bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical ecology and bioactivity of triterpene glycosides from the sea cucumber Psolus patagonicus (Dendrochirotida: Psolidae)
Authors: Muniain C. , Centurión R. , Careaga V.P. , Maier M.S.
Published: June 2008

Information on the chemical ecology and bioactivity of chemical compounds present in the sea cucumber Psolus patagonicus is provided through an interdisciplinary approach. The specimens studied were collected from two different and very distant sampling localities: Bridges Islands (Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, 54° 48′57″ S 66° 25′00″ W) at depths of 4 to 10 m by SCUBA diving, and from the scallop beds of Zigochlamys patagonica (39° 27′10″ S 55° 56′76″ W), at depths of 110 m and 115 m (43° 47′84″ S 59° 56′80″ W) by means of non-selective dredge in the South Atlantic Ocean.The secondary metabolites were isolated from complete adults by a combination of chromatographic methods and purified by high-performance liquid chromatography. They were characterized as triterpene glycosides through extensive spectroscopic analyses (nuclear magnetic resonance and fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy) and chemical methods. A purified fraction containing Patagonicoside A as the main triterpene showed a high level of mortality against the brine shrimp Artemia salina and revealed different antifungal activity of Patagonicoside A and its desulphated glycoside (ds-Patagonicoside A) against the fungi Cladosporium fulvum, Fusarium oxysporum and Monilia sp., compared with a potent commercial antifungal product.
Response of benthic foraminiferaRosalina leeito different temperature and salinity, under laboratory culture experiment
Authors: Nigam R. , Kurtarkar Sujata R. , Saraswat R. , Linshy V.N. , Rana S.S.
Published: June 2008

Live specimens of benthic foraminiferal speciesRosalina leeiwere subjected to a combination of temperature (25°C, 30°C and 35°C) and salinity (25‰, 30‰ and 35‰) to assess its differential response to the annual range of seawater temperature and salinity reported at the sampling site. A total of 216 specimens were used for the experiment. Within the range of temperature and salinity, to whichR. leeispecimens were subjected as part of the present experiment, growth increased with increasing salinity, whereas increase in seawater temperature resulted in retarded growth. Maximum growth was reported in the specimens kept at 25°C temperature and 35‰ salinity while the rest of the specimens maintained in 30‰ and 25‰ saline water, showed comparatively less growth. The specimens kept at 30°C and 35°C temperature and different salinities showed much less growth as compared to the specimens maintained at 25°C temperature. However, none of theR. leeispecimens subjected to the present experiment reproduced during the course of the experiment. The absence of reproduction under the present set of temperature and salinity conditions, probably indicates thatR. leeireproduces at a very narrow range of temperature and salinity which is different from the temperature and salinity conditions in the present experiment. It is further inferred that under the present set of temperature–salinity conditions, 25°C temperature and 35‰ saline water is most suitable for the growth ofR. leei. Results are significant as the responses of benthic foraminifera to different temperatures and salinity are being used for palaeoclimatic reconstruction.
Species composition and vertical distribution of chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) in a rocky intertidal zone of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica
Authors: Jörger K.M. , Meyer R. , Wehrtmann I.S.
Published: June 2008

The present study describes the species composition and vertical distribution of chitons in tide pools and on exposed rock areas of the intertidal zone of Samara, Guanacaste, Pacific Costa Rica. Nine different species of chitons were recorded, and their densities and sizes were determined using quadrate sampling. Physical (period of emersion, temperature and salinity range) and biotic (presence and diversity of food resources) factors were examined to assess their influence on distribution and abundance of each species.Ischnochiton disparwas the predominant species with densities of up to 200 ind m−2, representing 85.4% of all sampled individuals (N = 4193). The size ofI. disparwas positively correlated with the size of the inhabited boulders. Two species (I. disparandStenoplax limaciformis) showed segregation in size:I. disparbeing negatively andS. limaciformispositively correlated to the distance from the shore. Two of the nine species (Chiton stokesiiandAcanthochitona hirundiniformis) occurred mainly on rocky areas outside the tide pools with variable amounts of exposure to air during each tidal cycle. In both species the tide pool specimens were significantly smaller than those collected in the rocky areas. Distribution of all other species was restricted to the tide pools and species had their peak abundance in the zones with more moderate conditions and a higher diversity of algae, resulting in the highest chiton diversity in these areas.
Feeding ecology of Enteroctopus megalocyathus (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) in southern Chile
Authors: Ibáñez Christian M. , Chong Javier V.
Published: June 2008

In this research we studied the diet of Enteroctopus megalocyathus from three principal locations of the octopus fishery (Ancud, Quellón and Melinka) in southern Chile. The gastric contents of 523 individuals, collected between October 1999 and September 2000, were examined and statistically analysed. Diet composition was described using detrended correspondence analysis and analysed as a function of predator gender, body size and fishing area. Food items were found in ~50% of the octopuses examined and a total of 14 prey items were recognized. The diet of E. megalocyathus consisted primarily in brachyuran and anomuran crustaceans, fish and conspecifics. The diet differed in composition between fishing zones and mantle length of the specimens and size of octopuses varied between locations. After adjusting for octopus mantle length, diet composition was found to be different between fishing areas. Large octopuses fed on large crabs at Ancud, while in Quellón and Melinka small octopuses fed mainly on small crustaceans. There were no differences in prey composition between the gender and the size of octopuses was a better predictor of the variance in the diet composition (16%) than the fishing zone (6%). Cannibalism may become an important issue when food is scarce and/or at high population density.
A new species of Australonuphis (Polychaeta: Onuphidae) from the eastern Pacific
Authors: de León-González J.A. , Cornejo-Rodriguez M.H. , Degraer S.
Published: June 2008

A new species of Australonuphis Paxton, 1979 from the Ecuadorian coast, eastern Pacific, is described. The new species is characterized by seven modified parapodia, cirriform ventral cirri on the anterior 16 to 19 chaetigers, subacicular hooks beginning from chaetigers 43 to 57, and cirriform interramal processes on chaetigers 7–10 to 16–18 transformed back in a rounded lobe. This species belongs to the species group with unidentate pseudocompound hooks. Other species of this group are A. beltrani de León-González & Góngora-Garza, 1993, A. hartmanae (Friedrich, 1956), A. parateres Paxton, 1979 and A. teres (Ehlers, 1868).
Gorgonian mortality related to a massive attack by caprellids in the Bunaken Marine Park (North Sulawesi, Indonesia)
Authors: Scinto Alice , Bavestrello Giorgio , Boyer Massimo , Previati Monica , Cerrano Carlo
Published: June 2008

A massive attack of caprellids is reported here, that is related to a local mortality event of gorgonians in North Sulawesi. Three species of sea fans were affected by the presence of Metaprotella sandalensis, a caprellid widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific. The degree of damage here documented was in relation to the skeletal features of the gorgonian species. The amphipod gut contents were analysed, highlighting an unusual trophic source for caprellids and a new predator for gorgonians. This phenomenon is discussed also evidencing parallels between colonial marine invertebrates and their predators and terrestrial plant–herbivore interactions.
Community structure and microhabitat preferences of harpacticoid copepods in a tropical reef lagoon (Zanzibar Island, Tanzania)
Authors: Gheerardyn H. , De Troch M. , Ndaro S.G.M. , Raes M. , Vincx M. , Vanreusel A.
Published: June 2008

Three microhabitat types (dead coral fragments, coral gravel and coral sand) were distinguished and sampled at two locations (Matemwe and Makunduchi) in a tropical lagoon (Zanzibar Island, Tanzania), and the community structure, habitat preferences and biodiversity of the associated harpacticoid copepod fauna was investigated. The harpacticoid fauna is affected by sediment granulometry and by the structural differences between coral and both gravel and sediment. The coral fragments contained a specific assemblage composed of typical ‘phytal’ taxa(Tisbe,ParadactylopodiaandDactylopusia)along with other eurytopic and sediment-dwelling forms (Ameira,EctinosomaandAmphiascus), which may be attracted by the sediment retained between the coral branches. The assemblages of coral gravel and upper sediment layer did not differ significantly from each other and had mostly the same dominant genera. The sediment from Matemwe was dominated by the interstitial Paramesochridae and the sediment from Makunduchi by Tetragonicipitidae. The coral fragments from Makunduchi sustained a more diverse assemblage than gravel and the different sediment layers. It was assumed that coral form and complexity, with implications for habitable space, nutritional resources and level of predation, are important in structuring diversity of the associated assemblage.
Secretion of byssal threads and attachment strength ofMytilus galloprovincialis: the influence of size and food availability
Authors: Babarro Jose M.F. , Fernández Reiriz María José , Labarta Uxío
Published: June 2008

Byssogenesis rate and attachment strength of the musselMytilus galloprovincialiswere investigated in the laboratory considering different body sizes and feeding conditions. Byssal thread secretion was significantly higher in juveniles as compared to larger mussels of approximately 87 mm shell length. Asymptotic number of threads attached was obtained from approximately 72 hours onwards within a range of 42–46 and 27–31 for juveniles and larger experimental mussels, respectively (P < 0.05 ANOVA). Absorption efficiency values of control fed individuals dropped significantly from 0.78 in juveniles to 0.70 in larger mussels (P < 0.001 ANOVA) which pointed out energetic constraints of mussels with regard to their size and its probable effect on byssus secretion rates. Attachment force was 2.8 times higher in larger mussels than in juveniles (2.21 versus 0.78 N for both sizes, respectively; P < 0.001 ANOVA) which in turn followed the same order of magnitude than differences in the thread's thickness values of both experimental mussel sizes. Tenacity followed a reverse pattern with juveniles presenting two-fold higher values than larger mussels (P < 0.001 ANOVA) based on a lower increment of attachment force (x2.8) as compared to shell area (x6) for the comparison larger versus juvenile mussel size, which in turn might suggest that larger specimens secreted weaker threads. When animals were maintained unfed for a week, a significant drop in both byssus secretion and attachment force were observed in juveniles but was not the case for larger mussels most likely as a consequence of a relatively short period of maintenance under food availability stress for the latter individuals that showed significantly higher initial condition and/or energetic store values. Accordingly, the use of energetic reserves in juveniles kept unfed for a week together with a significant drop in byssus secretion and attachment force might suggest a link, i.e. transfer of energy between soft tissues and byssus under stress. Quantitative values of byssal threads, based on the significance of the byssus versus attachment force relationship, together with its morphometric value, i.e. thread's thickness, represented a primary mechanism to explain variability in attachment strength ofM. galloprovincialisof the different body sizes studied here.
Human impacts on residency behaviour of spangled emperor, Lethrinus nebulosus, in a marine protected area, as determined by acoustic telemetry
Authors: Chateau Olivier , Wantiez Laurent
Published: June 2008

The residency behaviour of six specimens of spangled emperor, Lethrinus nebulosus, was studied by acoustic telemetry in the mooring area (3–6 m depth) of a marine protected area (MPA) in New Caledonia. The 3 smaller fish (34–49 cm FL) remained within the study site less than 6 hours. The 3 larger individuals (51–54 cm FL) were regularly detected within the study site during the survey (6.5 months). These fish followed similar diurnal patterns of detection. They use the study site as a resting area during the day and migrate each night to feeding grounds after sunset. However, their presence was higher when wind speed was low (<10 knots) during weekends and school holidays. These links reflect a possible impact of human feeding activity. Consequently, management policies should include measures to control feeding activities within MPAs to maintain marine communities in a state unaltered by human activities.
A new deep sea species of Paramphinome (Polychaeta: Amphinomidae) from southern Brazil
Authors: Barroso Rômulo , Paiva Paulo Cesar
Published: June 2008

A new species of Paramphinome (Polychaeta: Amphinomidae) is described from southern Brazil (900–2000 m). Paramphinome posterobranchiata sp. nov. differs from already described species by having a small body (1–9 mm); a low number of chaetigers (10–29); branchiae in few chaetigers (0–3) and starting more posterior than in most species; and by a reduced caruncle.
The concept of coregulation between neurobehavioral subsystems: The logic interplay between excitatory and inhibitory ends
Authors: Ferber Sari Goldstein
Published: June 2008

Neuroconstructivism, Vol. 1: How the Brain Constructs Cognition implies that brain functioning depends on biofeedback and ecological trajectories. Using the building blocks of Boolean algebra known as logic gates and models of distributed control systems, I suggest that levels of regulatory states are responsible for optimal, pathological, and developmental processes. I include the impact of regulatory and nonregulatory functions on structural development.
Problems with the imprinting hypothesis of schizophrenia and autism
Authors: Keller Matthew C.
Published: June 2008

Crespi & Badcock (C&B) convincingly argue that autism and schizophrenia are diametric malfunctions of the social brain, but their core imprinting hypothesis is less persuasive. Much of the evidence they cite is unrelated to their hypothesis, is selective, or is overstated; their hypothesis lacks a clearly explained mechanism; and it is unclear how their explanation fits in with known aspects of the disorders.
Analytic continuation of multiple Hurwitz zeta functions
Authors: KELLIHER JAMES P. , MASRI RIAD
Published: June 2008

We use a variant of a method of Goncharov, Kontsevich and Zhao [5,16] to meromorphically continue the multiple Hurwitz zeta functionto$\mathbb{C}^{d}$, to locate the hyperplanes containing its possible poles and to compute the residues at the poles. We explain how to use the residues to locate trivial zeros of$\zeta_{d}(s;\theta)$.
A Modern Day Cruise Ship Master's “Captain's Navigation Orders”
Authors: Nash Captain Nick
Published: June 2008

The aim of this paper is to give insight into the day-to-day navigation of a modern day cruise vessel – in this case a state of the art 77,000 GRT vessel – 261 metres long with an 8·0 metre draft, carrying 2270 passengers and 910 crew. The ship operates mainly in the Caribbean in winter and Europe – Mediterranean and Scandinavia – in the summer. The instructions are my own, which supplement the Company's (which at present do not fully cover a full Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) operation) and have been written to ensure all Bridge Officers fully understand how I expect to operate the Bridge at sea and in confined waters using ECDIS as the main navigation system. The paper is presented in its user format and is a copy of my orders as written.
Optimal Wiener Filter for a Body Mounted Inertial Attitude Sensor
Authors: Rizun Peter
Published: June 2008

An optimal attitude estimator is presented for a human body-mounted inertial measurement unit employing orthogonal triads of gyroscopes, accelerometers and magnetometers. The estimator continuously fuses gyroscope and accelerometer measurements together in a manner that minimizes the mean square error in the estimate of the gravity vector, based on known spectral characteristics for the gyroscope noise and the linear acceleration of points on the human body. The gyroscope noise is modelled as a white noise process of power spectral density δn2/2 while the linear acceleration is modelled as the derivative of a band-limited white noise process of power spectral density δv2/2. The estimator is robust to centripetal acceleration and guaranteed to have zero mean error regardless of the motion of the sensor. The mean square angular error in attitude is shown to be independent of the module's angular velocity and equal to 21/2g−1/2δn3/2δv1/2.
Unity and Divergence: Scandinavian Internationalism, 1914–1921
Authors: GRAM-SKJOLDAGER KAREN , TØNNESSON ØYVIND
Published: June 2008

Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) is frequently seen as a democratic ‘island of peace’ in international politics and the three states are seen as ardent supporters of an ‘international community’ under the umbrella of the United Nations as well as its predecessor, the League of Nations. This article seeks to challenge this idealised, unitary conception of Scandinavian peace politics by exploring how different strands of internationalism, as transnational phenomena, developed from the outbreak of the First World War until the three states became members of the League. Initially, that development was more or less independent of official foreign policy. The article explains how and to what degree new internationalist ideas were eventually merged with traditional neutralist Scandinavian foreign policies.
National Concepts of Freedom and Government Pacification Policies: The Case of Czechoslovakia in the Transitional Period after 1918
Authors: ZÜCKERT MARTIN
Published: June 2008

Founded in 1918, the Czechoslovak state faced a series of problems in the years after its foundation. Apart from the question of the relationship between the ideal of a nation-state and the reality of its multi-ethnic structure, as well as the question of territorial security, the successive Czechoslovak governments faced the challenge of pacifying an uprooted post-war society. During this phase of transition, ideals of nationhood and peace as well as concepts of political power were adapted to pragmatic government policies. Despite rifts between the Czech- and the German-speaking parts of the population, combined with the dangers of a radicalised strike movement and the difficult integration of members of the Czechoslovak Legion into the new polity, attempts at pacification were much more successful in the west of the country than in Slovakia and in Carpathia, since the latter two regions lacked the structural continuities of laws and institutions.
Making Peace in the Shadow of War: The Austrian–Hungarian Borderlands, 1945–1956
Authors: PITTAWAY MARK
Published: June 2008

This article examines the process of state reconstruction in Austria and Hungary's borderlands that followed the Second World War. This process of state reconstruction was also a process of pacification, as it represented an attempt to (re)build states on the foundations of the military settlement of the war. The construction of legitimate state authority was at its most successful on the Austrian side of the border, where political actors were able to gain legitimacy by creating a state that acted as an effective protector of the immediate demands of the local community for security from a variety of threats. On the Hungarian side of the border the state was implicated with some of the actors who were seen as threatening local communities, something that produced political polarisation. These differences set the stage for the transition from war to cold war in the borderlands.
The Catholic Church, Italian Catholics and Peace Movements: The Cold War Years, 1947–1962
Authors: MORO RENATO
Published: June 2008

This article focuses on the early years of the cold war in Italy in the form of an analysis of the Catholic press from 1947 to the eve of the Second Vatican Council in 1962. In so doing it attempts to answer key questions for Italian Catholicism relating to peace building that arose from total war in the age of mass democracy.
In vitro development of mouse somatic nuclear transfer embryos: effects of donor cell passages and electrofusion
Authors: Zhang Gang , Sun Qing-Yuan , Chen Da-Yuan
Published: June 2008

In this study, C57BL/6 adult male mouse ear fibroblast cells and Kunming mouse M2 oocytes were used as donors and recipients, respectively, to investigate the effect of passage number on donor cells and electrofusion times on the in vitro development of nuclear transfer (NT) embryos. The results demonstrated firstly that when the ear fibroblast cells from either 2–4, 5–7 or 8–10 passages were used as donors, respectively, to produce NT embryos, the number of passages undergone by the donor cells had no significant effect on the in vitro development of NT embryos. The developmental rates for morula/blastocyst were 15.2, 13.3 and 14.0%, respectively, which were not significantly difference (p > 0.05). Secondly, when the NT embryos were electrofused, there was no significant difference between the fusion ratio for the first electrofusion and the second electrofusion (p > 0.05). The developmental rates of the 2-cell and 4-cell stages that had undergone only one electrofusion, however, were significantly higher than those that had had two electrofusions (65.7% compared with 18.4% and 36.4% compared with 6.1%; p < 0.01), furthermore the NT embryos with two electrofusions could not develop beyond the 4-cell stage. This study suggests that this protocol might be an alternative method for mouse somatic cloning, even though electrofusion can exert negative effects on the development of NT embryos.
Prevalence of undiagnosed congenital cardiac defects in older children
Authors: Gupta-Malhotra Monesha , Dave Archana , Sturhan Brian C. , McNiece Karen , Syamasundar Rao P. , Portman Ronald
Published: June 2008

Background

Certain congenital cardiac defects may go undetected for several years due to lack of symptoms and signs. Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of such defects among children greater than one year of age.

Methods

The study was performed on subjects diagnosed with systemic hypertension, aged from 1 to 19 years, with a mean of 12.4 years, in whom we performed echocardiography, using a standard protocol, to establish any end-organ damage or to reveal any congenital cardiac defects.

Results

We found a congenital cardiac defect in 5 (3.5%) of the 143 children evaluated. Of these, 4 had not previously been detected, specifically Ebsteins malformation of the tricuspid valve, with moderate regurgitation, a coronary arterial anomaly, a bicuspid aortic valve, and prolapse of the mitral valve permitting regurgitation. In the other patient, we found a non-significant tiny muscular ventricular septal defect.

Conclusions

Our transthoracic echocardiographic investigation revealed previously unsuspected congenital cardiac defects in 4 of 143 older children, with 3 of these requiring further management by a paediatric cardiologist. A similar prevalence has also been reported in older children evaluated echocardiographically for other diseases such as insulin-resistance and leukemia. Hence, it is possible that the prevalence of congenitally malformed hearts is higher than previously reported. When clinically indicated, clinicians should more readily consider obtaining an echocardiogram to help in the identification of such malformations.
The effects of surgically induced right bundle branch block on left ventricular function after closure of the ventricular septal defect
Authors: Pedersen Thais A. L. , Andersen Niels H. , Knudsen Mette R. , Christensen Thomas D. , Sørensen Keld E. , Hjortdal Vibeke E.
Published: June 2008

Objective

To determine the long-term significance of right bundle branch block on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in children subsequent to surgical closure of ventricular septal defect.

Methods

We studied 26 children who underwent surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect 11 ± 2 years postoperatively by use of conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography, comparing the findings to those obtained from a control group. Of those having surgical correction 14 had postoperative right bundle branch block.

Results

Irrespective of the presence of right bundle branch block, the peak systolic velocity of the mitral ring was lower in those undergoing surgical correction, with values of 5.2 ± 1.4 cm/s in those with right bundle branch block, 5.4 ± 1.2 cm/s in those without right bundle branch block after surgical correction, and 6.6 ± 1.0 cm/s in the control subjects (p < 0.01). In terms of diastolic function, the early septal velocity of transmitral inflow divided by the early diastolic mitral annular velocity was significantly higher in children with right bundle branch block, at 12 ± 3.0 cm/s compared to 8.4 ± 1.5 cm/s in the control subjects (p < 0.01), but not significantly higher in the children without right bundle branch block after correction compared to the control group. The fractional shortening percentage was similar in both patients and control subjects. The changes noted in left ventricular function were not significantly related to age at surgery, the period of follow-up, or the surgical method.

Conclusions

Systolic long axis function is significantly reduced in children after surgical closure of ventricular septal defects, irrespective of the presence of right bundle branch block. Diastolic dysfunction, in contrast, was observed primarily in children with post-operative right bundle branch block.
The Impact of Parents' Expectations on Parenting Behaviour: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Creswell Cathy , O'Connor Thomas G. , Brewin Chris R.
Published: June 2008

Over-involved parenting is commonly hypothesized to be a risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders in childhood. This parenting style may result from parental attempts to prevent child distress based on expectations that the child will be unable to cope in a challenging situation. Naturalistic studies are limited in their ability to disentangle the overlapping contribution of child and parent factors in driving parental behaviours. To overcome this difficulty, an experimental study was conducted in which parental expectations of child distress were manipulated and the effects on parent behaviour and child mood were assessed. Fifty-two children (aged 7 – 11 years) and their primary caregiver participated. Parents were allocated to either a “positive” or a “negative” expectation group. Observations were made of the children and their parents interacting whilst completing a difficult anagram task. Parents given negative expectations of their child's response displayed higher levels of involvement. No differences were found on indices of child mood and behaviour and possible explanations for this are considered. The findings are consistent with suggestions that increased parental involvement may be a “natural” reaction to enhanced perceptions of child vulnerability and an attempt to avoid child distress.
Online CBT in the Treatment of Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders: Issues in the Development of BRAVE–ONLINE and Two Case Illustrations
Authors: Spence Susan H. , Donovan Caroline L. , March Sonja , Gamble Amanda , Anderson Renee , Prosser Samantha , Kercher Amy , Kenardy Justin
Published: June 2008

This paper describes the rationale for and development of an online cognitive-behavioural treatment for child and adolescent anxiety (BRAVE–ONLINE). It highlights the challenges involved in adapting a clinic-based intervention for delivery using the internet, with separate sessions for parents and their children (or adolescents). We outline strategies to ensure that young people remain engaged in online therapy, and describe techniques designed to optimize the alliance between clients and the online therapist. Two case studies are presented that illustrate the practical and technical aspects of implementing the intervention, and demonstrate the feasibility of achieving successful outcomes using online delivery of CBT for child and adolescent anxiety. However, firm conclusions regarding the efficacy of this approach cannot be drawn until the results of randomized controlled trials are available. The paper identifies directions for future research.
The Relations between Anxiety Sensitivity and Anxiety Control in the Prediction of Anxiety Symptoms among Children and Adolescents
Authors: Marin Carla E. , Rey Yasmin , Nichols-Lopez Kristin , Silverman Wendy K.
Published: June 2008

The present study investigated the relations between youth anxiety sensitivity and perceived anxiety control over Internal Reactions and perceived anxiety control over External Threats within the context of a (partially) mediated model in the prediction of anxiety symptoms. Youth sex also was investigated as a moderator of the conceptual model. The sample consisted of 333 children and adolescents (51.4% boys; M = 10.27 years old) referred to a youth anxiety disorders specialty research clinic. Findings showed that high anxiety sensitivity predicted high levels of anxiety symptoms for both boys and girls. Findings also showed that for both boys and girls, high anxiety sensitivity predicted low perceived anxiety control over Internal Reactions, as well as low perceived anxiety control over External Threats. Interestingly, perceived anxiety control over Internal Reactions was a partial mediator of the relation between anxiety sensitivity and anxiety for boys, but not girls. In contrast, perceived anxiety control over External Threats was a partial mediator of the relation between anxiety sensitivity and anxiety for girls, but not boys. The results are discussed within the context of the study's conceptual model as well as potential clinical implications.
Vascular smooth muscle function is associated with initiation and processing speed in patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease
Authors: MOSER DAVID J. , MILLER IVY N. , HOTH KARIN F. , CORREIA MARCELO , ARNDT STEPHAN , HAYNES WILLIAM G.
Published: June 2008

We previously reported a relationship between forearm resistance vessel function and global neuropsychological performance in patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD). This study was conducted to determine the relationships among vascular smooth muscle function, endothelial function, and initiation and processing speed in this sample. Participants were 80 individuals with AVD. Resistance vessel function was measured before and after infusion of vasoactive agents. Neuropsychological assessment included measures of estimated premorbid cognitive function, current global cognitive function, initiation, and processing speed. Vascular smooth muscle function was significantly associated with the initiation/processing speed composite score [R-Square Change = .152; F Change (1,71) = 16.61; p < .001], above and beyond the variance accounted for by age, education, premorbid cognitive function, and endothelium-dependent vascular function. This relationship remained significant when controlling for current level of global cognitive functioning and 10 vascular risk factors. Endothelium-dependent vascular function was not significantly associated with test performance. Decreased vascular smooth muscle function in forearm resistance vessels was significantly associated with relatively poor initiation and processing speed in individuals with AVD. With additional research, measures of vascular function might become useful in the early identification of those individuals at greatest risk for vascular-related cognitive dysfunction. (JINS, 2008, 14, 535–541.)
Emotion perception deficits following traumatic brain injury: A review of the evidence and rationale for intervention
Authors: BORNHOFEN CRISTINA , MCDONALD SKYE
Published: June 2008

While the cognitive disturbances that frequently follow severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are relatively well understood, the ways in which these affect the psychosocial functioning of people with TBI are yet to be determined and have thus received little attention in treatment research. Growing evidence indicates that a significant proportion of individuals with TBI demonstrate an inability to recognize affective information from the face, voice, bodily movement, and posture. Because accurate interpretation of emotion in others is critical for the successful negotiation of social interactions, effective treatments are necessary. Until recently, however, there have been no rehabilitation efforts in this area. The present review examines the literature on emotion perception deficits in TBI and presents a theoretical rationale for targeted intervention. Several lines of research relevant to the remediation of emotion perception in people with TBI are considered. These include work on emotion perception remediation with other cognitively impaired populations, current neuropsychological models of emotion perception and underlying neural systems, and recent conceptualizations of remediation processes. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of carrying out efforts to improve emotion perception within a contextualized framework in which the day-to-day relevance of training is clear to all recipients. (JINS, 2008,14, 511–525.)
Syntactic comprehension deficits are associated with MRI white matter alterations in dementia
Authors: GIOVANNETTI TANIA , HOPKINS MARY W. , CRAWFORD JACLYN , BETTCHER BRIANNE MAGOUIRK , SCHMIDT KARA S. , LIBON DAVID J.
Published: June 2008

Comprehension difficulties associated with periventricular and deep white matter alterations (WMA) in mild dementia were investigated using portions of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) Complex Ideation subtest and Syntax subtests. Mild dementia participants were grouped according to the extent of their WMA as observed on magnetic resonance imaging (mild WMA n = 45 vs. moderate to severe WMA n = 52). Correlation and regression analyses also were performed to examine the link between WMA and comprehension abilities, as well as the link between comprehension abilities and neuropsychological measures of executive functioning, language, episodic memory, and overall dementia severity. Results showed that the WMA groups differed on the BDAE-Syntax subtests, with the severe WMA group demonstrating more impairment. Correlation and regression analyses including the entire sample also demonstrated that the extent of WMA was significantly linked to Syntax test scores but not Complex Ideation scores. Regression analyses including neuropsychological measures showed that the BDAE-Complex Ideation score was marginally predicted by only overall dementia severity, whereas the BDAE-Syntax scores were significantly predicted by independent measures of working memory/executive functioning. In conclusion, greater subcortical WMA and executive deficits are associated with greater difficulties in syntactic comprehension in individuals with mild dementia. (JINS, 2008, 14, 542–551.)
Is it what you see, or how you say it? Spatial bias in young and aged subjects
Authors: BARRETT ANNA M. , CRAVER-LEMLEY CATHERINE E.
Published: June 2008

Healthy subjects demonstrate leftward bias on visual–spatial tasks. However, young controls may also be left-biased when drawing communicatively, depicting the subject of a sentence leftward on a page relative to the sentence object, that is, a spatial–syntactic, implicit task. A leftward visual–spatial bias may decrease with aging, as right-hemisphere, dorsal, visual–spatial activation may be reduced in elderly subjects performing these tasks. We compared horizontal and radial (near–far) visual spatial bias, and spatial–syntactic bias, in healthy young and aged participants. Both horizontal and radial visual–spatial bias were smaller in aged participants when explicitly, but not implicitly assessed. Mean implicit far bias was greater in aged subjects, although this varied by task. We observed less implicit, spatial–syntactic left bias in aged than young participants. These results may be consistent with relatively less dominance of right hemisphere, dorsal spatial systems with aging. (JINS, 2008, 14, 562–570.)
Neuroimaging of working memory dysfunction and the dilemma with brain reorganization hypotheses
Authors: HILLARY FRANK G.
Published: June 2008

There is a growing literature examining working memory deficits using functional imaging and there has been great convergence in the findings, to date, but interpretations have varied. Investigators consistently observed recruitment of neural resources in clinical samples, with some examiners attributing these findings to neural inefficiency and others attributing differences to neural compensation and/or brain reorganization. It is the goal of this paper to address the current interpretation of altered brain activation in clinical imaging studies of working memory dysfunction with specific emphasis on findings in prefrontal cortex (PFC). Throughout this review, the methods used to examine brain reorganization associated with working memory dysfunction are critiqued with the goal of understanding how study design has influenced data interpretation. It is proposed that much of what has been considered “aberrant” neural activity is not indicative of neural compensation, as it has been typically defined, and does not represent brain reorganization. Instead, recruitment of neural resources in PFC can be explained by a natural, and largely overlooked, role of cognitive control in accommodating neural dysfunction secondary to brain injury and disease. This paper provides predictions based on this proposition and a critique of the current methods available for testing these predictions. (JINS, 2008, 14, 526–534.)
Episodic memory and speed/attention deficits are associated with Alzheimer-typical CSF abnormalities in MCI
Authors: NORDLUND ARTO , ROLSTAD SINDRE , KLANG OLA , LIND KARIN , PEDERSEN MONA , BLENNOW KAJ , EDMAN ÅKE , HANSEN STEFAN , WALLIN ANDERS
Published: June 2008

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is regarded as the prodromal stage of dementia disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: To compare the neuropsychological profiles of MCI subjects with normal concentrations of total tau (T-τ) and Aβ42 in CSF (MCI-norm) to MCI subjects with deviating concentrations of the biomarkers (MCI-dev). MCI-norm (N = 73) and MCI-dev (N = 73) subjects were compared to normal controls (N = 50) on tests of speed/attention, memory, visuospatial function, language and executive function.

Results: MCI-norm performed overall better than MCI-dev, specifically on tests of speed and attention and episodic memory. When MCI-dev subjects were subclassified into those with only high T-tau (MCI-tau), only low Aβ42 (MCI-Aβ) and both high T-tau and low Aβ42 (MCI-tauAβ), MCI-tauAβ tended to perform slightly worse. MCI-tau and MCI-Aβ performed quite similarly.

Conclusions: Considering the neuropsychological differences, many MCI-norm probably had more benign forms of MCI, or early non-AD forms of neurodegenerative disorders. Although most MCI-dev performed clearly worse than MCI-norm on the neuropsychological battery, some did not show any deficits when compared to age norms. A combination of CSF analyses and neuropsychology could be a step toward a more exact diagnosis of MCI as prodromal AD. (JINS, 2008, 14, 582–590.)
Levodopa improves time-based prospective memory in Parkinson's disease
Authors: COSTA ALBERTO , PEPPE ANTONELLA , BRUSA LIVIA , CALTAGIRONE CARLO , GATTO ILARIA , CARLESIMO GIOVANNI AUGUSTO
Published: June 2008

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of acute levodopa administration on the performance of a group of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) on a time-based prospective memory task. Twenty PD patients and 15 healthy controls were administered a task that required executing three actions after 10 min had elapsed in three consecutive trials. Scores were computed for correct recall of the intention to perform the actions and for correct execution of the actions. PD participants were evaluated after a 12-hr drug wash-out in two conditions: (1) after levodopa administration (“on”); (2) without drug administration (“off”). In the “on” condition, PD patients were significantly more accurate in retrieving the intention to perform the actions than in the “off” condition and their performance was actually comparable to that of healthy controls. The increased accuracy in complying with the prospective memory task following levodopa medication supports the idea that dopamine depletion plays a role in the prospective memory deficits observed in PD patients. (JINS, 2008, 14, 601–610.)
Effects of semantic relatedness on recall of stimuli preceding emotional oddballs
Authors: SMITH RYAN M. , BEVERSDORF DAVID Q.
Published: June 2008

Semantic and episodic memory networks function as highly interconnected systems, both relying on the hippocampal/medial temporal lobe complex (HC/MTL). Episodic memory encoding triggers the retrieval of semantic information, serving to incorporate contextual relationships between the newly acquired memory and existing semantic representations. While emotional material augments episodic memory encoding at the time of stimulus presentation, interactions between emotion and semantic memory that contribute to subsequent episodic recall are not well understood. Using a modified oddball task, we examined the modulatory effects of negative emotion on semantic interactions with episodic memory by measuring the free-recall of serially presented neutral or negative words varying in semantic relatedness. We found increased free-recall for words related to and preceding emotionally negative oddballs, suggesting that negative emotion can indirectly facilitate episodic free-recall by enhancing semantic contributions during encoding. Our findings demonstrate the ability of emotion and semantic memory to interact to mutually enhance free-recall. (JINS, 2008, 14, 620–628.)
Global/Local Issues in Electroacoustic Music for the Cinema of the Real: A case study
Authors: Cipriani Alessandro , Latini Giulio
Published: June 2008

The authors describe various experiences regarding the use of sonic materials from local musical cultures and soundscapes in the field of electroacoustic music as applied to the creative documentary. The introduction concentrates on the general characteristics of the process of ‘globalisation’ now underway and on the various different interpretations of it that have been developed over the last fifteen years.

A number of methodological and ethical questions are then asked in relation to the debate regarding the global/local dichotomy in the context of electroacoustic and audiovisual elaboration, especially when phonic material originating from the most varied geographic-cultural areas is artistically restructured and reconfigured.

In the third part of the article the accent is placed on the personal experiences of the authors regarding the production of pieces of electroacoustic music and documentaries realised in Morocco, China and Lapland.

In the last section the article concentrates on a possible diachronic perspective (i.e. studying a phenomenon in its passage through time) by means of which one can come to a relationship with soundscape sounds, and some sonic and visual examples from works realised in Catania and London are supplied.
Mimetic Space – Unravelled
Authors: Fischman Rajmil
Published: June 2008

This article is a development, refinement and expansion of a paper presented at the Electroacoustic Music Studies Conference, 2007 (EMS07). It aims to provide a framework and terminology for the discussion, analysis and creation of music that articulates mimetic discourse and structure. In doing so, it also intends to enable parallel and complementary analytical approaches to those concerned with the aural and spatial aspects of musical articulation. It proposes the notion of multidimensional mimetic space, taking as its point of departure Emmerson's Language Grid (Emmerson 1986), and constructing additional axes representing compositional continua, similar in function to those proposed by spectromorphology (Smalley 1986), but applicable to mimetic material. The argument considers the mimetic implications of both purely acousmatic music and works that combine the acousmatic with live performance. After a brief consideration of the relationship between mimetic space and space-form (Smalley 2007a), the discussion concludes with a perspective on narrative as a component of mimetic space; providing an extensive discussion of issues pertinent to the idea of signifier space, which was originally introduced in the preceding paper.
Local and Global Connotations in Sonic Composition
Authors: Cifariello Ciardi Fabio
Published: June 2008

An aspect of the local/global binarism in music regards the cultural identity of the sounds, musical styles and grammars of a composition. This article intends to explore the role of the local/global issue in the context of the semantic dimension of sounds, both during the composition of a musical piece and during its reception.

In the first part of the article the local or global identity of a sonic event will be examined from two different perspectives: on the one hand that of the composer, starting from his or her attitudes with regard to the semantic aspects of the sonic material and the compositional processes used; on the other hand that of the listener, starting from the cognitive processes (s)he activates in the search for a musical and an extramusical meaning. Based on this analysis, in the second part of the article the usefulness of describing the cultural identity of a sonic event and more generally its semantic dimensions in terms of ‘shared connotations’ will be explored. Finally, some of the interactions between connoted sonic events will be analysed, mainly focusing on global and local cultural identities.
Sound and Musics in the Global Village: On landscapes in sound and soundscapes in culture
Authors: Böhme-Mehner Tatjana
Published: June 2008

Following Marshall McLuhan's concept of a global village as a form of universal organisation in a technically dominated world, terms of globality and locality, and the concepts of world and village as social constructions in order to organise perception in an enhanced social environment are discussed in matters of their relevance in the context of electroacoustic music and especially its studies. In relation to historical as well as to more theoretical examples from the field of electroacoustic music, problems of perceiving spaces, places and locations are introduced. The solutions proposed here are primarily based on system theory approaches (as for instance Luhmann and Bühl) and newer network theory concepts (as for example Castells and Nowotny). The network is proposed as a kind of explanatory model in today's media-dominated world. Focusing on a model oriented to difference, ‘global’ and ‘local’ are regarded as categories guiding perception in matters of equality and difference. In this way the problem of listening to the other in opposition to the self is introduced. Thus it is demonstrated that there can never be a global sound or even a sounding globality. The phenomenon of soundscapes is discussed as a central theme in relation to its role as a listening strategy, its appearance in music and its own musicality.