bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
History matters: village distances, grazing and grassland species diversity
Authors: Reitalu Triin , Johansson Lotten J. , Sykes Martin T. , Hall Karin , Prentice Honor C.
Published: October 2010

1. Temperate semi‐natural grasslands are characterized by high levels of species diversity and have a high conservation value. Plant species diversity in grazed semi‐natural grasslands is known to be influenced by management intensity and habitat connectivity. Both grazing pressure and between‐patch connectivity are expected to depend on the movement patterns of livestock in the landscape.

2. The present study examines associations between fine‐scale (within 0·25 m2 plots) plant species diversity in semi‐natural grasslands and present grazing intensity, present and historical habitat connectivity, and the (present and historical) distance from the nearest village. The study area was a local (4·5 × 4·5 km) agricultural landscape on the island of Öland, Sweden.

3. Fine‐scale (Shannon) diversity and species richness were unimodally associated with the distance from the nearest historical (ad 1800) village, with maximum values c. 1–1·5 km from villages. These associations suggest that the distance from historical villages behaves as an integrated descriptor of variation in long‐term management intensity (livestock movements) and reflects aspects of the functional connectivity between plant communities in semi‐natural grasslands.

4. Groups of variables characterizing village distances, grazing pressure and habitat connectivity had overlapping effects on species diversity. Grazing intensity had the largest individual impact on diversity, followed by the distance from the nearest historical village and present‐day habitat connectivity.

5. Synthesis and applications. The study indicates the importance of viewing grassland diversity in the context of local landscape history. Unimodal associations between fine‐scale plant species diversity and the distance from the nearest village in ad 1800 suggest that information on the proximity to villages in the historical landscape has a potential use in conservation planning – as an indicator of variation in long‐term grassland management intensity. Conservation programmes for grazed temperate grasslands should (1) give priority to old grasslands with an uninterrupted history of grazing management, (2) ensure a moderate grazing intensity, (3) avoid overgrazing and/or long breaks in the continuity of grazing management.
Patterns and mechanisms of conspecific and heterospecific interactions in a dry perennial grassland
Authors: Farrer Emily C. , Goldberg Deborah E.
Published: October 2010

1. Models of local stable coexistence require negative feedbacks, i.e. intraspecific interactions must be more negative than interspecific interactions. However, most competition experiments, often done in the glasshouse, have found evidence for competitive hierarchies. Measurement of interactions under realistic field conditions is necessary to assess their contribution to community dynamics, and explicit measurement of intermediaries thought to be important in interactions may allow studies to account for any variation in experimental results.

2. In this study, we compare conspecific and heterospecific interactions in a field experiment in a dry sand prairie in Michigan. We study the four dominant species at two different stages, germination and adult growth. Using seed addition and adult transplant experiments, we ask whether plants perform best in natural field monocultures of conspecifics, heterospecifics or no neighbour plots. We also measure abiotic environmental characteristics associated with each neighbourhood type and test whether performance can be explained by environmental effects. We hypothesize that plants will create competitive hierarchies because our experimental design is similar to classic competition experiments.

3. Neighbour species created consistent hierarchies in their effects on germination of all four target species, which is likely due to light limitation. However, interestingly, adult plant biomass for two of the three species (one species did not survive) was lower in conspecific monocultures compared to heterospecific or no neighbour plots, thus producing negative feedbacks. For two species, the effects of neighbours on adult growth are likely due to reduction of light and soil nitrate; for the third, however, resources could not explain the pattern that conspecific interactions were more negative than heterospecific.

4.
Synthesis. These results suggest that patterns in the relative strength of conspecific and heterospecific competition depend on life‐history stage. Moreover, resource uptake could explain some, but not all, of the interactions among species, suggesting that other factors such as microbial communities or other forms of niche partitioning may play a role and that field experiments are necessary to gauge their relative importance.
Spatial variation in disease resistance: from molecules to metapopulations
Authors: Laine Anna‐Liisa , Burdon Jeremy J. , Dodds Peter N. , Thrall Peter H.
Published: October 2010

1. Variation in disease resistance is a widespread phenomenon in wild plant–pathogen associations. Here, we review current literature on natural plant–pathogen associations to determine how diversity in disease resistance is distributed at different hierarchical levels – within host individuals, within host populations, amongst host populations at the metapopulation scale and at larger regional scales.

2. We find diversity in resistance across all spatial scales examined. Furthermore, variability seems to be the best counter‐defence of plants against their rapidly evolving pathogens. We find that higher diversity of resistance phenotypes also results in higher levels of resistance at the population level.

3. Overall, we find that wild plant populations are more likely to be susceptible than resistant to their pathogens. However, the degree of resistance differs strikingly depending on the origin of the pathogen strains used in experimental inoculation studies. Plant populations are on average 16% more resistant to allopatric pathogen strains than they are to strains that occur within the same population (48% vs. 32% respectively).

4. Pathogen dispersal mode affects levels of resistance in natural plant populations with lowest levels detected for hosts of airborne pathogens and highest for waterborne pathogens.

5. Detailed analysis of two model systems, Linum marginale infected by Melampsora lini, and Plantago lanceolata infected by Podosphaera plantaginis, show that the amount of variation in disease resistance declines towards higher spatial scales as we move from individual hosts to metapopulations, but evaluation of multiple spatial scales is needed to fully capture the structure of disease resistance.

6.
Synthesis. Variation in disease resistance is ubiquitous in wild plant–pathogen associations. Whilst the debate over whether the resistance structure of plant populations is determined by pathogen‐imposed selection versus non‐adaptive processes remains unresolved, we do report examples of pathogen‐imposed selection on host resistance. Here we highlight the importance of measuring resistance across multiple spatial scales, and of using sympatric strains when looking for signs of coevolution in wild plant–pathogen interactions.
Seed survival in soil: interacting effects of predation, dormancy and the soil microbial community
Authors: Dalling James W. , Davis Adam S. , Schutte Brian J. , Elizabeth Arnold A.
Published: October 2010

1.
Plant defence theory provides a robust framework for understanding interactions between plants and antagonists, and for interpreting broad patterns in the functional‐trait composition of plant communities. However, this framework has been built almost entirely on traits expressed by seedlings and mature plants.

2. No equivalent seed defence theory exists that recognizes the distinct suite of natural enemies that seeds encounter, and the unique constraints to their response. Furthermore, most attention has been paid to insect and vertebrate seed predators active above ground, whereas microbes in soil also have large effects on seed survival, particularly for plants that recruit from soil seed banks.

3. We suggest that concurrent selection on seed dormancy and resistance to microbial antagonists should result in distinct seed defence syndromes. We predict that species with physical seed dormancy will rely on physical defences to exclude predators and pathogens, and rapid seed germination to escape pathogens at the emergence stage. In contrast, species with physiological seed dormancy will deploy a continuum of physical and chemical defences, depending on soil pathogen pressure and duration of seed persistence. Finally, seeds of some species persist in the soil in a non‐dormant, imbibed state, and lack obvious chemical and physical defences. These seeds may be especially dependent upon protection from beneficial seed‐inhabiting microbes.

4. Framing a general ‘seed defence theory’ may help to account for the distribution of seed dormancy types across ecosystems. We predict that physiological dormancy will be favoured in dry or well‐drained environments where pathogen pressure is relatively low, germination cues are most unpredictable, and seedling recruitment success is most variable. In contrast, physical dormancy should be favoured in warm and moist environments where pathogen pressure is high, and where germination cues are a stronger predictor of recruitment success. Persistent, non‐dormant seeds are restricted to relatively aseasonal environments where favourable conditions for recruitment can occur over most of the year.

5.
Synthesis. Integrating seed defence and dormancy traits can provide new insights into selection on dormancy types, and will help elucidate major trends in seed ecology and evolution. Understanding how seeds are defended also may improve our ability to predict plant regeneration and help develop innovative management strategies for weedy and invasive species.
Development and evaluation of a checklist assessing communication skills of oncologists: the COM‐ON‐Checklist
Authors: Stubenrauch Sara , Schneid Eva‐Maria , Wünsch Alexander , Helmes Almut , Bertz Hartmut , Fritzsche Kurt , Wirsching Michael , Gölz Tanja
Published: October 2010

Objectives  Communication skills training (CST) has to be proven effective, and therefore reliable instruments to evaluate CST are required. Most instruments assessing medical consultations do not take individual aspects of CST into consideration. Such assessment tools should naturally also be closely associated with the communication skills taught to the participants. Thus, we developed a new instrument which evaluates the effects of specific CST.

Methods  Development: Based on a literature review, we developed a checklist with questions (‘items’) which assess the behaviour of a doctor in a special doctor–patient consultation (The COM‐ON‐Checklist, COM‐ON = communication in oncology). First, we developed items for general communication skills that are a requirement of every doctor–patient consultation, and in addition to this, we developed items for specific situations which present a particular challenge for doctors in terms of communication skills, namely: the situation in which the doctor is required to discuss the shift from curative to palliative care, and the disclosure of information about clinical trials. For assessment, a 5‐point rating scale with anchor points was used. Evaluation: Blinded raters were trained to use the COM‐ON‐Checklist. The intra‐class correlation (ICC) was used to calculate the agreement between raters.

Results  The COM‐ON‐Checklist consists of two parts: the first part evaluates general communication skills; the second part evaluates content‐specific aspects of the consultation. The ICC ranged from 0.5 to 0.8, which demonstrates moderate to very good results of inter‐rater reliability.

Discussion  The COM‐ON‐Checklist can be used to evaluate specific CST. It is also a feedback source for clinicians because it assesses their personal communication skills in different settings. In conclusion, the COM‐ON‐Checklist provides a reliable, structured method for assessing communication skills in oncological settings.
Photoprotection of reaction centers: thermal dissipation of absorbed light energy vs charge separation in lichens‡
Authors: Heber Ulrich , Soni Vineet , Strasser Reto J.
Published: October 2010

During desiccation, fluorescence emission and stable light‐dependent charge separation in the reaction centers (RCs) of photosystem II (PSII) declined strongly in three different lichens: in Parmelia sulcata with an alga as the photobiont, in Peltigera neckeri with a cyanobacterium and in the tripartite lichen Lobaria pulmonaria. Most of the decline of fluorescence was caused by a decrease in the quantum efficiency of fluorescence emission. It indicated the activation of photoprotective thermal energy dissipation. Photochemical activity of the RCs was retained even after complete desiccation. It led to light‐dependent absorption changes and found expression in reversible increases in fluorescence or in fluorescence quenching. Lowering the temperature changed the direction of fluorescence responses in P. sulcata. The observations are interpreted to show that reversible light‐induced increases in fluorescence emission in desiccated lichens indicate the functionality of the RCs of PSII. Photoprotection is achieved by the drainage of light energy to dissipating centers outside the RCs before stable charge separation can take place. Reversible quenching of fluorescence by strong illumination is suggested to indicate the conversion of the RCs from energy conserving to energy dissipating units. This permits them to avoid photoinactivation. On hydration, re‐conversion occurs to energy‐conserving RCs.
Identification of proteins associated with water‐deficit tolerance in C4 perennial grass species, Cynodon dactylon×Cynodon transvaalensis and Cynodon dactylon
Authors: Zhao Yan , Du Hongmei , Wang Zhaolong , Huang Bingru
Published: October 2010

The study was conducted to examine differential proteomic responses to water‐deficit stress in hybrid bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. ×Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt Davy, cv. Tifway] and common bermudagrass (C. dactylon, cv. C299). Plants were exposed to water‐deficit stress for 15 days by withholding irrigation in a growth chamber. Leaf electrolyte leakage increased and photochemical efficiency and relative water content declined under water‐deficit stress, but the extent of changes in each of the physiological parameters for ‘Tifway’ was less pronounced than those for ‘C299’. Total proteins of leaves were extracted from well‐watered and water‐deficit plants and separated by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. Of the 750 protein spots reproducibly detected, 32 proteins had increases in the abundance and 22 proteins exhibited decreases in the abundance in at least one genotype under water‐deficit stress. A significantly higher number of proteins were found to accumulate in ‘Tifway’ than in ‘C299’ and 16 proteins with increasing abundance were detected only in ‘Tifway’ under water‐deficit stress. All stress‐responsive proteins were subjected to mass spectrometry analysis, which were mainly involved in metabolism, energy, cell growth/division, protein synthesis and stress defense. Functional analysis of differential drought‐responsive proteins between the two genotypes suggests that the superior water‐deficit tolerance in ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass could be mainly associated with less severe decline in the abundance level of proteins involved in photosynthesis (chlorophyll a–b, ATP synthase subunit alpha, phosphoribulokinase and ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) and greater increase in the abundance level of antioxidant defense proteins (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase and peroxiredoxin), demonstrating that maintaining photosynthesis and active antioxidant defense mechanisms may play a critical role in C4 grass adaptation to water‐deficit stress.
The dual function of barred plumage in birds: camouflage and communication
Authors: GLUCKMAN T.‐L. , CARDOSO G. C.
Published: October 2010

A commonly held principle in visual ecology is that communication compromises camouflage: while visual signals are often conspicuous, camouflage provides concealment. However, some traits may have evolved for communication and camouflage simultaneously, thereby overcoming this functional compromise. Visual patterns generally provide camouflage, but it was suggested that a particular type of visual pattern – avian barred plumage – could also be a signal of individual quality. Here, we test if the evolution of sexual dimorphism in barred plumage, as well as differences between juvenile and adult plumage, indicate camouflage and/or signalling functions across the class Aves. We found a higher frequency of female‐ rather than male‐biased sexual dimorphism in barred plumage, indicating that camouflage is its most common function. But we also found that, compared to other pigmentation patterns, barred plumage is more frequently biased towards males and its expression more frequently restricted to adulthood, suggesting that barred plumage often evolves or is maintained as a sexual communication signal. This illustrates how visual traits can accommodate the apparently incompatible functions of camouflage and communication, which has implications for our understanding of avian visual ecology and sexual ornamentation.
Emotions as ecosystemic adaptations
Authors: Pocock David
Published: October 2010

Despite Gregory Bateson's interest in emotion and culture, the potential for understanding emotion systemically and culturally was lost very early in the mainstream development of family therapy, partly as a reaction to the dominant psychiatric‐psychoanalytic paradigm of North America at the time. In those pioneering years, to take emotion seriously was to risk appearing stuck in a one‐person psychology. In an interesting paradox, it is relational psychoanalysts and parent–infant researchers such as Beatrice Beebe and Frank Lachmann who have recently turned to systems theory to give a fuller account of emotions and emotional regulation in self and relationships. The author draws on their ideas together with the work of Peter Fonagy, Patricia Crittenden, Jessica Benjamin, Britt Krause and others to sketch briefly an ecosystemic theory of emotional expression. This sketch is used to give contextual meaning to two contrasting clinical topics in relation to anger: self‐harm and conduct ‘disorder’.
Calling the context: towards a systemic and cross‐cultural approach to emotions
Authors: Krause Inga‐Britt
Published: October 2010

This article offers a contribution to systemic thinking and practice in relation to emotions. It suggests that emotions are crucial in considering the relationship between individuals and social systems, patterns and relationships, including those between therapists and clients. Seeking to establish a balance between systemic and constructionist approaches, the article summarizes Bateson's description of schismogenesis in naven. Two sequences of clinical work, which were inspired by Bateson's ethnography and which contained strong emotions, are described. A focus on emotions, both those of clients and those of therapists, is shown to provide an opportunity for encompassing and opening up issues relating to culture, race, diachrony and experience. Culture is considered in terms of both expectations and context and emotional resonance in the therapy room used as a counterpoint to narrative emphasis.
The self beyond words: comment on ‘Is there a place for individual subjectivity within a social constructionist epistemology’
Authors: McNamee Sheila
Published: October 2010

Roy‐Chowdhury (2010) is on a quest to reclaim the subject in constructionist practice, specifically therapeutic practice. His argument rests on the claim that there is no subject, no self, no individual outside language in social construction. To be sure, the notion of a self‐contained, privately cognizing individual is dismissed within social construction, noting instead that knowledge of self and world is a byproduct of relational interchange. As Lock and Strong (2010, p.7) put it, ‘meaning and understanding have their beginnings in social interaction, in shared agreements as to what these symbolic forms are to be taken to be’. The relational self – social construction's version of the self – is very much alive and well. The relational self is very much a person.
Chance operations in training: a participatory format for introducing dialogical family therapy
Authors: Reed Alex
Published: October 2010

Presenting dialogical approaches to therapy calls for training approaches that are themselves participatory and dialogical. The use of chance operations is one way of enhancing an interactive and co‐constructive learning process.
Taxation, Fiscal Decentralisation and Legitimacy: The Role of Semi‐Autonomous Tax Agencies in Peru
Authors: Von Haldenwang Christian
Published: October 2010

This article analyses the Servicios de Administración Tributaria (SAT), which currently operate in nine Peruvian cities, to show that semi‐autonomous tax agencies can play a significant role in strengthening the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy of decentralised tax systems. Its findings indicate that the SAT collect local taxes and non‐tax revenues more effectively than conventional tax administrations, and that, although the SAT model per se does not generate strong incentives for the promotion of efficiency, efficiency may become more important once the SAT are consolidated. Finally, there are hints that the Peruvian SAT contribute to the legitimacy of the tax system thanks to higher levels of transparency and client orientation.
Stroke in Developing Countries: Epidemiology, Impact and Policy Implications
Authors: Lloyd‐Sherlock Peter
Published: October 2010

The burden of stroke and other non‐communicable diseases has risen sharply in developing countries in recent years. This article provides a detailed review of this trend and its underlying causes, and discusses the social and economic effects of stroke and the scope for interventions to reduce incidence and mitigate impacts. It demonstrates that policy‐makers have been slow to recognise the growing scale of the challenge, and argues for large‐scale public health campaigns focused on primary and secondary prevention.
Easy to Declare, Difficult to Implement: The Disconnect Between the Aspirations of the Paris Declaration and Donor Practice in Nigeria
Authors: Monye Sylvester , Ansah Emos , Orakwue Emmanuel
Published: October 2010

The arguments in academia over the effectiveness of foreign aid fall into two broad categories: those grounded in political economy and those focused on donor conduct and aid effectiveness. There have been policy attempts within the donor community to reconcile them, including the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. This article examines the key features of foreign aid to Nigeria between 1999 and 2007. Using the Declaration as a framework, it looks for ways of making foreign aid in Nigeria more effective.
Reclaiming the social body through self‐directed violence: Seeking anthropological understanding of Suicide attacks (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Linos Natalia
Published: October 2010

Suicide bombings receive tremendous attention in the media and are a central aspect of the Western public's imagination of terrorism, yet anthropology has remained relatively silent in debates around this form of violence. Drawing on constructs central to anthropology, namely embodiment and agency, I suggest that when political and structural violence threatens the body and thus the identity of both individual and group, this force can be ultimately rejected and the body can be ‘reclaimed’ through self‐directed violence. In trying to explain the horror that this act generates in the West the article introduces a new element central to anthropology ‐ namely pollution ‐ that has not previously been examined in discourse around suicide bombing. This is a theoretical piece that tries to problematize the role of the body, as a physical entity central to this ‘act’ and offers some questions and potential hypotheses for further research.
Looking Beyond Credit Ratings: Factors Investors Consider In Pricing European Asset‐Backed Securities
Authors: Fabozzi Frank J. , Vink Dennis
Published: October 2010

In this paper, we empirically investigate what credit factors investors rely upon when pricing the spread at issue for European asset‐backed securities. More specifically, we investigate how credit factors affect new issuance spreads after taking into account credit rating. We do so by investigating primary market spreads for tranches of non‐mortgage‐related asset‐backed securities issued from 1999 to the year prior to the subprime mortgage crisis, 2007. We find that although credit ratings play a major role in determining spreads, investors appear to not rely exclusively on these ratings. Our findings strongly suggest that investors do not ignore other credit factors beyond the assigned credit rating.
Greenspan's Retrospective of Financial Crisis and Stochastic Optimal Control
Authors: Stein Jerome L.
Published: October 2010

Alan Greenspan argues that the crisis was unpredictable and inevitable, given the ‘excessive’ leverage of the financial intermediaries. I focus upon the housing sector, which has been at the origin of the financial crisis because the value of the financial derivatives ultimately depended upon the ability of the mortgagors to repay their debts. The uncertainty concerns the capital gains – housing price appreciation – and the rate of interest. I explain why the application of stochastic optimal control (SOC) is an effective approach to determine the optimal degree of leverage, the optimum and excessive risk and the probability of a debt crisis. I show that the theoretically derived early warning signal of a crisis is the excess debt ratio, equal to the difference between the actual and optimal ratio. The excess debt of households starting from 2004‐05 indicated that a housing crisis was most likely.
ERP measures indicate both attention and working memory encoding decrements in aging
Authors: Finnigan Simon , O'Connell Redmond G. , Cummins Tarrant D. R. , Broughton Megan , Robertson Ian H.
Published: October 2010

We investigated age‐related attention and encoding deficits, and their possible interaction, by analyzing visual event‐related potentials from young and older adults during a modified Sternberg word recognition task. Young adults performed more accurately, albeit not significantly so. P1 latency was shorter in young adults and correlated negatively with task accuracy (with age partialed out). These data support proposals that P1 indexes attentional suppression, which is less efficient in older adults. N1 was larger in older adults but did not correlate with accuracy. Young adults had higher P2 amplitudes and P2 latency correlated with accuracy (age partialed), supporting the view that semantic operations during encoding are affected by aging. These data indicate that attention (P1) and encoding (P2) decrements may contribute to memory or related cognitive decrements in aging, and P1 and P2 latency measures from appropriate paradigms may be salient ERP markers of these decrements.
Efficient local search algorithms for the linear ordering problem
Authors: Sakuraba Celso S. , Yagiura Mutsunori
Published: October 2010

Given a directed graph with n vertices, m edges and costs on the edges, the linear ordering problem consists of finding a permutation π of the vertices so that the total cost of the reverse edges is minimized. We present two local search algorithms, named LIST and TREE, for the neighborhood of the insert move, which can handle larger instances than existing methods. LIST is simpler and can search the whole neighborhood in O(m) time and TREE performs the neighborhood search in O(n+Δlog Δ) time, where Δ represents the maximum vertex degree. Computational experiments show good results for sparse instances using LIST, while TREE presents the best results independent of the density of the instance.
A Placebo‐Controlled Trial of Atomoxetine in Marijuana‐Dependent Individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: McRae‐Clark Aimee L. , Carter Rickey E. , Killeen Therese K. , Carpenter Matthew J. , White Kathleen G. , Brady Kathleen T.
Published: October 2010

This study evaluated the effects of atomoxetine on the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and marijuana use in marijuana‐dependent adults. In conjunction with motivational interviewing, participants received either atomoxetine (n = 19) or matching placebo (n = 19) for 12 weeks. Participants randomized to atomoxetine had greater improvement in ADHD on the Clinical Global Impression‐Improvement scale than participants treated with placebo. No treatment group differences in self‐rated ADHD symptoms, overall Wender‐Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale scores, or marijuana use outcomes were noted. These results suggest that atomoxetine may improve some ADHD symptoms but does not reduce marijuana use in this population. (Am J Addict 2010;00:1–9)
An Examination of Drug Craving Over Time in Abstinent Methamphetamine Users
Authors: Galloway Gantt P. , Singleton Edward G. , Buscemi Raymond , Baggott Matthew J. , Dickerhoof René M. , Mendelson John E. ,   for The Methamphetamine Treatment Project Corporate Authors
Published: October 2010

Craving for addictive drugs may predict relapse in abstinent addicts. To assess relationships between craving and use, we examined changes in craving for methamphetamine (MA) in a sample of 865 outpatients in a multisite 16‐week MA‐treatment study. Craving was assessed on a 0–100 scale, and MA use was assessed by self‐report and confirmed by urinalysis. We hypothesized that the magnitude of craving would decline (decay) with increased time of abstinence, and that decay would be greater for more frequent MA users, and greater for intravenous (IV) users and smokers as compared to those who used MA intranasally. Craving declined significantly as the number of weeks of consecutive abstinence increased. Rate of decay was greater for IV users and smokers as compared to both intranasal users and oral users, but not for more frequent users of MA. Rate of decay was independent of age, gender, and race/ethnicity. The trajectory to 0 (no) craving was 1 week shorter for females than males because females had significantly lower pretreatment craving scores compared to males. This study confirms that the sooner MA‐dependent people are able to quit using and the longer that they are able to stay abstinent, the more likely it is that their craving for MA will decrease over time. (Am J Addict 2010;00:1–5)
Substance Use in Patients with Sexually Transmitted Infections: Results from a National U.S. Survey
Authors: Tetrault Jeanette M. , Fiellin David A. , Niccolai Linda M. , Sullivan Lynn E.
Published: October 2010

Little is known about the prevalence and correlates of substance use in patients diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the general population. We examined the relationship between STIs and substance use. Of the 54,623 respondents, 1%  reported a past‐year STI. STI was associated with alcohol abuse/dependence (AOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–3.3), and marijuana use (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4–3.0); but not with past‐year alcohol use, cocaine use, nonmedical use of prescription opioids, or past‐month binge or heavy drinking. A diagnosis of an STI should prompt clinicians to screen for substance use, in particular, alcohol abuse/dependence and marijuana use. (Am J Addict 2010;00:1–6)
Physician Views Regarding Substance Use‐Related Participation in a State Physician Health Program
Authors: Merlo Lisa J. , Greene William M.
Published: October 2010

Physician Health Programs (PHPs) safeguard the public by monitoring impaired physicians, but participation is not always voluntary, and many physicians resist referral. In this study, 80 physicians (85.1% male) who were referred to a state PHP for substance use‐related problems completed an anonymous online survey regarding their experiences in the program. Results indicated that 78.1% of program completers had a 5‐year contract, with 100% including random drug screening. In addition, 84.8% continued participation in 12‐step fellowships after the required monitoring period. Participants were generally satisfied with the program, and 92.5% indicated that they would recommend it to others. They provided suggestions to increase the acceptability and efficacy of PHPs for physicians. (Am J Addict 2010;00:1–5)
Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later: Alternative Mortgage Products and the Mortgage Crisis
Authors: LaCour‐Little Michael , Yang Jing
Published: October 2010

Mortgage contract design has been identified as a contributory factor in the recent market crisis. Here we examine alternative mortgage products (including interest‐only and other deferred amortization structures) and develop a game theoretic model of contract choice given uncertain future income and house prices across different types of borrowers. Results imply that deferred amortization contracts are more likely to be selected in housing markets with greater expected price appreciation and by households with greater risk tolerance; moreover, such products necessarily entail greater default risk, especially among lower‐income households who are aggressive in housing consumption levels. Empirical tests of model predictions generally provide support for the theory.
Momentum and House Price Growth in the United States: Anatomy of a Bubble
Authors: Lai Rose N. , Van Order Robert A.
Published: October 2010

This article analyzes the bubble in property values across cities in the United States from 1999 through 2005. We find evidence of momentum in house price growth (relative to growth in rents) away from the underlying fundamentals throughout the 1980–2005 period; however, momentum increased after 1999. We find that the bubble happened mostly after 2003; it was for a relatively short period and was characterized by a series of positive, seemingly random, shocks that were associated with the surge in the subprime market and the decline in short‐term interest rates. Before that price changes were reasonably well explained by the fundamentals, particularly the decline in long‐term interest rates in the early part of the bubble period. We do not find evidence of a tendency for prices relative to rents to revert to a long‐run trend.
Price Discovery in Illiquid Markets: Do Financial Asset Prices Rise Faster Than They Fall?
Authors: GREEN RICHARD C. , LI DAN , SCHÜRHOFF NORMAN
Published: October 2010

We study price discovery in municipal bonds, an important OTC market. As in markets for consumer goods, prices “rise faster than they fall.” Round‐trip profits to dealers on retail trades increase in rising markets but do not decrease in falling markets. Further, effective half‐spreads increase or decrease more when movements in fundamentals favor dealers. Yield spreads relative to Treasuries also adjust with asymmetric speed in rising and falling markets. Finally, intraday price dispersion is asymmetric in rising and falling markets, as consumer search theory would predict.
Hedge Fund Contagion and Liquidity Shocks
Authors: BOYSON NICOLE M. , STAHEL CHRISTOF W. , STULZ RENÉ M.
Published: October 2010

Defining contagion as correlation over and above that expected from economic fundamentals, we find strong evidence of worst return contagion across hedge fund styles for 1990 to 2008. Large adverse shocks to asset and hedge fund liquidity strongly increase the probability of contagion. Specifically, large adverse shocks to credit spreads, the TED spread, prime broker and bank stock prices, stock market liquidity, and hedge fund flows are associated with a significant increase in the probability of hedge fund contagion. While shocks to liquidity are important determinants of performance, these shocks are not captured by commonly used models of hedge fund returns.
“Time for a Change”: Loan Conditions and Bank Behavior when Firms Switch Banks
Authors: IOANNIDOU VASSO , ONGENA STEVEN
Published: October 2010

This paper studies loan conditions when firms switch banks. Recent theoretical work on bank–firm relationships motivates our matching models. The dynamic cycle of the loan rate that we uncover is as follows: a loan granted by a new (outside) bank carries a loan rate that is significantly lower than the rates on comparable new loans from the firm's current (inside) banks. The new bank initially decreases the loan rate further but eventually ratchets it up sharply. Other loan conditions follow a similar economically relevant pattern. This bank strategy is consistent with the existence of hold‐up costs in bank–firm relationships.
Individual Investors and Local Bias
Authors: SEASHOLES MARK S. , ZHU NING
Published: October 2010

The paper tests whether individuals have value‐relevant information about local stocks (where “local” is defined as being headquartered near where an investor lives). Our methodology uses two types of calendar‐time portfolios—one based on holdings and one based on transactions. Portfolios of local holdings do not generate abnormal performance (alphas are zero). When studying transactions, purchases of local stocks significantly underperform sales of local stocks. The underperformance remains when focusing on stocks with potentially high levels of information asymmetries. We conclude that individuals do not help incorporate information into stock prices. Our conclusions directly contradict existing studies.
Colonisation tactics of three temperate catadromous species, eel Anguilla anguilla, mullet Liza ramada and flounder Plathychtys flesus, revealed by Bayesian multielemental otolith microchemistry approach
Authors: Daverat F. , Martin J. , Fablet R. , Pécheyran C.
Published: October 2010

Daverat F, Martin J, Fablet R, Pécheyran C. Colonisation tactics of three temperate catadromous species, eel Anguilla anguilla, mullet Liza ramada and flounder Plathychtys flesus, revealed by Bayesian multielemental otolith microchemistry approach. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2011: 20: 42–51. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Abstract –  The colonisation of Gironde (SW France) river catchment by juvenile, eel, Anguilla anguilla, flounder Platychtys flesus and thinlipp mullet Liza ramada was investigated comparatively using Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca composition of otolith. The relation between Sr, Ba and habitat was investigated based on Sr and Ba water composition sampled each month along the estuary‐river gradient. A total of 50 mullets, 30 eels and 47 flounders were collected in the Gironde river catchment. Analysis was performed with a Femtosecond LA‐ICPMS along a trajectory from the core to the edge. Sr and Ba water concentrations discriminated three habitats within the Gironde system, the lower estuary, the upper estuary and the freshwater sites. A signal processing method based on Gaussian hidden Markov models was applied to the multielemental life‐history data. The linear model used to allocate a Gironde habitat to coupled Sr, Ca values was parameterised with seasonal patterns and magnitude of Sr and Ba water values in the different habitats. The results showed that the three species used three different habitats and they had a large diversity of habitat use patterns with resident and nomadic tactics. Resident tactics were less frequent than nomadic tactics that suggested individual fish used two or more habitats. Mullet used a wider range of habitats in the lower part of the estuary than eel and flounder and switched habitats more frequently. Flounders tended to colonise initially freshwater, and then estuarine habitats later in life while mullets used the entire range of available catchment habitats throughout their life.
Flavor evaluation of yak butter in Tsinghai‐Tibet Plateau and isolation of microorganisms contributing flavor
Authors: HU SongQing , WEI HaiLiu , GUO ShaSha , LI Lin , HOU Yi
Published: October 2010

Yak butter in Tsinghai‐Tibet Plateau possesses the characters of high energy, abundant alimentation and a special flavor with certain medical and health care functions. In this paper the organoleptic flavor of yak butter was estimated, and 28 kinds of substance with different flavors were identified with the technique of coupling gas chromatography to mass spectroscopy (GC‐MS). The results showed that there are many microorganisms in yak butter with natural inoculation, which contribute to the formation of its special flavors. It was found that three of these 15 microorganisms, identified as Saccharomycetaceae, Penicillium and Asperillus separately, contributed the most to flavors. The microorganisms are expected to be applied in the food industry, especially to produce dairy food with the unique flavor of yak butter.
Ontogenesis of the rumen: A comparative analysis of the Merino sheep and Iberian red deer
Authors: FRANCO Antonio , MASOT Javier , REDONDO Eloy
Published: October 2010

The aim of this study is to describe differences in the ontogenesis of the rumen in the sheep (domestic ruminant) and deer (wild ruminant). A total of 50 embryos and fetuses of Merino sheep and 50 of Iberian deer were used, from the first stages of prenatal life until birth. For the study, the animals were divided into five experimental groups according to the most relevant histological characteristics. The appearance of the rumen from the primitive gastric tube was earlier in the sheep (22% gestation, 33 days) than in the deer (25% gestation, 66 days). In both cases it displayed a primitive epithelium of a stratified, cylindrical, non‐ciliary type. At around 28% gestation in the sheep (42 days) and 26% (67 days) in the deer, the rumen was configured of three clearly‐differentiated layers: internal or mucosal, middle or muscular and external or serosal. In both species the stratification of the epithelial layer was accompanied by modifications in its structure with the appearance of the ruminal pillars and papillae. The pillars appeared before the papillae and the appearance of both structures was always earlier in the deer (pillars: 70 days, 27% gestation; papillae: 97 days, 36% gestation) than in the sheep (pillars: 42 days, 28% gestation; papillae: 57 days, 38% gestation). The outlines of the ruminal papillae appeared as evaginations of the basal zone toward the ruminal lumen, dragging in their formation the basal membrane, the lamina propria and the submucosa. The tegumentary mucosa of the rumen was without secretion capability in the first embryonic phases. From 67 days (26% gestation) the neutral mucopolysaccharides appeared in the deer and at 46 days (30% gestation) in the sheep. In both cases they continued to decrease until birth, this diminution being more pronounced in the deer. Finally, the presence of neuroendocrine and glial cells was detected in the deer at earlier stages than in the sheep.
Development of novel intracytoplasmic sperm injection and somatic cell nuclear transfer techniques for animal reproduction
Authors: WAKAYAMA Teruhiko
Published: October 2010

Animal biotechnology has made new biological experiments possible and new discoveries are being made on an almost daily basis. Among these discoveries is a method for directly injecting a spermatozoa or somatic nucleus into an oocyte that has brought a revolution in the world of micromanipulators. Experiments that were unfeasible until now have become possible, and normal offspring can be generated from infertile cells, such as using dead sperm or a dead frozen body. In this review, I will introduce the progress of animal reproductive biotechnology, including our current research.
The International Year of Biodiversity: A Celebration and Cogitation
Authors: Ghazoul Jaboury , Peña‐Claros Marielos
Published: October 2010

To both celebrate and reflect upon this International Year of Biodiversity, Biotropica has invited opinion articles from a number of scientists across the globe. As lightly edited personal opinions, the commentaries reflect the diversity of passionate and often controversial views expressed across the scientific community. Thus, these commentaries should provide much food for thought, and hopefully some inspiration, on how we perceive biodiversity on our currently human‐dominated planet and how we should respond to its loss.
A Cost‐effective High‐resolution Melting Approach using the EvaGreen Dye for DNA Polymorphism Detection and Genotyping in Plants
Authors: Li Yi‐Dan , Chu Zhi‐Zhan , Liu Xiang‐Guo , Jing Hai‐Chun , Liu Yao‐Guang , Hao Dong‐Yun
Published: October 2010

High‐resolution melting (HRM) analysis relies on the use of fluorescent dyes, such as LCGreen, ResoLight, and SYTO9, which bind in a saturated manner to the double‐stranded DNAs. These dyes are expensive in use and may not be affordable when dealing with a large quantity of samples. EvaGreen is a much cheaper DNA helix intercalating dye and has been used in quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and post‐PCR DNA melt curve analysis. Here we report on the development of an EvaGreen‐based HRM analysis and its performance, in comparison with the popular LCGreen‐based HRM analysis, in detection of DNA polymorphism in plants. We found that various polymorphisms ranged from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to Indels were equally detected by using EvaGreen‐ or LCGreen‐based HRM. EvaGreen dye was sensitive enough in discovery of SNPs in fivefold pooled samples. Using this economical dye we successfully identified multiple novel mutant alleles of Gln1‐3 gene, which produces a cytosolic glutamine synthetase isoenzyme (GS1), in a maize ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)‐mutagenized library, and genotyped rice mapping populations with SNP markers. The current results suggest that EvaGreen is a promising dye for HRM analysis for its ease to use and cost effectiveness.
AVERAGE SHEAR RATE IN A TWIN‐SCREW EXTRUDER AS A FUNCTION OF DEGREE OF FILL, FLOW BEHAVIOR INDEX, SCREW SPEED AND SCREW CONFIGURATION
Authors: SUPARNO M. , DOLAN K.D. , NG P.K.W. , STEFFE J.F.
Published: October 2010

Mixer viscometry assumptions were used to model average shear rate in a co‐rotating twin‐screw extruder. Screw speed was varied at 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 rpm in an MPF‐19APV twin‐screw extruder for Newtonian and non‐Newtonian fluids with different flow behavior indices (n). A composite screw configuration was used. Degree of fill was varied from 0.4 to 1.0. Also, for three separate all‐one‐type screw configurations, screw speed was varied from 50 to 400 rpm to estimate the average shear rate for 30° forwarding paddles, single‐lead, and twin‐lead screws individually for 1.0° fill. A modified matching viscosity technique was used to estimate average shear rate for all conditions.

Average shear rate was modeled as a function of extruder constant (k′), screw speed and an empirical parameter α. The k′ increased as a power‐law and α decreased linearly with degree of fill. The k′ ranged from 5.7 to 45.1 sα−1 rev−α and was independent of screw speed and flow behavior index. Alpha increased with n. Average shear rates for the composite screw configuration ranged from 10.5 to 404 s−1 for fluids with flow behavior indexes of 0.24, 0.60 and 0.67, respectively. For the separate screw configurations at fill = 1.0, average shear rate at a constant screw speed was highest for 30 forwarding paddles, followed by single‐lead and twin‐lead screws.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Practical applications include providing a convenient method to estimate average shear rate for composite screw configurations under partial‐fill conditions. Also, the study provides the basis for follow‐up studies where the influence of shear on food product quality and nutritional value can be examined.