bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating model transferability for a threatened species to adjacent areas: Implications for rock‐wallaby conservation
Authors: MURRAY J. V. , LOW CHOY S. , MCALPINE C. A. , POSSINGHAM H. P. , GOLDIZEN A. W.
Published: April 2010

When modelling the distribution of a species, it is often not possible to comprehensively sample the whole distribution of the species and managers may have habitat models based on data from one area that they want to apply in other areas. Hence, an important question is: how accurate are models of the distributions of species when applied beyond the areas where they were developed? A first step in measuring model transferability could be testing models in adjacent areas. We predicted the habitat associations of the brush‐tailed rock‐wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) across two spatial scales in two neighbouring study areas in eastern Australia, south‐east Queensland and north‐east New South Wales. We used classification trees for exploratory data analysis of habitat relationships and then applied logistic regression models to predict species occurrence. We assessed the within‐area discriminative ability of the habitat models using cross‐validation and threshold plots, and tested the predictive ability of the models for adjacent areas using the receiver operating characteristic statistic to determine the area under the curve. We found that models performed well within an area and extrapolating them to adjacent areas resulted in good predictive performance at the site scale but substantially poorer predictive performance at the landscape scale. We conclude that distribution models for wildlife species should only be extrapolated to neighbouring areas with caution when using landscape‐scale environmental variables. Alternatively, only key habitat associations predicted by the models at this scale should be transferred across adjacent areas once verified against local knowledge of the ecology of the study species.
Fire refugia: The mechanism governing animal survivorship within a highly flammable plant
Authors: BRENNAN KARL E. C. , MOIR MELINDA L. , WITTKUHN ROY S.
Published: April 2010

Identifying factors that influence the survival of individuals during disturbance is critical to understanding patterns of species reassembly within ecological communities. Although most studies of recovery of populations post‐burning acknowledge the potentially important contribution of animals surviving in situ, few have measured the effectiveness of refugia. This paper tests the hypothesis that some plants with tightly packed leaf‐bases provide a refuge for invertebrates during fire (even when the plants themselves burn) by using the highly flammable grass tree (Xanthorrhoeaceae: Xanthorrhoea). Invertebrates were sampled from four unburnt and five experimentally burnt grass trees (Xanthorrhoea preissii Endl.). Also collected were invertebrates fleeing during burning. The dataset comprises 949 specimens, representing 81 species from 18 orders, of which 749 individuals were from unburned plants. Slaters (Isopoda), silverfish (Thysanura), spiders (Araneae) and bugs (Hemiptera) dominated assemblages of the unburnt grass trees. Despite grass trees burning at temperatures of up to 515°C, some invertebrates survived in situ. Species‐specific microhabitat preferences within the plant appeared to influence survivorship. Species collected in the crown of unburned plants were found more often alive on burnt plants than species typically inhabiting the dead skirt of decaying leaves (thatch). We contend that the mechanism causing differential mortality is fire temperature. In the dead skirt, temperatures reached 225.33 ± 66.57°C. In contrast, a region of mild temperature (25.00 ± 3.54°C) persisted throughout burning near the apical meristem (within the crown). We conclude that grass trees are a potential reservoir from which invertebrates might re‐colonize recently burnt areas. However, owing to species‐specific microhabitat preferences and differential mortality across microhabitats, the invertebrate assemblage remaining in situ will be restricted taxonomically compared with the original grass tree fauna. Moreover, different fire regimes might mediate the effectiveness of grass trees as refugia. Finally, we argue that in situ survival of invertebrates within plants with tightly packed leaf‐bases is an unrecognized global phenomenon applicable to a wide array of plant taxa.
Effects of forest fragment management on vegetation condition and maintenance of canopy composition in a New Zealand pastoral landscape
Authors: BURNS B. R. , FLOYD C. G. , SMALE M. C. , ARNOLD G. C.
Published: April 2010

Residual forest fragments in areas dominated by pastoral agriculture can have high value for biodiversity conservation but are still subject to ongoing degradation as (i) processes initiated by fragmentation continue to operate, for example, changes in canopy replacement probabilities; and (ii) deleterious processes impinge upon them from the surrounding matrix, for example, browsing and trampling by vagrant livestock. Responses by management to slow or reverse these processes require evaluation. Stock (mainly cattle and sheep) exclusion by fencing and mammal pest (mainly Trichosurus vulpecula (brushtail possum)) control are currently used as management tools to maintain or improve the vegetation condition of fragments in New Zealand. We examined the effectiveness of these tools by sampling vegetation composition, forest structure and regeneration of woody species in 41 old‐growth fragments dominated by Beilschmiedia tawa, selected to populate a factorial design that included four different fencing classes (unfenced, fenced 2–10, 10–20 and >20 years ago), with and without sustained mammal pest control. Fencing for more than 10 years led to higher abundances of native ground ferns and shrubs, and lower abundances and numbers of mostly adventive herbaceous ground cover species. In contrast, lianes were less abundant with mammal pest control, whereas herbs were more abundant. Fencing led to a high‐density pulse of seedlings and saplings of woody species within 10 years that then thinned. Mammal pest control allowed increases in abundance of some species palatable to T. vulpecula, and increased the ratio of canopy to subcanopy seedlings in the regeneration pulse caused by fencing. Neither treatment, however, led to the restoration of indigenous species richness to reference forest levels, nor allowed densities of juveniles of shade‐tolerant canopy species to establish to levels commensurate with replacement of existing canopy trees. Most woody seedlings that established following fencing were of short‐lived subcanopy species. These management actions will therefore slow but not reverse the long‐term degradation of these forest fragments, which will eventually differ substantially from continuous forest under current management regimes. Additional measures such as replanting may be necessary not only to ensure replacement of some current species but also to restore lost species.
Consortia modulation of the stress response: proteomic analysis of single strain versus mixed culture
Authors: Fazzini Roberto A. Bobadilla , Preto Maria J. , Quintas Ana C. Poucas , Bielecka Agata , Timmis Kenneth N. , dos Santos Vitor A. P. Martins
Published: April 2010

The high complexity of naturally occurring microbial communities is the major drawback limiting the study of these important biological systems. In this study, a comparison between pure cultures of Pseudomonas reinekei sp. strain MT1 and stable community cultures composed of MT1 plus the addition of Achromobacter xylosoxidans strain MT3 (in a steady‐state proportion 9:1) was used as a model system to study bacterial interactions that take place under simultaneous chemical and oxidative stress. Both are members of a real community isolated from a polluted sediment by enrichment in 4‐chlorosalicylate (4CS). The analysis of dynamic states was carried out at the proteome, metabolic profile and population dynamic level. Differential protein expression was evaluated under exposure to 4CS and high concentrations of toxic intermediates (4‐chlorocatechol and protoanemonin), including proteins from several functional groups and particularly enzymes of aromatic degradation pathways and outer membrane proteins. Remarkably, 4CS addition generated a strong oxidative stress response in pure strain MT1 culture led by alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, while the community showed an enhanced central metabolism response, where A. xylosoxidans MT3 helped to prevent toxic intermediate accumulation. A significant change in the outer membrane composition of P. reinekei MT1 was observed during the chemical stress caused by 4CS and in the presence of A. xylosoxidans MT3, highlighting the expression of the major outer membrane protein OprF, tightly correlated to 4CC concentration profile and its potential detoxification role.
Effects of temperature, nutrients, organic matter and coral mucus on the survival of the coral pathogen, Serratia marcescens PDL100
Authors: Looney Erin E. , Sutherland Kathryn P. , Lipp Erin K.
Published: April 2010

Serratia marcescens is an enteric bacterium that causes white pox disease in elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata; however, it remains unclear if the pathogenic strain has adapted to seawater or if it requires a host or reservoir for survival. To begin to address this fundamental issue, the persistence of strain PDL100 was compared among seawater and coral mucus microcosms. Median survival time across all conditions ranged from a low of 15 h in natural seawater [with a first‐order decay constant (k) = −0.173] at 30°C to a maximum of 120 h in glucose‐amended A. palmata mucus (k = −0.029) at 30°C. Among seawater and mucus microcosms, median survival time was significantly greater within Siderastrea siderea mucus compared with seawater or mucus of Montastraea faveolata or A. palmata (P < 0.0001). In seawater, the addition of phosphate and especially glucose resulted in significant improvements in survival (P < 0.001), while only the addition of glucose resulted in significant improvement in survival in A. palmata mucus (P < 0.0001). Increasing the temperature of seawater to 35°C resulted in a significantly slower decay than that observed at 30°C (P < 0.0001). The results of this study indicate that PDL100 is not well‐adapted to marine water; however, survival can be improved by increasing temperature, the availability of coral mucus from S. siderea and most notably the presence of dissolved organic carbon.
Effects of physical exercise versus rosiglitazone on endothelial function in coronary artery disease patients with prediabetes
Authors: Desch S. , Sonnabend M. , Niebauer J. , Sixt S. , Sareban M. , Eitel I. , De Waha S. , Thiele H. , Blüher M. , Schuler G.
Published: April 2010

We conducted a three‐arm, parallel‐group, randomized, controlled trial to compare the effects of rosiglitazone and physical exercise on endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease and impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance over a 6‐month period. Group A received rosiglitazone tablets 8 mg daily (n = 16), group B underwent a structured physical exercise programme (n = 15) and group C served as a control group (n = 12). At baseline and after 6 months, brachial artery ultrasound imaging was performed to assess reactive flow‐mediated dilation (FMD). Rosiglitazone treatment and exercise both led to significant improvements in insulin resistance at 6 months, whereas no change was observed in control patients. FMD improved significantly in physical exercise patients, whereas no change could be observed in patients receiving rosiglitazone or in the control group. Between‐group comparisons also showed a significant relative improvement in FMD in exercise patients compared with rosiglitazone.
THE IMPACT OF AIDS ON INCOME AND HUMAN CAPITAL
Authors: FERREIRA PEDRO CAVALCANTI , PESSÔA SAMUEL , DOS SANTOS MARCELO RODRIGUES
Published: April 2010

This paper studies the impact of HIV/AIDS on per capita income and education. It explores two channels on how HIV/AIDS affects income that have not been sufficiently stressed by previous literature: the reduction of the incentives to stay in school due to shorter expected longevity and the reduction in productivity of experienced workers. In the model, individuals live for three periods, may get infected in the second period, and with some probability die of AIDS before reaching the third period of their lives. Parents care for the welfare of the future generations so that they will maximize lifetime utility of their dynasty. The simulations predict that the most affected countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa in the future will be, on average, 30% poorer than they would be without AIDS. Schooling will decline in some cases by 40%. These figures are dramatically reduced with widespread medical treatment, as it increases the survival probability and productivity of infected individuals. (JEL O11, I12, C15, O55)
BLAME, MORAL STANDING AND THE LEGITIMACY OF THE CRIMINAL TRIAL
Authors: Duff R. A.
Published: April 2010

I begin by discussing the ways in which a would‐be blamer's own prior conduct towards the person he seeks to blame can undermine his standing to blame her (to call her to account for her wrongdoing). This provides the basis for an examination of a particular kind of ‘bar to trial’ in the criminal law – of ways in which a state or a polity's right to put a defendant on trial can be undermined by the prior misconduct of the state or its officials. The examination of this often neglected legal phenomenon illuminates some central features of the criminal law and the criminal process, and some of the preconditions for the legitimacy of the criminal law in a liberal republic.
IN DEFENCE OF FICTIONAL INCOMPETENCE
Authors: Cavedon‐Taylor Dan
Published: April 2010

The claim that photographs are fictionally incompetent (i.e. that they can only depict those particulars they are appropriately causally related to) is argued by Noël Carroll, Gregory Currie, and Nigel Warburton to be falsified by cinematic works of fiction. In response I firstly argue that it does not follow from cinema's having a capacity for the representation of ficta that photography has a capacity for the representation of ficta. Secondly, and inspired by the work of Roger Scruton, I develop an account of how it is that cinema represents ficta on which this is fundamentally a matter of dramatic/theatrical representation. I argue that in cinematic fiction photography delivers a pre‐existent representation of ficta rather than creating or generating fictional content. With this being so, the claim that photography is fictionally incompetent is compatible with cinematic fiction.1
A PERSPECTIVAL DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE
Authors: Costa Claudio F.
Published: April 2010

In this paper an improved formulation of the classical tripartite view of knowledge is proposed and defended. This formulation solves Gettier's problem by making explicit what is concealed by the symbolic version of the tripartite definition, namely, the perspectival context in which concrete knowledge claims are evaluated.
‘CREATIONISM’ AND THE CONTINGENT A PRIORI
Authors: Leech Jessica F.
Published: April 2010

Williamson (1986) presents a troublesome example of the contingent a priori; troublesome, because it does not involve indexicals, and hence cannot be defused via the usual two‐dimensional strategies. Here I explore how the example works, via an examination of crucial belief‐forming method M, partly in response to Hawthorne (2002) and the questions there raised for ‘hyperreliable’ belief‐forming methods. I suggest that, when used to form a belief, M does its special work through creating a verifying state of affairs which guarantees the truth of the belief thus formed. This creative link can be said to account for the knowledge‐conferring status of M. But it also provides us with a way to defuse the purported example of the contingent a priori. The knowledge at issue is only a priori in virtue of this creative link, an importantly different epistemic achievement from standard cases of a priori knowledge. One important moral to be drawn is that the a priori/a posteriori distinction does not appear to be slicing the epistemological beast at its joints.
GLOBAL OBLIGATIONS AND THE AGENCY OBJECTION
Authors: Wringe Bill
Published: April 2010

Many authors hold that collectives, as well as individuals can be the subjects of obligations. Typically these authors have focussed on the obligations of highly structured groups, and (less often) of small, informal groups. One might wonder, however, whether there could also be collective obligations which fall on everyone – what I shall call ‘global collective obligations’. One reason for thinking that this is not possible has to do with considerations about agency: it seems as though an entity can only be the subject of obligations if it is an agent. In this paper, I try to show that the argument from agency is not a good reason for being sceptical about the existence of global collective obligations: it derives whatever plausibility it has from the idea that claims about obligation need to be addressable to some agent. My suggestion is that we should accept this principle about the addressability of obligations, but deny that the addressee of an obligation need be the subject of that obligation. The collective obligations of unstructured collections of individuals, including global collective obligations, meet the addressability requirement insofar as they require something of the individuals who make up the collective.
How does dissociation between written and oral forms affect reading: evidence from auxiliary verbs in Arabic
Authors: Ibrahim Raphiq
Published: April 2010

In Arabic, auxiliary verbs are necessary in the written language, but absent from the oral language. This is contrary to languages such as English and French in which auxiliary verbs are mandatory in both written and oral languages. This fact was exploited to examine if dissociation between written and oral forms affects reading measures like letter detection task and therefore to validate the phenomenon of the missing‐letter effect (MLE) and to replicate previous studies. In addition, the study examined whether auxiliary verbs in Arabic are considered as functional elements that constitute part of the structural frame. Sixty native Arabic speakers read a passage while looking for a target letter that was embedded in a preposition, an auxiliary verb or a content word. Results showed the typical MLE with more omissions for the preposition than for the content words. However, the results with the auxiliary verb are less clear. The functional and the syntactic roles of auxiliary verbs in Arabic are discussed.
The effects of cooperative learning on enhancing Hong Kong fifth graders' achievement goals, autonomous motivation and reading proficiency
Authors: Law Yin‐Kum
Published: April 2010

Research indicates that cooperative learning with teacher‐guided instruction is more effective in helping young children to learn than cooperative learning with minimal guidance. In the present study, two different cooperative learning activities (jigsaw and drama) and a control condition (a traditional teacher‐led approach) were compared. The participants were 279 Grade 5 Hong Kong students located in nine classrooms. The two experimental conditions emphasised teachers' cognitive support in helping students to understand a text through both teacher‐led and student‐led activities. Post‐test data included a reading comprehension test and three questionnaires that investigated students' goal orientations, initial level of relative autonomy and perceptions of instructional practices. Findings indicate that students in the jigsaw group outperformed students in both the drama group and the control group in the reading comprehension test. The implications of conducting cooperative learning activities with well‐planned teacher guidance are discussed.
A phonological study of the spatial diffusion of urban linguistic forms to the varieties of the Nile Delta1
Authors: Ornaghi Dario
Published: April 2010

This paper investigates the possible spatial diffusion of linguistic urban features into the areas traditionally dominated by rural varieties of Egyptian Arabic in the Nile Delta. In the last fifty years, this area has experienced enormous changes in terms of spatial mobility, education levels, patterns of socialization and consumption, and exposure to the media. These modifications have diverse effects on the linguistic varieties of previously more isolated rural speech communities and may promote the diffusion of the urban variety. Focusing on two phonological variables, this study will attempt to outline the dynamics of diffusion and retention in two locations through the analysis of 27 sociolinguistic interviews issued from a larger fieldwork study carried out in the Governorate of alʃarqijja in 2007–2008.
ABSTRACTION, LAW, AND FREEDOM IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
Authors: COLBURN TIMOTHY , SHUTE GARY
Published: April 2010

Abstract: Laws of computer science are prescriptive in nature but can have descriptive analogs in the physical sciences. Here, we describe a law of conservation of information in network programming, and various laws of computational motion (invariants) for programming in general, along with their pedagogical utility. Invariants specify constraints on objects in abstract computational worlds, so we describe language and data abstraction employed by software developers and compare them to Floridi's concept of levels of abstraction. We also consider Floridi's structural account of reality and its fit for describing abstract computational worlds. Being abstract, such worlds are products of programmers' creative imaginations, so any “laws” in these worlds are easily broken. The worlds of computational objects need laws in the form of self‐prescribed invariants, but the suspension of these laws might be creative acts. Bending the rules of abstract reality facilitates algorithm design, as we demonstrate through the example of search trees.
WHY INFORMATION ETHICS MUST BEGIN WITH VIRTUE ETHICS
Authors: VOLKMAN RICHARD
Published: April 2010

Abstract: The information ethics (IE) of Floridi and Sanders is evaluated here in the light of an alternative in virtue ethics that is antifoundationalist, particularist, and relativist in contrast to Floridi's foundationalist, impartialist, and universalist commitments. Drawing from disparate traditional sources like Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Emerson, as well as contemporary advocates of virtue ethics like Nussbaum, Foot, and Williams, the essay shows that the central contentions of IE, including especially the principle of ontological equality, must either express commitments grounded in the particular perspectives we already inhabit, or be without rational or ethical force for us.
MEETING FLORIDI'S CHALLENGE TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FROM THE KNOWLEDGE‐GAME TEST FOR SELF‐CONSCIOUSNESS
Authors: BRINGSJORD SELMER
Published: April 2010

Abstract: In the course of seeking an answer to the question “How do you know you are not a zombie?”Floridi (2005) issues an ingenious, philosophically rich challenge to artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of an extremely demanding version of the so‐called knowledge game (or “wise‐man puzzle,” or “muddy‐children puzzle”)—one that purportedly ensures that those who pass it are self‐conscious. In this article, on behalf of (at least the logic‐based variety of) AI, I take up the challenge—which is to say, I try to show that this challenge can in fact be met by AI in the foreseeable future.
PUTTING INFORMATION FIRST: LUCIANO FLORIDI AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF INFORMATION
Authors: ALLO PATRICK
Published: April 2010

Abstract: The core aim of this special issue is to present the philosophy of information as a way of doing philosophy, to focus on the contributions of Luciano Floridi to that area, and most important, to stimulate the debate on the most distinctive and controversial views he has defended in that context. This introduction contains a description of the philosophy of information, a discussion of two common misconceptions about the scope and the ambition of the philosophy of information, and a brief overview of the essays in the issue.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF INFORMATION: TEN YEARS LATER
Authors: FLORIDI LUCIANO
Published: April 2010

Abstract: This article provides replies to, and comments on, the contributions to the special issue on the philosophy of information. It seeks to highlight con‐vergences and points of potential agreement, while offering clarifications and further details. It also answers some criticisms and replies to some objections articulated in the special issue.
PHILOSOPHY IN THE INFORMATION AGE
Authors: BYNUM TERRELL WARD
Published: April 2010

Abstract: In the past, major scientific and technological revolutions, like the Copernican Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, have had profound effects, not only upon society in general, but also upon Philosophy. Today's Information Revolution is no exception. Already it has had significant impacts upon our understanding of human nature, the nature of society, even the nature of the universe. Given these developments, this essay considers some of the philosophical contributions of two “philosophers of the Information Age”—Norbert Wiener and Luciano Floridi—with regard to the nature of the universe, human nature, the nature of society, and the nature of “artificial agents” such as robots, softbots, and cyborgs.
Geophysical signatures associated with fluid flow and gas hydrate occurrence in a tectonically quiescent sequence, Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea
Authors: WANG X. , WU S. , YUAN S. , WANG D. , MA Y. , YAO G. , GONG Y. , ZHANG G.
Published: April 2010

Interpretation of high‐resolution two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) seismic data collected in the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea reveals the presence of polygonal faults, pockmarks, gas chimneys and slope failure in strata of Pliocene and younger age. The gas chimneys are characterized by low‐amplitude reflections, acoustic turbidity and low P‐wave velocity indicating fluid expulsion pathways. Coherence time slices show that the polygonal faults are restricted to sediments with moderate‐amplitude, continuous reflections. Gas hydrates are identified in seismic data by the presence of bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs), which have high amplitude, reverse polarity and are subparallel to seafloor. Mud diapirism and mounded structures have variable geometry and a great diversity regarding the origin of the fluid and the parent beds. The gas chimneys, mud diapirism, polygonal faults and a seismic facies‐change facilitate the upward migration of thermogenic fluids from underlying sediments. Fluids can be temporarily trapped below the gas hydrate stability zone, but fluid advection may cause gas hydrate dissociation and affect the thickness of gas hydrate zone. The fluid accumulation leads to the generation of excess pore fluids that release along faults, forming pockmarks and mud volcanoes on the seafloor. These features are indicators of fluid flow in a tectonically‐quiescent sequence, Qiongdongnan Basin.

Geofluids (2010) 10, 351–368
Human papillomavirus‐based triage of women showing a cervical cytology result of borderline or mild dyskaryosis
Authors: Arbyn M , Martin‐Hirsch P , Wentzensen N
Published: April 2010

Please cite this paper as: Arbyn M, Martin‐Hirsch P, Wentzensen N. HPV‐based triage of women showing a cervical cytology result of borderline or mild dyskaryosis. BJOG 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471‐0528.2010.02521.x.
Diurnal variation is lost in preterm deliveries before 28 weeks of gestation
Authors: Vatish M , Steer PJ , Blanks AM , Hon M , Thornton S
Published: April 2010

Please cite this paper as: Vatish M, Steer P, Blanks A, Hon M, Thornton S. Diurnal variation is lost in preterm deliveries before 28 weeks of gestation. BJOG 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471‐0528.2010.02526.x.

Preterm delivery is the primary cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Labour at term occurs as a culmination of maturational events in both the fetus and maternal uterus. This process exhibits diurnal variation, with the onset of labour being more common at night. We have confirmed that this diurnal variation is present in gestations between 28 and 36 weeks, but is absent below 28 weeks. We hypothesise that this is because before 28 weeks of gestation, the onset of labour may result from a pathological rather than a physiological process. This may have important implications regarding any pharmacological approach to the prevention and/or treatment of very early preterm labour.
Single‐ versus double‐layer hysterotomy closure at primary caesarean delivery and bladder adhesions
Authors: Blumenfeld YJ , Caughey AB , El‐Sayed YY , Daniels K , Lyell DJ
Published: April 2010

Please cite this paper as: Blumenfeld Y, Caughey A, El‐Sayed Y, Daniels K, Lyell D. Single‐ versus double‐layer hysterotomy closure at primary caesarean delivery and bladder adhesions. BJOG 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471‐0528.2010.02529.x.

Objective  To determine the association between single‐layer (one running suture) and double‐layer (second layer or imbricating suture) hysterotomy closure at primary caesarean delivery and subsequent adhesion formation.

Design  A secondary analysis from a prospective cohort study of women undergoing first repeat caesarean section.

Setting  Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Population  One hundred and twenty‐seven pregnant women undergoing first repeat caesarean section.

Methods  Patient records were reviewed to identify whether primary caesarean hysterotomies were closed with a single or double layer. Data were analysed by Fisher’s exact tests and multivariable logistic regression.

Main outcome measure  Prevalence rate of pelvic and abdominal adhesions.

Results  Of the 127 women, primary hysterotomy closure was single layer in 56 and double layer in 71. Single‐layer hysterotomy closure was associated with bladder adhesions at the time of repeat caesarean (24% versus 7%, P = 0.01). Single‐layer closure was associated in this study with a seven‐fold increase in the odds of developing bladder adhesions (odds ratio, 6.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.72–28.1), regardless of other surgical techniques, previous labour, infection and age over 35 years. There was no association between single‐layer closure and other pelvic or abdominal adhesions.

Conclusions  Primary single‐layer hysterotomy closure may be associated with more frequent bladder adhesions during repeat caesarean deliveries. The severity and clinical implications of these adhesions should be assessed in large prospective trials.
Termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly after 23 weeks of gestation: a European register‐based study
Authors: Garne E , Khoshnood B , Loane M , Boyd PA , Dolk H ,   The EUROCAT Working Group
Published: April 2010

Please cite this paper as: Garne E, Khoshnood B, Loane M, Boyd P, Dolk H. Termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly after 23 weeks of gestation: a European register‐based study. BJOG 2010;117:660–666.

Objective  To determine the prevalence of termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (TOPFA) after 23 weeks of gestation in European countries, and describe the spectrum of anomalies for which late TOPFA is recorded.

Design  Population‐based study.

Setting  Twelve European countries.

Population  Nineteen registries of congenital anomaly in 12 European countries between 2000 and 2005. The number of total births covered was 2 695 832.

Methods  TOPFAs in singleton pregnancies from the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies and Twins (EUROCAT) database.

Main outcome measures  The prevalence of TOPFA and type of anomaly.

Results  There were 10 233 TOPFAs, 678 (6.6%) of which were performed at 24 weeks or more. The rate of TOPFA before 24 weeks was 3.4 per 1000 births, at 24–25 weeks 0.14 per 1000 births and at 26 weeks or more 0.11 per 1000 births. There was significant variation in the prevalence of TOPFA at ≥24 weeks between countries (P < 0.001), with all countries in the range 0–0.55 per 1000 births, except France (Paris) at 2.65 per 1000 births. The large majority of late TOPFAs had a gestational age of 24–27 weeks (516/678, 76%). The proportion of TOPFAs from 24 weeks or more varied by type of anomaly, with 4% of all TOPFAs for chromosomal anomalies and 9% of all TOPFAs for nonchromosomal anomalies resulting in late TOPFA (P < 0.001). For transposition of the great arteries, single ventricle, hypoplastic left heart and hydrocephaly, the percentage of late TOPFA was 12–23%. The median time interval between diagnosis and late TOPFA was 2 weeks for most anomalies, but longer (≥5 weeks) for diaphragmatic hernia, omphalocoele, arthrogryposis multiplex and Turner’s syndrome.

Conclusion  Late TOPFA is rare in Europe, and varies in prevalence between countries. Compared with earlier TOPFA, late TOPFA is more often performed for a nonchromosomal isolated major structural anomaly and less often for a fetus with a chromosomal syndrome or multiple anomalies.
Baicalein reduces E46K α‐synuclein aggregation in vitro and protects cells against E46K α‐synuclein toxicity in cell models of familiar Parkinsonism
Authors: Jiang Mali , Porat‐Shliom Yair , Pei Zhong , Cheng Yong , Xiang Lan , Sommers Katherine , Li Qing , Gillardon Frank , Hengerer Bastian , Berlinicke Cynthia , Smith Wanli W. , Zack Donald J. , Poirier Michelle A. , Ross Christopher A. , Duan Wenzhen
Published: April 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 419–429.

The E46K is a point mutation in α‐synuclein (α‐syn) that causes familial Parkinsonism with Lewy body dementia. We have now generated a cell model of Parkinsonism/Parkinson’s disease (PD) and demonstrated cell toxicity after expression of E46K in the differentiated PC12 cells. E46K α‐syn inhibited proteasome activity and induced mitochondrial depolarization in the cell model. Baicalein has been reported to inhibit fibrillation of wild type α‐syn in vitro, and to protect neurons against several chemical‐induced models of PD. We now report that baicalein significantly attenuated E46K‐induced mitochondrial depolarization and proteasome inhibition, and protected cells against E46K‐induced toxicity in a cell model of PD. Baicalein also reduced E46K fibrilization in vitro, with a concentration‐dependent decrease in beta sheet conformation, though it increased some oligomeric species, and decreased formation of E46K α‐syn‐induced aggregates and rescued toxicity in N2A cells. Taken together, these data indicate that mitochondrial dysfunction, proteasome inhibition and specific aspects of abnormal E46K aggregation accompany E46K α‐syn‐induced cell toxicity, and baicalein can protect as well as altering aggregation properties. Baicalein has potential as a tool to understand the relation between different aggregation species and toxicity, and might be a candidate compound for further validation by using in vivoα‐syn genetic PD models.
Superoxide dismutase‐1 and other proteins in inclusions from transgenic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis model mice
Authors: Bergemalm Daniel , Forsberg Karin , Srivastava Vaibhav , Graffmo Karin S. , Andersen Peter M. , Brännström Thomas , Wingsle Gunnar , Marklund Stefan L.
Published: April 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 408–418.

Mutant superoxide dismutase‐1 (SOD1) causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through a cytotoxic mechanism of unknown nature. A hallmark in ALS patients and transgenic mouse models carrying human SOD1 (hSOD1) mutations are hSOD1‐immunoreactive inclusions in spinal cord ventral horns. The hSOD1 inclusions may block essential cellular functions or cause toxicity through sequestering of other proteins. Inclusions from four different transgenic mouse models were examined after density gradient ultracentrifugation. The inclusions are complex structures with heterogeneous densities and are disrupted by detergents. The aggregated hSOD1 was mainly composed of subunits that lacked the native stabilizing intra‐subunit disulfide bond. A proportion of subunits formed hSOD1 oligomers or was bound to other proteins through disulfide bonds. Dense inclusions could be isolated and the protein composition was analyzed using proteomic techniques. Mutant hSOD1 accounted for half of the protein. Ten other proteins were identified. Two were cytoplasmic chaperones, four were cytoskeletal proteins, and 4 were proteins that normally reside in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The presence of ER proteins in inclusions containing the primarily cytosolic hSOD1 further supports the notion that ER stress is involved in ALS.
Analysis of peptides in prohormone convertase 1/3 null mouse brain using quantitative peptidomics
Authors: Wardman Jonathan H. , Zhang Xin , Gagnon Sandra , Castro Leandro M. , Zhu Xiaorong , Steiner Donald F. , Day Robert , Fricker Lloyd D.
Published: April 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 215–225.

Neuropeptides are produced from larger precursors by limited proteolysis, first by endopeptidases and then by carboxypeptidases. Major endopeptidases required for these cleavages include prohormone convertase (PC) 1/3 and PC2. In this study, quantitative peptidomics analysis was used to characterize the specific role PC1/3 plays in this process. Peptides isolated from hypothalamus, amygdala, and striatum of PC1/3 null mice were compared with those from heterozygous and wild‐type mice. Extracts were labeled with stable isotopic tags and fractionated by HPLC, after which relative peptide levels were determined using tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 92 peptides were found, of which 35 were known neuropeptides or related peptides derived from 15 distinct secretory pathway proteins: 7B2, chromogranin A and B, cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript, procholecystokinin, proenkephalin, promelanin concentrating hormone, proneurotensin, propituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating peptide, proSAAS, prosomatosatin, provasoactive intestinal peptide, provasopressin, secretogranin III, and VGF. Among the peptides derived from these proteins, ∼1/3 were decreased in the PC1/3 null mice relative to wild‐type mice, ∼1/3 showed no change, and ∼1/3 increased in PC1/3 null. Cleavage sites were analyzed in peptides that showed no change or that decreased in PC1/3 mice, and these results were compared with peptides that showed no change or decreased in previous peptidomic studies with PC2 null mice. Analysis of these sites showed that while PC1/3 and PC2 have overlapping substrate preferences, there are particular cleavage site residues that distinguish peptides preferred by each PC.
Measuring Equality Between the Sexes
Authors: Dixon Ruth B.
Published: April 2010

Measures of the status of women and their potential for equality with men may be derived from women's position in five major spheres of activity — sexual relationships, reproduction, homemaking and child‐care, economic production, and political decision making— and from the degree of functional independence among these spheres of activity. Some commonly used statistical indicators of the status of women in the United States from 1900 through the early 1970s are evaluated as measures of progress toward equality between the sexes, defined here as the abolition of the social division of labor based on gender, and some new measures are proposed.
Fear of Success: Attribution of Cause to the Victim
Authors: Condry John , Dyer Sharon
Published: April 2010

Theory and research on the psychological construct of “fear of success” is reviewed in the context of Horner's original (1968) formulation of the motive. Both the validity and the reliability of the original measure are questioned in the light of the weakness of empirical support. The findings of subsequent research are organized in terms of what they contribute to a situational rather than a motivational interpretation of the data. Implications of these different views of the achievement behavior of females for changes in sex‐role socialization are discussed.
Big‐Time Careers for the Little Woman: A Dual‐Role Dilemma
Authors: Darley Susan A.
Published: April 2010

An explanation is presented for differential career achievement in women and men. The analysis proposed is based on social psychological theories, such as role theory and social comparison and attribution theory, rather than on the genetic or personality theories which have been advanced in the past. The paper focuses on the situational factors which operate on women to shape their domestic and professional choices and behavior. These factors are analyzed from the perspectives of traditional housewives and mothers; career women; and women who attempt to combine the responsibilities of housewife, mother, and professional.
Women and Power: Toward a Theory of Effectiveness
Authors: Johnson Paula
Published: April 2010

This paper develops a theory of sex‐role stereotyping and power use in terms of how people interact in daily life situations. Power use is proposed to be affected by sex‐role stereotypes on three major dimensions: direct‐indirect, concrete‐personal, and competent‐helpless. It is demonstrated that women have less access, in reality and in expectations, to concrete resources and competence, leaving them with indirect, personal, and helpless modes of influence. Power use is examined in terms of sex‐role stereotypes, and data are presented which support the hypothesis that people expect males and females to use different bases of power.
Social Values, Femininity, and the Development of Female Competence
Authors: Sherman Julia A.
Published: April 2010

An important current question is whether to socialize females to be competent or to be feminine. A second and related problem concerns socialization to promote maximal intellectual development in women. Major points of this paper are: (a) that the goals of femininity and competence are not necessarily the same, and (b) that little is known about how to rear females to be competent, partly because competence, especially intellectual competence, has never been considered an important goal for females. Approaches to social change are discussed.
A Model of Sex‐Role Transcendence
Authors: Rebecca Meda , Hefner Robert , Oleshansky Barbara
Published: April 2010

We propose a three‐stage model of sex‐role development which accounts for the failure of traditional models to explain sex‐role socialization and eliminate discrimination. Our model asserts that sex‐role development proceeds through three stages: an undifferentiated conception of sex roles, a polarized oppositional view of sex roles, and a transcendence of sex roles. The second stage characterizes many individuals and societal institutions today, and is regarded as the end‐point in much social science work on sex roles. Our model necessitates exploration of multiple interactive processes which influence sex‐role development and several different mechanisms of growth (accumulation of information and dialectic conflict resolution).
Change and Stability in Sex‐Role Norms and Behavior
Authors: Bernard Jessie
Published: April 2010

Sex‐role change is examined in terms of three models which focus on the relationship between norm and behavior in the process of change. Allport's J‐curve as a cross‐sectional description of change is illustrated by data on the participation of married women in the labor force over time. The diffusionist model is appropriate as a means of illuminating aspects of individual differences in readiness to accept innovations and to describe the succession of norms or expectations. Lipman‐Blumen's crisis model of change applies particularly to periods of forced or accelerated modification and allows also for retrogressive alterations in patterning. The conversion or “click” experience by which the individual absorbs the new innovative reality is discussed, as are some speculations as to eventual sex‐composition of specific roles, occupational and familial.
Institutions and Foreign IPO Firms: The Effects of “Home” and “Host” Country Institutions on Performance
Authors: Moore Curt B. , Bell R. Greg , Filatotchev Igor
Published: April 2010

In the current study, we develop an institutional embeddedness explanation of foreign initial public offering (IPO) performance. To explain the performance differentials of these firms, we investigate the effects of both “home” and “host” country institutional signals on IPO underpricing using a sample of foreign IPOs listed in two different institutional environments, namely, the U.S. and U.K. stock exchanges. Supporting the view that signals are institutionally embedded and that their value is not universal, we find the salience of signals associated with country of origin is contingent on the institutional environment of the listing exchange.
Institutional Environment and Entrepreneurial Cognitions: A Comparative Business Systems Perspective
Authors: Lim Dominic S.K. , Morse Eric A. , Mitchell Ronald K. , Seawright Kristie K.
Published: April 2010

In this study, we investigate the relationship between institutional elements of the social environment and entrepreneurial cognitions, which lead to the individual's venture creation decision. Employing a sample of 757 entrepreneurs and non–entrepreneurs from eight countries we examine the extent to which institutions influence venture creation decisions, where entrepreneurial expert scripts act as a mediator. Results show that various institutional elements, such as legal and financial systems, affect venture arrangements and willingness scripts. Venture arrangements scripts, in turn, have the most significant impact on an individual's venture creation decision.
Institutional Theory and Entrepreneurship: Where Are We Now and Where Do We Need to Move in the Future?
Authors: Bruton Garry D. , Ahlstrom David , Li Han–Lin
Published: April 2010

Institutional theory is an increasingly utilized theoretical lens for entrepreneurship research. However, while institutional theory has proven highly useful, its use has reached a point that there is a need to establish a clearer understanding of its wide–ranging application to entrepreneurship research. Therefore, we will initially review the existing entrepreneurship literature that employs institutional theory to both understand the current status of the field, its current shortcomings, and where we need to move in the future. We then summarize and discuss the articles in this special issue and how they contribute to this process of advancing institutional theory and its application in entrepreneurship research.
Multisite Infective Endocarditis/Endarteritis in a Young Peripartum Patient with Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Rheumatic Heart Valve Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Cagli Kumral , Basar Fatma Nurcan , Cagli Kerim , Yalcinkaya Adnan , Ozeke Ozcan , Turhan Nesrin , Golbasi Zehra , Tufekcioglu Omac
Published: April 2010

Infective endocarditis (IE) is rarely seen in pregnancy and puerperal period, and generally occurs in patients with preexisting heart disease or intravenous drug abuse. In this report, we describe a case of a 27‐year‐old patient with missed diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease and a moderate size patent ductus arteriosus, in whom multisite culture‐negative IE/pulmonary endarteritis developed after uncomplicated vaginal delivery. (Echocardiography 2010;27:466‐469)
Exceptional Ventricular Septal Rupture Associated with Intramyocardial Dissection Throughout the Right Ventricle
Authors: Basarici Ibrahim , Erbasan Ozan , Kemaloglu Didem , Arslan Gokhan , Bayezid Omer
Published: April 2010

Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is an uncommon but a devastating complication of acute myocardial infarction. Wide implementation of thrombolytic therapy in practice has limited the incidence of this complication and changed its time pattern by accelerating the occurrence. In the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention, this beneficial effect is more pronounced. This paper describes a case with a complex VSR with intramyocardial dissection tract extending throughout the right ventricle and yielding a left to right shunt; where the potential role of ischemia was suspected, but the precise etiology of septal rupture remained ambiguous. (Echocardiography 2010;27:460‐465)