bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DAVIDSON AND FIRST‐PERSON AUTHORITY: PARATAXIS AND SELF‐EXPRESSION
Authors: JACOBSEN ROCKNEY
Published: July 2009

Donald Davidson's explanation of first‐person authority turns on an ingenious account of speakers' knowledge of meaning. It nonetheless suffers from a structural defect and yields, at best, expressive know‐how for speakers. I argue that an expressivist strand already latent in Davidson's paratactic treatment of the semantics of belief attribution can be exploited to repair the defect, and so to yield a plausible account of first‐person authority.
ON THE RATIONALIST SOLUTION TO GREGORY KAVKA'S TOXIN PUZZLE
Authors: LEVY KEN
Published: July 2009

Gregory Kavka's ‘Toxin Puzzle’ suggests that I cannot intend to perform a counter‐preferential action A even if I have a strong self‐interested reason to form this intention. The ‘Rationalist Solution,’ however, suggests that Icanform this intention. For even though it is counter‐preferential, A‐ing is actually rational given that the intention behind it is rational. Two arguments are offered for this proposition that the rationality of the intention to A transfers to A‐ing itself: the ‘Self‐Promise Argument’ and David Gauthier's ‘Rational Self‐Interest Argument.’ But both arguments – and therefore the Rationalist Solution – fail. The Self‐Promise Argument fails because my intention to A does not constitute a promise to myself that I am obligated to honor. And Gauthier's Rational Self‐Interest Argument fails to rule out the possibility of rational irrationality.
Toward a Typology of European Labor Migration*
Authors: Mcdonald James R.
Published: July 2009

Labor migration from the Mediterranean region to industrial areas of the Northwest has been significant in rearranging the population of Europe over the past twenty years. Although movement between various combinations of emigrant and immigrant countries has differed widely in time and circumstances, an overall consistency of influences and patterns becomes evident upon analysis of the migratory flows.

In the country of immigration, the interplay of employment possibilities and available workers produces a labor requirement which the government evaluates in light of its long‐range objectives, its alternative courses of policy, and the pressures to which it is subjected. In the country of emigration, economic and perceptive factors play a major role in creating a group of potential migrants, which the government considers in terms of resource evaluation and the demands of internal development.

The net labor demand and net emigrant supply filtered through by the respective governments are co‐ordinated through an organizational framework, although clandestine migration is increasingly circumventing established procedures. Demographic consequences of the resultant net labor migration are subsequently influenced by the addition of family members or the return of workers to their country of origin.
Should The Brain Drain Be Encouraged? A Critical Look At The Grubel‐Scott Approach
Authors: Perkins James A. , Muir J. Douglas
Published: July 2009

It is no longer the call to ‘give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses:’ now we ask for your alert, your privileged, your brainy, your talented.
Advancement Preparation and Settlement: Needs of South‐East Asian Refugee Women
Authors: PALMER INGRID
Published: July 2009

This paper describes briefly the background, family composition, and some of the problems of South‐East Asian refugee women who meet the requirements for resettlement, and goes on to comment on the kinds of resettlement preparation in the countries of first asylum. Finally, additional forms of assistance that might be offered, both before and after resettlement, are discussed.
Glutamate receptor properties of human mesencephalic neural progenitor cells: NMDA enhances dopaminergic neurogenesisin vitro
Authors: Wegner Florian , Kraft Robert , Busse Kathy , Schaarschmidt Grit , Härtig Wolfgang , Schwarz Sigrid C. , Schwarz Johannes
Published: July 2009

Human midbrain‐derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) may serve as a continuous source of dopaminergic neurons for the development of novel regenerative therapies in Parkinson’s disease. However, the molecular and functional characteristics of glutamate receptors in human NPCs are largely unknown. Here, we show that differentiated human mesencepahlic NPCs display a distinct pattern of glutamate receptors. In whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings,l‐glutamate and NMDA elicited currents in 93% of NPCs after 3 weeks of differentiationin vitro. The concentration‐response plots of differentiated NPCs yielded an EC50of 2.2 μM for glutamate and an EC50of 36 μM for NMDA. Glutamate‐induced currents were markedly inhibited by memantine in contrast to 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX) suggesting a higher density of functional NMDA than alpha‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA)/kainate receptors. NMDA‐evoked currents and calcium signals were blocked by the NR2B‐subunit specific antagonist ifenprodil indicating functional expression of NMDA receptors containing subunits NR1 and NR2B. In calcium imaging experiments, the blockade of voltage‐gated calcium channels by verapamil abolished AMPA‐induced calcium responses but only partially reduced NMDA‐evoked transients suggesting the expression of calcium‐impermeable, GluR2‐containing AMPA receptors. Quantitative real‐time PCR showed a predominant expression of subunits NR2A and NR2B (NMDA), GluR2 (AMPA), GluR7 (kainate), and mGluR3 (metabotropic glutamate receptor). Treatment of NPCs with 100 μM NMDAin vitroduring proliferation (2 weeks) and differentiation (1 week) increased the amount of tyrosine hydroxylase‐immunopositive cells significantly, which was reversed by addition of memantine. These data suggest that NMDA receptors in differentiating human mesencephalic NPCs are important regulators of dopaminergic neurogenesisin vitro.
Therapeutic opportunities of small interfering RNA
Authors: Goyal Bhoomika R. , Patel Mayur M. , Soni Mithil K. , Bhadada Shraddha V.
Published: July 2009

Formation of small interfering RNA (siRNA) occurs in two steps involving binding of the RNA nucleases to a large double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) and its cleavage into fragments called siRNA. In the second step, these siRNAs join a multinuclease complex, which degrades the homologous single‐stranded mRNAs. The delivery of siRNA involves viral‐ and non‐viral‐mediated delivery systems; the approaches for chemical modifications have also been developed. It has various therapeutic applications for disorders like cardiovascular diseases, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatic disorders, etc. The present review gives an overview of the applications of siRNA and their potential for treating many hitherto untreatable diseases.
The effects of telocinobufagin isolated from Chan Su on the activation and cytokine secretion of immunocytes in vitro
Authors: Cao Yongguo , Song Yu , An Na , Zeng Sheng , Wang Dacheng , Yu Lu , Zhu Tongfei , Zhang Tingdi , Cui Jian , Zhou Changfang , Deng Xuming
Published: July 2009

Many traditional Chinese medicines have been used as immunomodulators that act as either immunosuppressants or immunostimulators. Recently, our lab successfully isolated a monomer telocinobufagin (TCB) from the chloroform extract of Chan Su (Venenum Bufonis). In the present paper, we evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of this compound in vitro. We found that TCB significantly stimulates splenocyte proliferation when administered alone or in combination with polyclonal T‐cell mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysaccharide. Telocinobufagin markedly enhances natural killer cell and peritoneal macrophage activation. Telocinobufagin increases the percentage of CD4, CD8 positive cells within a population of splenocytes. Moreover, we found that the level of several Th1 cytokines, including interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), interleukin‐12 (IL‐12), interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), are significantly increased after TCB treatment, while the level of the Th2 cytokine interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) is significantly decreased. As a result, the ratio of Th1/Th2 is significantly increased. Taken together, these results indicate that TCB has potential immune system regulatory effects and suggest that this compound could be developed as a novel immunotherapeutic agent to treat cancer and other immune‐mediated diseases, and it may become a new immunomodulatory agent in many regions.
Syzygium cumini inhibits adenosine deaminase activity and reduces glucose levels in hyperglycemic patients
Authors: Bopp A. , De Bona K.S. , Bellé L.P. , Moresco R.N. , Moretto M.B.
Published: July 2009

Syzigium cumini (L.) Skeels from the Myrtaceae family is among the most common medicinal plants used to treat diabetes in Brazil. Leaves, fruits, and barks of S. cumini have been used for their hypoglycemic activity. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an important enzyme that plays a relevant role in purine and DNA metabolism, immune responses, and peptidase activity. ADA is suggested to be an important enzyme for modulating the bioactivity of insulin, but its clinical significance in diabetes mellitus (DM) has not yet been proven. In this study, we examined the effect of aqueous leaf extracts of S. cumini (L.) (ASC) on ADA activity of hyperglycemic subjects and the activity of total ADA, and its isoenzymes in serum and erythrocytes. The present study indicates that: (i) the ADA activity in hyperglycemic serum was higher than normoglycemic serum and ADA activity was higher when the blood glucose level was more elevated; (ii) ASC (60–1000 μg/mL) in vitro caused a concentration‐dependent inhibition of total ADA activity and a decrease in the blood glucose level in serum; (iii) ADA1 and 2 were reduced both in erythrocytes and in hyperglycemic serum. These results suggest that the decrease of ADA activity provoked by ASC may contribute to control adenosine levels and the antioxidant defense system of red cells and could be related to the complex ADA/DPP‐IV‐CD26 and the properties of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP‐IV) inhibitors which serve as important regulators of blood glucose.
Thinking locally, acting supranationally: Niche party behaviour in the European Parliament
Authors: JENSEN CHRISTIAN B. , SPOON JAE‐JAE
Published: July 2009

Recent research on the European Parliament (EP) has neglected the idiosyncrasies of niche parties. Similarly, analyses of niche parties have not fully engaged the literature on the EP. This article builds on both literatures by analysing niche party behaviour in the EP as a distinct phenomenon. It is argued that niche parties will respond differently to institutional stimuli than parties more generally. To test this argument, Hix, Noury and Roland's work on EP party voting behaviour is replicated concentrating on niche parties only. It is found that participation in national government and institutional changes affect niche party legislators' voting behaviour, whereas they do not for legislators in the EP overall. These results have important implications for understanding both party behaviour in the EP and niche party behaviour more generally.
Atypical antipsychotic (clozapine) self‐poisoning in late pregnancy presenting with absent fetal heart rate variability without acidosis and delayed peristalsis in the newborn baby: A case report
Authors: NOVIKOVA N. , CHITNIS M. , LINDER V. , HOFMEYR G. J.
Published: July 2009

A case of an attempted suicide with atypical antipsychotic (clozapine) in late pregnancy is reported. Toxic effects of clozapine in the mother as well as in the fetus and newborn were observed. It should be remembered as a rare cause of unexplained loss of consciousness in pregnant women, a cause of abnormalities on fetal cardiotocogram as well as a cause of delayed peristalsis in a newborn baby.
Retrospective analysis of outcome of pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease: Single‐centre experience from North India
Authors: AGGARWAL Neelam , SURI Vanita , KAUR Harpreet , CHOPRA Seema , ROHILA Meenakshi , VIJAYVERGIYA Rajesh
Published: July 2009

Objective: To study maternal and perinatal outcome in congenital heart disease (CHD) and to compare outcome between cyanotic and acyanotic CHD.

Method: A retrospective analysis of 196 cases of CHD was undertaken, and maternal and perinatal outcome of pregnancy was compared in cyanotic and acyanotic cases and between surgically corrected and uncorrected cases.

Results: Maternal and perinatal outcome was better in the acyanotic group. Maternal complications included higher incidence of cardiac complications in cyanotic group, (33.3% vs 3.4% in acyanotic group, P = 0.001), abruption (12.5% vs nil) and pregnancy‐induced hypertension (16.6% vs 5.2%). Rate of prematurity (25% vs 11.6%), intrauterine growth retardation (50% vs 15.1%, P = 0.003) and abortion (4.1% vs 2.1%) was higher in cyanotic group. Mean gestational age at delivery was better in corrected group, 37.13 vs 34.93 weeks in uncorrected group. There was no case of infective endocarditis. There were four cases of maternal mortality in cyanotic group, two of which were in women with Eisenmenger syndrome. In acyanotic heart disease one case died undelivered and one died on first postoperative day.

Conclusion: Maternal and perinatal outcome is better in acyanotic CHD compared to cyanotic CHD. Surgical correction of cardiac lesions prior to conception improves outcome.
Contraception and pregnancy then and now: Examining the experiences of a cohort of mid‐age Australian women
Authors: READ Christine , BATESON Deborah , WEISBERG Edith , ESTOESTA Jane
Published: July 2009

Background: More than 50% of women who have an unplanned pregnancy report using a contraceptive method. Since the launch of the pill 50 years ago, a number of cross‐sectional surveys have examined contraceptive use in the Australian context. There is, however, little data on contraceptive use and efficacy over a woman's reproductive years.

Aim: To determine the pattern of contraceptive use of Australian women over their reproductive lifespan, with particular emphasis on the relationship between contraceptive use and pregnancy.

Method: One thousand women from the mid‐age cohort of the Australian Women's Longitudinal Study were invited to participate in the Family Planning survey by completing a questionnaire about their reproductive histories.

Results: Completed questionnaires were received for 812 women. The contraceptive pill was the most commonly ever used contraceptive method at 94% and also the most commonly used method prior to all pregnancies. Contraceptive failure increased with increasing gravidity; 11.4% with the first pregnancy to 23.0% with the fourth pregnancy, while 28.8% of the respondents reported an ‘accidental’ pregnancy due to stopping contraception for reasons such as concern about long‐term effects and media stories.

Conclusions: While surveys indicate that 66–70% of Australian women use a contraceptive method, more than half of unplanned pregnancies apparently occur in women using contraception. The modern Australian woman, in common with her predecessors, still faces significant challenges in her fertility management. This survey provides a longitudinal perspective on contraceptive use in relation to pregnancy and highlights the issue of efficacy of contraceptives in real‐life situations.
Ectopic pregnancy: Challenging accepted management strategies
Authors: CONDOUS George
Published: July 2009

Ectopic pregnancy is still the number one cause of maternal deaths in early pregnancy. The diagnostic capabilities of transvaginal ultrasound to confirm an EP are well founded. In fact, ultrasound technology, particularly the introduction of high‐resolution transvaginal probes, has been the driving force behind the revolutionary change towards conservative management strategies in ectopic pregnancy care. Clinically stable women, however, with a scan diagnosis of a tubal ectopic pregnancy still routinely undergo surgery or are given methotrexate (MTX) at presentation. Conservative management for ectopic pregnancy may be considered in the context of clinical stability. Reassessment at 48 h allows evaluation of the trophoblast activity or ‘trophoblastic load’. Falling serum hCG levels at 48 h suggest that the ectopic trophoblast is resolving spontaneously and it may be possible to avoid methotrexate administration in this sub‐group. Women with increasing serum hCG levels at 48 h, indicating the trophoblast is still active, should be targeted for methotrexate. By calculating the pre‐treatment hCG ratio (hCG 48 h/hCG 0 h), it is possible to triage women with an ectopic pregnancy for conservative management. There are, however, no randomised data to support the use of MTX over expectant management. In this review, some of the current management strategies in ectopic pregnancy management will be challenged.
Risk factors for and timing of death of extremely preterm infants
Authors: ELDER Dawn E. , WONG Annie , ZUCCOLLO Jane M.
Published: July 2009

This study examined risk factors for timing and cause of death for extremely preterm infants ≥ 23 weeks and < 28 weeks. There were 479 liveborn infants and 98 deaths reviewed over a ten‐year period. Thirty‐two deaths (33%) occurred on the first day of life and 72 (75%) in the first month of life. Lower gestation and intrauterine growth restriction were significant risk factors for death. Most deaths occurred in the first month of life and at the lowest gestation in the first week.
Geophysical evidence for Holocene lake‐level change in southern California (Dry Lake)
Authors: BIRD BROXTON W. , KIRBY MATTHEW E. , HOWAT IAN M. , TULACZYK SLAWEK
Published: July 2009

Bird, B. W., Kirby, M. E., Howat, I. M. & Tulaczyk, S. 2009: Geophysical evidence for Holocene lake‐level change in southern California (Dry Lake). Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2009.00114.x. ISSN 0300‐9483.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) data are used in combination with previously published sediment cores to develop a Holocene history of basin sedimentation in a small, alpine lake in southern California (Dry Lake). The GPR data identify three depositional sequences spanning the past 9000 calendar years before present (cal. yr BP). Sequence I represents the first phase of an early Holocene highstand. A regression between <8320 and >8120 cal. yr BP separates Sequence I from Sequence II, perhaps associated with the 8200 cal. yr BP cold event. Sequence II represents the second phase of the early‐to‐mid Holocene highstand. Sequence IIIa represents a permanent shift to predominantly low lake stands beginning ∼5550 cal. yr BP. This mid‐Holocene shift was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in sedimentation rate as well as a contraction of the basin's area of sedimentation. By ∼1860 cal. yr BP (Sequence IIIb), the lake was restricted to the modern, central basin. Taken together, the GPR and core data indicate a wet early Holocene followed by a long‐term Holocene drying trend. The similarity in ages of the early Holocene highstand across the greater southern California region suggests a common external forcing – perhaps modulation of early Holocene storm activity by insolation. However, regional lake level records are less congruous following the initial early Holocene highstand, which may indicate a change in the spatial domain of climate forcing(s) throughout the Holocene in western North America.
RB101‐mediated Protection of Endogenous Opioids: Potential Therapeutic Utility?
Authors: Jutkiewicz Emily M.
Published: July 2009

The endogenous opioids met‐ and leu‐enkephalin are inactivated by peptidases preventing the activation of opioid receptors. Inhibition of enkephalin‐degrading enzymes increases endogenous enkephalin levels and stimulates robust behavioral effects. RB101, an inhibitor of enkephalin‐degrading enzymes, produces antinociceptive, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects in rodents, without typical opioid‐related negative side effects. Although enkephalins are not selective endogenous ligands, RB101 induces these behaviors through receptor‐selective activity. The antinociceptive effects of RB101 are produced through either the mu‐opioid receptor alone or through activation of both mu‐ and delta‐opioid receptors; the antidepressant‐like and anxiolytic effects of RB101 are mediated only through the delta‐opioid receptor. Although little is known about the effects of RB101 on other physiologically and behaviorally relevant peptides, these findings suggest that RB101 and other inhibitors of enkephalin‐degrading enzymes may have potential as novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of pain, depression, and anxiety.
Soil organic carbon pool changes following land‐use conversions
Authors: DeGryze Steven , Six Johan , Paustian Keith , Morris Sherri J. , Paul Eldor A. , Merckx Roel
Published: July 2009

Carbon (C) can be sequestered in the mineral soil after the conversion of intensively cropped agricultural fields to more extensive land uses such as afforested and natural succession ecosystems. Three land‐use treatments from the long‐term ecological research site at Kellogg biological station in Michigan were compared with a nearby deciduous forest. Treatments included a conventionally tilled cropland, a former cropland afforested with poplar for 10 years and an old field (10 years) succession. We used soil aggregate and soil organic matter fractionation techniques to isolate C pools that (1) have a high potential for C storage and (2) accumulate C at a fast rate during afforestation or succession. These fractions could serve as sensitive indicators for the total change in C content due to land‐use changes. At the mineral soil surface (0–7 cm), afforesting significantly increased soil aggregation to levels similar to native forest. However, surface soil (0–7 cm) C did not follow this trend: soil C of the native forest site (22.9 t C ha−1) was still significantly greater than the afforested (12.6 t C ha−1) and succession (15.4 t C ha−1) treatments. However, when the 0–50 cm soil layer was considered, no differences in total soil C were observed between the cropland and the poplar afforested system, while the successional system increased total soil C (0–50 cm) at a rate of 0.786 t C ha−1 yr−1. Afforested soils sequestered C mainly in the fine intra‐aggregate particulate organic matter (POM) (53–250 μm), whereas the successional soils sequestered C preferentially in the mineral‐associated organic matter and fine intra‐aggregate POM C pools.
FLUORESCENCE IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION USING rRNA‐TARGETED PROBES FOR SIMPLE AND RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF THE TOXIC DINOFLAGELLATES ALEXANDRIUM TAMARENSE AND ALEXANDRIUM CATENELLA1
Authors: Sako Yoshihiko , Hosoi‐Tanabe Shoko , Uchida Aritsune
Published: July 2009

The toxic marine dinoflagellates Alexandrium tamarense (Lebor) Balech and A. catenella (Whedon and Kofoid) Taylor have been mainly responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning in Japan. Rapid and precise identification of these algae has been difficult because this genus contains many morphologically similar toxic and nontoxic species. Here, we report a rapid, precise, and quantitative identification method using three fluorescent, rRNA‐targeted, oligonucleotide probes for A. tamarense (Atm1), A. catenella (Act1), and the nontoxic A. affine (Inoue et Fukuyo; Aaf1). Each probe was species specific when applied using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). None of the probes reacted with three other Alexandrium spp., A. lusitanicum Balech, A. ostenfeldii (Paulsen) Balech & Tangen, and A. insuetum Balech, or with eight other microalgae, including Gymnodinium mikimotoi Miyake et Kominami ex Oda and Heterosigma akashiwo (Hada) Hara et Chihara, suggesting that the species specificity of each probe was very high. Cells labeled with fluorescein 5‐isothiocyanate–conjugated probes showed strong green fluorescence throughout the whole cell except for the nucleus. FISH could be completed within 1 h and largely eliminated the need for identifying species based on key morphological criteria. More than 80% of targeted cells of both species could be identified by microscopy and quantified during growth up to the early stationary phase; more than 70% of cells could be detected in the late stationary phase. The established FISH protocol was found to be a specific, rapid, precise, and quantitative method that might prove to be a useful tool to distinguish and quantify Alexandrium cells collected from Japanese coastal waters.
ASSESSMENT OF TEMPERATURE AND NUTRIENT LIMITATION ON SEASONAL DYNAMICS AMONG SPECIES OF SARGASSUM FROM A CORAL REEF IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN1
Authors: Hwang Ray‐Lien , Tsai Chuan‐Chuan , Lee Tse‐Min
Published: July 2009

The effects of temperature and nutrient availability on seasonal abundance were compared among Sargassum berberifolium J. Ag., S. polycystum C. Ag., S. siliquosum J. Ag., and S. sandei from a reef in southern Taiwan. Growth temperature limits and optimum were variable between species and between developmental stages. Growth temperature ranges agree with Sargassum periodicity except S. sandei. Sargassum siliquosum can tolerate high temperature as indicated by higher optimum temperature and tolerance limits. Temporal changes in tissue nutrient content and alkaline phosphatase activity and the results from nutrient enrichment bioassay show that S. sandei, S. berberifolium, and S. polycystum are P limited in the early growth period and then N limited, whereas S. siliquosum showed a contrasting trend, reflecting the type of nutrient limitation is variable by time and between species. A smaller nutrient threshold for maximum growth in S. berberifolium, S. polycystum, and S. siliquosum than in S. sandei and higher growth rate in S. berberifolium and S. polycystum indicate the higher growth vigor and nutrient utilization efficiency, the higher abundance. High N reserves in S. berberifolium and S. polycystum exposed to elevated seawater N in the early growth period supported the subsequent growth. The multiple regression analysis indicates that percent cover of S. siliquosum increased with increasing water temperature and dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations, whereas that of S. polycystum decreased with increasing water temperature. In conclusion, seasonal dynamics of Sargassum spp. from southern Taiwan are attributable to species and temporal variations in temperature limitation and nutrient utilization strategy.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC RESPONSES OF SYNECHOCYSTIS AQUATILIS F. AQUATILIS (CYANOPHYCEAE) TO ELEVATED LEVELS OF ZINC1
Authors: De Magalhães Cristiana C. P. , Cardoso Daniel , Dos Santos Cesar P. , Chaloub Ricardo M.
Published: July 2009

Physiological and structural changes in cells of Synechocystis aquatilis f. aquatilis acclimated to grow in the presence of high zinc levels (2.20–3.30 mg·L−1) were investigated. Growth of these cells showed a decreased specific growth rate and final yield of about 60% and 50%, respectively, of the values found for cells grown in the presence of 0.21 mg zinc·L−1 (control culture). The higher the zinc concentration in the culture medium, the more pronounced the reduction in the chl a content. Regardless of zinc concentration, S. aquatilis possessed three distinct carotenoids. A decrease in carotenoid content accompanied the decrease of chl a, and the proportions of the pigments to each other were not affected by zinc. The photosynthetic performance of cells cultured in the presence of high zinc levels showed a decline in both the apparent photosynthetic efficiency and the photosynthetic maximal rate. In these cells the PSII reaction centers became partially closed, and the electron transport activity around PSII and PSI was reduced to 61% and 38% of the control values, respectively, which may indicate an altered PSII/PSI stoichiometry. In addition, electron micrographs revealed a reduced amount of thylakoid membranes, indicating that acclimation to high zinc levels led to a decrease in the overall number of photosynthetic units. On the other hand, light microscopic observation of negative‐stained cells revealed the presence of a thick mucilaginous layer surrounding the high zinc‐acclimated cells. This extracellular material could retain high amounts of metal ions from the medium, thus providing the Synechocystis cells a mechanism to circumvent toxic levels of zinc.
USING EPILITHIC ALGAL COMMUNITIES TO ASSESS TROPHIC STATUS IN IRISH LAKES1
Authors: DeNicola Dean M. , Eyto Elvira de , Wemaere Alice , Irvine Kenneth
Published: July 2009

Relationships between taxonomic composition of shallow epilithic algal communities and nine environmental variables in 32 lakes of different trophic states in Ireland were explored using gradient analysis. A canonical correspondence analysis using four representative environmental variables, alkalinity (correlated with pH and conductivity), maximum phytoplankton chl a (CHLmax) (correlated with total P, total N, and chl), turbidity, and water color explained 21% of the variance in taxa distributions. The first two axes were significant and accounted for 77% of the variance in the periphyton–environmental relationship. The first axis was strongly related to alkalinity and color, which reflected geology and land use in the watersheds. The second axis was most correlated with CHLmax, and separation of lakes corresponded to their Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) trophic classification based on water chemistry. Eutrophic lakes were characterized by cyanobacteria taxa and Stigeoclonium sp. Diatoms and desmids were generally more abundant in oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes. Values for diatom trophic indices were poor indicators of trophic state. Weighted averaging regression and calibration techniques were used to develop transfer functions between 84 taxa and total P, total N, and CHLmax. The total P inference model predicted OECD trophic classification correctly for 84% of the lakes. Values for taxa preferences resulting from such models can provide the foundation for biomonitoring schemes using extant periphyton communities. The turnover time of periphyton taxa should integrate changes in environmental conditions at a temporal scale intermediate to surface‐sediment fossil diatom assemblages and water column variables, which may be more appropriate for detecting annual changes.
INFLUENCE OF LOW LIGHT AND A LIGHT: DARK CYCLE ON NO3– UPTAKE, INTRACELLULAR NO3–, AND NITROGEN ISOTOPE FRACTIONATION BY MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON1
Authors: Needoba Joseph A. , Harrison Paul J.
Published: July 2009

The nitrogen isotope enrichment factor (ɛ) of four species of marine phytoplankton grown in batch cultures was determined during growth in continuous saturating light, continuous low light, and a 12:12‐h light:dark cycle, with nitrate as a nitrogen source. The low growth rate that resulted from low irradiance caused an increased accumulation of the intracellular nitrate pool and/or a reduction in cell volume and was correlated to a species‐specific increase in the measured ɛ value, compared with the saturating light conditions. The largest response was in the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grun.) Fryxell et Hasle, which showed a nearly 3‐fold increase between high and low light conditions (6.2–15.2‰). The smallest response was in T. pseudonana (Hustedt) Hasle et Heimdal, which showed no change in the ɛ value of approximately 5‰ in both high and low light conditions. There was significant but smaller increases in the ɛ value for the diatom T. rotula Meunier (2.7–5.6‰) and the prymnesiophyte Emiliania huxleyi (Lohm.) Hay et Mohler (4.5–9.4‰) between high and low light levels. In the light:dark experiments, all three diatoms but not the prymnesiophyte exhibited an increase in ɛ. This increase was linked to the ability of diatoms to assimilate nitrate at night. The results of the these experiments suggest that the light regime influences the relative uptake, assimilation, and efflux rates of nitrate and results in differences in the expression of the isotope effect by the enzyme nitrate reductase. Therefore, variations in nitrate isotope fractionation in nature can be more accurately interpreted when the light regime and species composition are taken into consideration.
Rules for Collaboration: Institutional Analysis of Group Membership and Levels of Action in Watershed Partnerships
Authors: Hardy Scott D. , Koontz Tomas M.
Published: July 2009

This study employs the Institutional Analysis and Development framework across three collaborative watershed partnerships with differing membership profiles (government centered, citizen centered, or mixed) to determine how rules at varying levels of action (operational rules, collective‐choice rules, and constitutional rules) affect the formation and implementation of rules‐in‐use at different levels. Examining trends across group types at varying levels of action helps illuminate how the operational rules produced by different types of partnerships result in outputs that impact watershed management. Results show that the source of rules and their impact on subsequent levels of action vary by group type, with federal and state policies playing a larger role in government‐centered and mixed‐membership groups than in citizen‐centered groups.
Neuromuscular coordination of masticatory muscles in subjects with two types of implant‐supported prostheses
Authors: Ferrario Virgilio F. , Tartaglia Gianluca M. , Maglione Michele , Simion Massimo , Sforza Chiarella
Published: July 2009

Objectives: To compare the electromyographic (EMG) characteristics of masticatory muscles in patients with fixed implant‐supported prostheses and implant overdentures.

Material and methods: Nineteen subjects aged 45–79 years were examined. Fourteen were edentulous and had been successfully rehabilitated with (a) maxillary and mandibular implant‐supported fixed prostheses (seven patients); (b) mandibular implant overdentures and maxillary complete dentures (seven patients). Five control subjects had natural dentition or single/partial (no more than two teeth) tooth or implant fixed dentures. Surface EMG of the masseter and temporal muscles was performed during unilateral gum chewing and during maximum teeth clenching. To reduce biological and instrumental noise, all values were standardized as percentage of a maximum clenching on cotton rolls.

Results: During clenching, temporal muscle symmetry was larger in control subjects and fixed implant‐supported prosthesis patients than in overdenture patients (analysis of variance, P=0.005). No differences were found in masseter muscle symmetry or in muscular torque. Muscle activities (integrated areas of the EMG potentials over time) were significantly larger in control subjects than in implant‐supported prosthesis patients (P=0.014). In both patient groups, a poor neuromuscular coordination during chewing, with altered muscular patterns, and a smaller left–right symmetry than in control subjects were found (P=0.05). No differences in masticatory frequency were found.

Conclusion: Surface EMG analysis of clenching and chewing showed that fixed implant‐supported prostheses and implant overdentures were functionally equivalent. Neuromuscular coordination during chewing was inferior to that found in subjects with natural dentition.
DNA methylation status of the IL8 gene promoter in oral cells of smokers and non‐smokers with chronic periodontitis
Authors: Oliveira Naila F. P. , Damm Gilcy R. , Andia Denise C. , Salmon Cristiane , Nociti Jr. Francisco H. , Line Sérgio R. P. , De Souza Ana Paula
Published: July 2009

Aim: This study analysed the status of DNA methylation in the promoter region of the IL8 gene in oral mucosa cells from healthy, smoker and non‐smoker subjects with chronic periodontitis and compared these findings among groups with mRNA levels.

Material and Methods: Genomic DNA from epithelial oral cells of 41 healthy subjects, 30 smokers with chronic periodontitis and 40 non‐smokers with chronic periodontitis were purified and modified by sodium bisulphite. Genomic DNA from blood leucocytes and gingival cells from biopsies of 13 subjects of each group were also purified and modified by sodium bisulphite. Modified DNA was submitted by methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (MSP), electrophoresed on 10% polyacrylamide gels and stained with SYBR Gold. Total RNA from gingival cells was also isolated using the TRIzol reagent, and real‐time PCR performance was used to detect the levels of interleukin‐8 mRNA.

Results: Our results indicate that individuals with chronic periodontitis, independent of smoking habit, have a higher percentage of hipomethylation of the IL8 gene than those controls in epithelial oral cells (p<0.0001), and expression of higher levels of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) mRNA than controls in gingival cells (p=0.007). No significant differences among groups were observed in gingival cells and blood cells.

Conclusion: We conclude that inflammation in the oral mucosa might lead to changes in the DNA methylation status of the IL8 gene in epithelial oral cells.
Haematological reference values in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA study
Authors: Romeo Javier , Wärnberg Julia , Gómez‐Martínez Sonia , Díaz Ligia E. , Moreno Luis A. , Castillo Manuel J. , Redondo Carlos , Baraza Juan C. , Sola Ricardo , Zamora Salvador , Marcos Ascensión ,   on behalf of the AVENA group
Published: July 2009

Objectives:  To provide reference values for haematological indices in Spanish adolescents according to age and gender.

Methods:  A cross sectional study conducted in five Spanish cities was performed. Blood was drawn from a representative sample of 581 adolescents with age ranging from 13 to 17–18.5 yr. Age‐ and gender‐specific means, standard deviations and percentiles were determined for the following parameters: total red blood cell counts (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), haematocrit percentage (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, red cell distribution width and total white blood cell (WBC) counts as well as counts and percentage of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils; platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume and plateletcrit percentage.

Results:  Younger male subjects presented lower RBC, Hb, Hct and MCV means that their older counterpart. By contrast these differences were not observed in female subjects. As expected, RBC, Hb and Hct mean values in males were found significantly higher than in girls for all studied age groups. No significant differences were observed in WBC by age and gender. PLT values gradually decreased with age, except for females aged 17–18.5 yr.

Conclusion:  The present study provides reference data on the distribution of haematological indices of Spanish adolescents. These data can be useful biomarkers of the nutritional status in adolescents.
Young Adult Relationship Values at the Intersection of Gender and Sexuality
Authors: Meier Ann , Hull Kathleen E. , Ortyl Timothy A.
Published: July 2009

Recent decades have brought significant social changes in the industrialized West that may influence young adults' attitudes about intimate relationships, including changes in gender expectations and behaviors and changes in sexual attitudes and practices. We used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 14,121) to compare men to women and sexual minorities to heterosexuals on ratings of the importance of love, faithfulness, commitment, financial security, and racial homogamy for successful relationships. We found that nearly all young adults adhere to dominant relationship values inherent in the romantic love ideology; we found, however, modest but significant differences by gender and sexual identity in relationship values. Significant interactions demonstrated that gender and sexual identity intersect to uniquely influence relationship views.
Family Structure States and Transitions: Associations With Children's Well‐Being During Middle Childhood
Authors: Magnuson Katherine , Berger Lawrence M.
Published: July 2009

Using longitudinal data from the Maternal and Child Supplement of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 3,862) and Hierarchical Linear Models, we estimated associations of family structure states and transitions with children's achievement and behavior trajectories during middle childhood. Results suggest that residing in a single‐mother family was associated with small increases in behavior problems and decreases in achievement and that residing in a social‐father family was associated with small increases in behavior problems. Family structure transitions, in general, were associated with increases in behavior problems and marginally associated with decreases in achievement. Transitioning to a single‐mother family was associated with increases in behavior problems, whereas transitioning to a social‐father family was associated with decreases in reading achievement.
Did Unilateral Divorce Laws Raise Divorce Rates in Western Europe?
Authors: Kneip Thorsten , Bauer Gerrit
Published: July 2009

The increase in European divorce rates over the past decades was accompanied by several changes in divorce laws. Yet for European countries, research on the effects of divorce law on the divorce rate is scarce. Most of the existing studies are based on data from North America and provide numerous, but inconsistent, results. We use fixed‐effects regression models to examine the impact of the introduction of unilateral divorce on the divorce rate in Western European countries. We find that de facto unilateral divorce practices led to a sustainable increase in the divorce rate, whereas legal rights to unilaterally divorce had no long‐run effects.
Fathering With Multiple Partners: Links to Children's Well‐Being in Early Childhood
Authors: Bronte‐Tinkew Jacinta , Horowitz Allison , Scott Mindy E
Published: July 2009

The claim that multiple partner fertility may pose a risk of adverse outcomes for children has not been tested. We test this argument using a sample of 4,027 resident fathers and children from the Fragile Families and Child Well‐being Survey by examining the pathways through which fathers' multipartnered fertility is associated with children's externalizing behaviors and physical health status at 36 months. Path analyses indicate that multiple partner fertility exerted both a significant direct and indirect effect through paternal depression to influence children's externalizing behaviors. Fathers' multiple partner fertility also exerted a significant indirect effect through one mediator—father involvement—to influence children's physical health. This evidence suggests that the disruptions brought about by multipartnered fertility are important for understanding child well‐being.
Adolescents With Nonresident Fathers: Are Daughters More Disadvantaged Than Sons?
Authors: Mitchell Katherine Stamps , Booth Alan , King Valarie
Published: July 2009

This study examined sons' and daughters' involvement with nonresident fathers and associated outcomes (N = 4,663). Results indicated that sons and daughters reported equal involvement with nonresident fathers on most measures of father investment, although sons reported more overnight visits, sports, and movies and feeling closer to their fathers compared to daughters. Sons and daughters generally benefited from nonresident father involvement in the same way in internalizing and externalizing problems and grades. Feeling close to one's nonresident father, however, was associated with lower internalizing problems for daughters than sons. These findings suggest that nonresident fathers should be encouraged to be equally involved with their sons and daughters, as such involvement was associated with higher levels of well‐being for both sons and daughters.
Paradoxical Pathways: An Ethnographic Extension of Kohn's Findings on Class and Childrearing
Authors: Weininger Elliot B. , Lareau Annette
Published: July 2009

Stratification is a central issue in family research, yet relatively few studies highlight its impact on family processes. Drawing on in‐depth interviews (N = 137) and observational data (N = 12), we extend Melvin Kohn's research on childrearing values by examining how parental commitments to self‐direction and conformity are enacted in daily life. Consistent with Kohn's findings, middle‐class parents emphasized children's self‐direction, and working‐class and poor parents emphasized children's conformity to external authority. Attempts to realize these values appeared paradoxical, however. Middle‐class parents routinely exercised subtle forms of control while attempting to instill self‐direction in their children. Conversely, working‐class and poor parents tended to grant children considerable autonomy in certain domains of daily life, thereby limiting their emphasis on conformity.
Household Structure and Short‐Run Economic Change in Nicaragua
Authors: Winters Paul , Stecklov Guy , Todd Jessica
Published: July 2009

During the economic crises Nicaragua suffered between 2000 and 2002, a conditional cash transfer program targeting poor households began operating. Using panel data on 1,397 households from the program's experimentally designed evaluation, we examined the impact of the program on household structure. Our findings suggest that the program enabled households to avoid reagglomeration during the economic crises, with households in control communities growing more than treated households. These changes were driven primarily by shifts in residence of relatively young men and women with close kinship ties to the household head. In contrast, households that received transfers continued to send off young adult members, suggesting that the program provided resources to overcome the short‐term economic pressures on household structure.
Perceived Parental Relationships and Health‐Risk Behaviors in College‐Attending Emerging Adults
Authors: Schwartz Seth J. , Zamboanga Byron L. , Ravert Russell D. , Kim Su Yeong , Weisskirch Robert S. , Williams Michelle K. , Bersamin Melina , Finley Gordon E.
Published: July 2009

The present study investigated the association of perceived parenting with health‐risk behaviors in an ethnically diverse sample of 1,728 college‐attending emerging adults. Participants completed retrospective measures of perceived maternal and paternal nurturance, connection, psychological control, and disrespect and reported their frequency of binge drinking, illicit drug use, unsafe sexual behavior, and impaired driving. Multivariate Poisson regression analyses indicated that perceived paternal acceptance was associated inversely with 6 of the 12 health‐risk behaviors measured, whereas perceived mothering was related only to 2 of these health‐risk behaviors. These patterns were consistent across gender, ethnicity, and family structure.
Race and Childlessness in America, 1988–2002
Authors: Lundquist Jennifer Hickes , Budig Michelle J. , Curtis Anna
Published: July 2009

This paper bridges the literature on childlessness, which often focuses on married White couples, to the literature on race and fertility, which often focuses on why total fertility rates and nonmarital births are higher for Blacks than Whites. Despite similarity in levels of childlessness among Black women and White women, Black trends have been largely ignored. Recent research has not adequately explored the extent to which factors driving childlessness may vary among Black and White women. We attempted to fill this gap using the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 3,628) and found many similarities in the predictors of childlessness for both races. Exceptions were the role of marital status and educational attainment.
Veteran Status, Race‐Ethnicity, and Marriage Among Fragile Families
Authors: Usdansky Margaret L. , London Andrew S. , Wilmoth Janet M.
Published: July 2009

We used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2,679 ) to examine the impact of men's past military service on the likelihood that a couple will marry within 5 years of a nonmarital birth. Logistic regression analyses showed that men's past military service increased marriage odds by 54% for couples with Black fathers even after controlling for potential mediators. But veteran status had no effect on couples with White or Hispanic fathers. As a result, the large Black‐White gap in postbirth marriage evident among couples with civilian fathers did not exist among couples with veteran fathers. Our findings bolster other evidence that military service exerts lasting and unique pro‐marriage effects on Blacks.