Samuel , Lotan Noah
Published: March 2012

A crude inulinase preparation, from Aspergillus, was fractioned in a sequence of operations, including ion exchange chromatography on CM‐Sepharose and high‐performance gel permeation chromatography. Two highly purified inulin‐degrading enzymes were thus obtained and some of their characteristics were established. The first enzyme had an endo‐type activity, a Mr of 53,000, and Km = 570 mm (in terms of glycosidic bonds). The second was of the exo‐type, and has a Mr of 81,000 and Km = 60 mm (in terms of inulin chains). The two enzymes are highly activated (up to 20‐fold) by Fe3+ and partially inhibited by Mn2+ and Mg2+. Both enzymes also exhibit invertase activity.
Role of β‐Xylosidase in Hemicellulose Hydrolysis by Xylanase from Penicillium funiculosum1
Authors: Seeta R. , Deshpande Vasanti , Rao Mala
Published: March 2012

Penicillium funiculosum produces 16.7 and 0.2 Uml−1 of xylanase and xylosidase with traces of endoglucanase and filter paper activity when grown on a medium containing xylan. The rate of hydrolysis of xylan increased with the increasing levels of xylanase but was not strictly proportional to enzyme concentration. Fractions enriched in xylanase and xylosidase activity were obtained by fractional precipitation of culture broth with ammonium sulfate. Hydrolysis of xylan using varying amounts of xylosidase showed that the optimum ratio of xylanase to xylosidase for maximum hydrolysis is 7.14. The results on the decreased rate of hydrolysis, due to a further increase in xylosidase, are discussed.
The Political Economy of Marine Stewardship Council Certification: Processors and Access in Newfoundland and Labrador's Inshore Shrimp Industry
Authors: FOLEY PAUL
Published: March 2012

In August 2008, the Northern shrimp, a prey of the iconic cod, became the first species managed by the Canadian government to meet the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) standard for ‘sustainable and well‐managed’ fisheries. Using the Northern shrimp fishery as a case study, this paper argues that rather than being simply a tool for sustainability or even earning market access, MSC certification allows fishery ‘clients’– those organizations that ultimately hold the MSC certificate – to control resource access and production relations. The processing association that acted as the initial client in this fishery gained new members by sharing access to certification in 2009 and expelled a community‐based fishing co‐operative from the client group in 2010. Certification dynamics in this case reflected, and were used to reinforce, a highly competitive political economy of production. These dynamics may have implications for future resource access, since shrimp stocks appear to be declining in key areas after three decades of growth.
The Political Economy of Fishing Rights and Claims: The Maori Experience in New Zealand
Authors: DE ALESSI MICHAEL
Published: March 2012

The capitalist penetration of fisheries in New Zealand began in the nineteenth century and has carried on into the twenty‐first. Early on, Maori were denied access to fisheries by a lack of access to capital; a de facto restriction that became a de jure restriction with the creation of fishing quotas in the 1990s. This legal change allowed Maori to use their historic treaty claims to articulate with the discourse of property rights and gain legal access to fish. In return, this engagement facilitated the penetration of capitalism into Maori fishing practices. Two Maori‐controlled fishing companies, Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd (AFL) and Moana Pacific Fisheries Ltd (Moana Pacific), demonstrate how Maori ownership of fishing quotas irrevocably changed historical modes of access and relationships to capital.
Transnationality and the Indian Fishworkers' Movement, 1960s–2000
Authors: SINHA SUBIR
Published: March 2012

This paper contributes to the literature on ‘transnational agrarian movements’ by drawing upon the ‘fishworkers' movement’ in the 1960s in India's Kerala state, and the subsequent role it played in the formation of national and transnational networks. Against the prevailing teleology of movement network organization from local to national to transnational, I suggest that transnational and transregional flows produce the local and national as spaces of action. Instead of an unproblematic inclusion of fishers' movements into the general rubric of ‘transnational agrarian movements’, I argue that considering differences between agriculture and fishing, and within fishing, allows a better explanation of the potential and limits of solidarity within the transnational network of fishers’ movements. I show that transnationality is not only about solidarity between movements but also about engaging with ‘transnational regimes', which provide resources for network formation as well as produce stresses within networks.
Inland Capture Fisheries and Large River Systems: A Political Economy of Mekong Fisheries
Authors: SNEDDON CHRISTOPHER , FOX COLEEN
Published: March 2012

This paper examines the political economy of the freshwater, inland fisheries in the Mekong River basin, which are among the most productive and diverse in the world. Yet the remarkably productive fisheries of the basin, and the livelihoods of rural people this production supports, are increasingly confronting a series of threats related to hydropower development and other socio‐ecological processes. These threats are in turn driven by long‐standing efforts to transform the Mekong basin – shared by China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam – through water resource development into a more vigorous source of regional economic development through appropriation of the basin's biophysical processes. Building on recent work on Mekong development, we highlight the biophysical and political–economic conflicts – and subsequent marginalization and devaluation of fisheries‐based livelihoods – that emerge from long‐held proposals to transform the basin into an engine of development.
Fishing for Development? Tuna Resource Access and Industrial Change in Papua New Guinea
Authors: HAVICE ELIZABETH , REED KRISTIN
Published: March 2012

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an island state with sovereign rights over valuable tuna resources. Historically, PNG captured value from tuna only by charging licensing fees to foreign fishing fleets, which relegated PNG as a source of raw material for the global tuna industry. To capture more value from tuna – including much‐needed jobs and infrastructure – the PNG government now offers firms that invest in domestic tuna processing plants strategic, long‐term fishing licences. This strategy of ‘obligating embeddedness’ enables PNG to reorder the international division of labour in the canned tuna sector, but socio‐economic outcomes are shaped by competition within the global tuna industry, the core business strategies of foreign firms and domestic conditions in PNG. Ultimately, a state's right to control the terms of access to tuna is not synonymous with its ability to shape the local‐level consequences that emerge as firms comply. These findings reveal the peculiar nature of state sovereignty over pelagic marine resources and the complications of exploiting them to achieve domestic economic and social objectives.