bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Realistic losses of rare species disproportionately impact higher trophic levels
Authors: Bracken Matthew E. S. , Low Natalie H. N. 
Published: March 2012

Ecology Letters (2012) 15: 461–467AbstractPredicting the consequences of changes in biodiversity requires understanding both species’ susceptibility to extirpation and their functional roles in ecosystems. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of realistic, non‐random biodiversity losses, severely limiting the applicability of biodiversity research to conservation. Here, we removed sessile species from a rocky shore community in a way that deliberately mimicked natural patterns of species loss. We found that the rarest species in the system act from the bottom up to disproportionately impact the diversity and abundance of consumers. Realistic losses of rare species in a diverse assemblage of seaweeds and sessile invertebrates, collectively comprising <10% of sessile biomass, resulted in a 42–47% decline in consumer biomass. In contrast, removal of an equivalent biomass of dominant sessile species had no effect on consumers. Our results highlight the ‘cornerstone’ role that rare species can play in shaping the structure of the community they support.
Mechanistic roles for calcium and vitamin D in the regulation of body weight
Authors: Soares M. J. , Murhadi L. L. , Kurpad A. V. , Chan She Ping‐Delfos W. L. , Piers L. S. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryLow intakes of calcium and inadequate vitamin D status often cluster with higher prevalence rates of obesity. Consequently, there has been much interest in the mechanisms by which calcium and vitamin D could regulate body weight and adiposity. This review has focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have manipulated these nutrients and studied pathways of energy balance. Overall, there is consistent evidence that calcium and vitamin D increase whole body fat oxidation after single and multiple meals, and that calcium promotes a modest energy loss through increased faecal fat excretion. The evidence is equivocal for a greater diet‐induced thermogenesis, increased lipolysis, suppression of key lipogenic enzymes, decreased hunger ratings or reduced energy/macronutrient intake. Emerging evidence suggests a potential improvement in insulin sensitivity following vitamin D that would impinge on food intake and substrate oxidation. However, the very few RCTs on supplemental vitamin D and energy balance have not explored postprandial avenues of the hormone's actions. Future efforts in this area need to define the threshold intake of these nutrients that would maximize metabolic and gastrointestinal outcomes. Such studies would provide a platform for endorsing the non‐skeletal role of calcium and vitamin D in human pathophysiology.
Resistance training, visceral obesity and inflammatory response: a review of the evidence
Authors: Strasser B. , Arvandi M. , Siebert U. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryIntra‐abdominal obesity is an important risk factor for low‐grade inflammation, which is associated with increased risk for diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. For the most part, recommendations to treat or prevent overweight and obesity via physical activity have focused on aerobic endurance training as it is clear that aerobic training is associated with much greater energy expenditure during the exercise session than resistance training. However, due to the metabolic consequences of reduced muscle mass, it is understood that normal ageing and/or decreased physical activity may lead to a higher prevalence of metabolic disorders. Whether resistance training alters visceral fat and the levels of several pro‐inflammatory cytokines produced in adipose tissue has not been addressed in earlier reviews. Because evidence suggests that resistance training may promote a negative energy balance and may change body fat distribution, it is possible that an increase in muscle mass after resistance training may be a key mediator leading to a better metabolic control. Considering the benefits of resistance training on visceral fat and inflammatory response, an important question is: how much resistance training is needed to confer such benefits? Therefore, the purpose of this review was to address the importance of resistance training on abdominal obesity, visceral fat and inflammatory response.
BELIEF IS NOT THE ISSUE: A DEFENCE OF INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION
Authors: Dawes Gregory W. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractDefences of inference to the best explanation (IBE) frequently associate IBE with scientific realism, the idea that it is reasonable to believe our best scientific theories. I argue that this linkage is unfortunate. IBE does not warrant belief, since the fact that a theory is the best available explanation does not show it to be (even probably) true. What IBE does warrant is acceptance: taking a proposition as a premise in theoretical and/or practical reasoning. We ought to accept our best scientific theories since they are the theories that are most likely to lead to the goal of science, which is that of knowledge. In support of this claim I invoke Bill Lycan's Panglossian reflections regarding Mother Nature.1
The relationship of positive and negative expressiveness to the processing of emotion information
Authors: KNYAZEV GENNADY G. , BARCHARD KIMBERLY A. , RAZUMNIKOVA OLGA M. , MITROFANOVA LARISA G. 
Published: March 2012

Knyazev, G. G., Barchard, K. A., Razumnikova, O. M. & Mitrofanova, L.G. (2012). The relationship of positive and negative expressiveness to the processing of emotion information. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 206–215.The tendency to express emotions non‐verbally is positively related to perception of emotions in oneself. This study examined its relationship to perception of emotions in others. In 40 healthy adults, EEG theta synchronization was used to indicate emotion processing following presentation of happy, angry, and neutral faces. Both positive and negative expressiveness were associated with higher emotional sensitivity, as shown by cortical responses to facial expressions during the early, unconscious processing stage. At the late, conscious processing stage, positive expressiveness was associated with higher sensitivity to happy faces but lower sensitivity to angry faces. Thus, positive expressiveness predisposes people to allocate fewer attentional resources for conscious perception of angry faces. In contrast, negative expressiveness was consistently associated with higher sensitivity. The effects of positive expressiveness occurred in cortical areas that deal with emotions, but the effects of negative expressiveness occurred in areas engaged in self‐referential processes in the context of social relationships.
Links between self‐reported and laboratory behavioral impulsivity
Authors: HAVIK MERLE , JAKOBSON AINIKA , TAMM MARIA , PAAVER MARIKA , KONSTABEL KENN , UUSBERG ANDERO , ALLIK JÜRI , ÖÖPIK VAHUR , KREEGIPUU KAIRI 
Published: March 2012

Havik, M., Jakobson, A., Tamm, M., Paaver, M., Konstabel, K., Uusberg, A., Allik, J., Ööpik, V. & Kreegipuu, K. (2012). Links between self‐reported and laboratory behavioral impulsivity. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 216–223.A major problem in the research considering impulsivity is the lack of mutual understanding on how to measure and define impulsivity. Our study examined the relationship between self‐reported impulsivity, behavioral excitatory and inhibitory processes and time perception. Impulsivity – fast, premature, thoughtless or disinhibited behavior – was assessed in 58 normal, healthy participants (30 men, mean age 21.9 years). Self‐reported impulsivity as measured by Adaptive and Maladaptive Impulsivity Scale (AMIS) and behavioral excitatory and inhibitory processes as measured by Stop Signal Task were not directly related. Time perception, measured by the retrospective Time Estimation Task, was related to both. The length of the perceived time interval was positively correlated to AMIS Disinhibition subscale and negatively to several Stop Signal Task parameters. The longer subjects perceived the duration to last, the higher was their score on Disinhibition scale and the faster were their reactive responses in the Stop Signal Task. In summary our findings support the idea of cognitive tempo as a possible mechanism underlying impulsive behavior.
Federal TAX Competition – How does the Institutional Structure of a Country change Tax Outcomes?
Authors: Tillmann Lisa , Wigger Berthold U. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe interrelations of taxation and federal structure have been extensively analysed from various perspectives. The present paper looks at two competing countries of different institutional structures. It examines how the tax rates set at each level of both countries vary in a given setting, when a federal and a unitary country compete for mobile tax base, or both countries are organised as federations. The paper discusses whether or not tax rates set in every jurisdiction will be too high or too low in equilibrium. The externalities triggered by a tax regime change are analysed and the respective impact on revenues is considered. The results essentially hinge on the relative strategic interaction of tax rates, as well as the elasticity of the tax base with respect to the tax rate.
On Regional Unemployment: An Empirical Examination of the Determinants of Geographical Differentials in the UK
Authors: Gilmartin Michelle , Korobilis Dimitris 
Published: March 2012

AbstractIn this paper we consider the determinants of regional disparities in unemployment rates for the UK regions at NUTS‐II level. We use a mixture panel data model to describe unemployment differentials between heterogeneous groups of regions. The results indicate the existence of two clusters of regions in the UK economy, characterized by high and low unemployment rates, respectively. A major source of heterogeneity appears to be caused by the varying effect (between the two clusters) of the share of employment in the service sector, and we trace its origin to the fact that the high unemployment cluster is characterized by a higher degree of urbanization.
The relationship between inequality and innovative activity: a Schumpeterian theory and evidence from cross‐country data
Authors: Hatipoglu Ozan 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis article examines the effect of inequality on technological progress when innovations are protected by patents of finite length. It provides a Schumpeterian theory of the non‐linear relationship between income distribution and innovative activity in a dynamic general equilibrium setting. Additionally, the theory is empirically tested by investigating how inequality affects innovative activities in a cross‐country setting. Using two new data sets on inequality, one linear and two non‐linear dynamic panel data models are estimated. The results are robust to two common inequality measures. They support the hypothesis that there is an overall negative relationship between inequality and innovative activity and the relationship is non‐linear but not necessarily an inverted‐U.
Psychometric properties of the Norwegian Person‐centred Climate Questionnaire from a nursing home context
Authors: Bergland Ådel , Kirkevold Marit , Edvardsson David 
Published: March 2012

Background:  The physical and psychosocial environments in nursing homes influence the residents’ everyday life as well as their well‐being and thriving. The staff’s perceptions of and relationships with the residents are crucially important to quality care. Quality care is described often as person‐centred. Few measurement tools exist that focus on person‐centred care in nursing homes.Objective:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Person‐centred Climate Questionnaire–Staff version (PCQ‐S).Design:  This study had a cross‐sectional survey design.Participants and Settings:  Two hundred and nine healthcare and support staff in five nursing homes in the eastern part of Norway.Methods:  The Swedish PCQ‐S was translated into Norwegian with forward and backward translation. The relevance of the items included in the questionnaire was assessed by an expert panel of 10 nursing home care staff, because the questionnaire has not been used in this context previously. A psychometric evaluation using statistical estimates of validity and reliability was performed. The discriminatory capacity of the questionnaire was also tested.Results:  The content validity index was satisfactory (0.78). The PCQ‐S showed high internal consistency reliability in that Cronbach’s α was satisfactory for the total scale (0.92) and the three subscales (0.81, 0.89 and 0.87). The test–retest reliability was also satisfactory as evident from a Spearman’s correlation coefficient of 0.76 (p < 0.01) between the total PCQ scores at test and retest. The Norwegian version retained the original factor structure of the Swedish version.Conclusion:  As the psychometric evaluation showed satisfactory validity and reliability scores, this study supports the Norwegian version of the PCQ‐S when applied to a sample of nursing home staff.
The Domestic Politics of European Union Presidencies: The Case of Sweden
Authors: Johansson Karl Magnus , Langdal Fredrik , von Sydow Göran 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis article aims to start filling a gap in contemporary research on the rotating EU presidencies. In particular, the article pays attention to the role played by domestic factors in the development and fate of EU presidencies. What is the level of conflict between the government and the opposition during EU presidencies? This question is central for us and we address it through an in-depth analysis of one single case, Sweden, through a comparative examination of the role that domestic politics played in the Swedish EU presidencies of 2001 and 2009. In conjunction with our four main explanations for the varying degrees of political conflict during EU presidencies we present four hypotheses that could be advanced in the comparative study of EU presidencies.
The Persistence of Turkey's Majoritarian System of Government
Authors: Lord Ceren 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis study uses the case study of a ‘transitioning’ country, Turkey, in exploring institutional endurance and change. In this context it uses the framework of Arend Lijphart's majority and consensus democracy in order to uncover patterns of institutional evolution and persistence which have implications for the nature of its democratic transition. This is achieved through a step-by-step exploration of the key dimensions of democracy discussed by Lijphart. This empirical study seeks to demonstrate that despite the introduction of anti-majoritarian institutions in 1961, Turkey has never consolidated consensus democracy. Instead, since 1982 the trend has been a move towards a system more in line with the majoritarian regime established under the 1924 constitution. As such, the study offers a useful case study of the dynamics of political transformation in the face of institutional persistence, suggesting a need for tracing the history if we are to identify institutional patterns in contrast to the more generalized democratization frameworks.
Public Health and the Pre‐Modern City: A Research Agenda
Authors: Geltner G. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractHow and to what extent did pre‐modern people go about creating healthier environments? Can we reasonably talk about public health when it comes to earlier urban societies? This essay briefly surveys a few tenacious misconceptions about preventative (as opposed to curative) health care in pre‐modern cities, and then proceeds to review a budding scholarly literature that explores how urban dwellers, organizations, and governments, especially in medieval Europe and the Near East, identified and addressed the particular health risks attendant upon their milieus. The article concludes by pointing out several fruitful directions in which this emerging historical field can develop.
Political Violence in Interwar France
Authors: Millington Chris 
Published: March 2012

AbstractPolitical violence in interwar France is largely considered a marginal phenomenon, the practice of fascist and communist groups alien to the democratic and Republican consensus. Save for the occasional outburst of mass violence, historians have dismissed the sharp political conflict of the interwar years as pretense and bluster confined to the pages of newspapers and thunderous speeches. This article argues that the routine occurrence of political violence in France deserves greater attention. It suggests that analysis of the mechanics of daily confrontation such as political symbols, the use of weapons and conduct at meetings may reveal deeper attitudes to acceptable behaviour during aggressive political confrontation.
Working at Home: Domestic Workers in the Nineteenth and Twentieth‐Century United States
Authors: May Vanessa 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe history of domestic service in America in the 19th and 20th centuries provides a lens through which to study the history of race, class, and gender. Yet, scholars have struggled to reconcile the history of household workers with that of workers in more public places like factories and shops. Historians have debated whether domestic workers were capable of collective labor resistance and how the issue of race has shaped the experience of domestic workers. The question of whether and how much domestic work differs from other kinds of labor will remain at the center of scholarship on labor, women, and gender.
Directions in Scholarship on American Women and Protestant Foreign Mission: Debates Over “Cultural Imperialism”
Authors: Shemo Connie 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis essay argues that scholarship on American women missionaries is at the forefront of reconceptualized visions of U.S. women’s history, the history of U.S. foreign relations and the boundaries of U.S. history. In the heyday of Protestant foreign mission in the 19th and early 20th century, women missionaries usually could not preach, and so were heavily involved in spreading Western education, Western medicine, and ideas about “domesticity.” American women missionaries therefore were central actors in American cultural expansion, and in the spread of specific ideas about the empowerment of women abroad. Some scholars have therefore seen women missionaries as especially complicit in American cultural imperialism, while others have protested the portrayal of American women missionaries as cultural imperialists. Particularly in the last decade, however, scholars have focused on how people in the host cultures have interpreted and adapted the messages of American women missionaries. This has challenged the idea that American women missionaries unilaterally imposed American culture on the people among whom they worked, while still taking seriously the ways in which American women missionaries both contributed to and benefitted from American imperialism. The essay argues for the importance of embracing the complexity of American women missionaries – their simultaneous opposition to imperialism and racism and complicity with imperialist structures and drawing on ideologies of race. Ultimately, the essay argues, scholarship on American women missionaries makes an important contribution to our understanding contradictions inherent in American cultural outreach more broadly.
Saints, Devotions and Canonisation in Early Modern Italy
Authors: Copeland Clare 
Published: March 2012

AbstractOver the last 30 years, historians have taken a keen interest in saints as a means of gauging the nature of Catholic reform and the Counter Reformation in Europe, and Italy in particular. Scholarship has focused on both the manner of institutional reform of the canonisation process and the ways in which so‐called ‘popular’ devotions and religious practices continued in spite of central, official concerns. This article considers how the debate has shifted away from stressing a top‐down imposition of saints as models of virtue towards emphasising the scope for negotiation between the faithful and the Church authorities in Rome. It argues for the importance of recent research showing the uncertain and slow course of reform to canonisation long after the end of Trent and the creation of the Congregation of Rites. Building on the identification of religious orders as peculiar ‘localities’, this article calls for a reappraisal of how these orders fitted within the sacred landscape. Furthermore, attention is drawn to the significance of candidates for sainthood as the objects of devotion; taking into consideration the requirements for beatification and canonisation, this article stresses a number of approved possibilities for individualised experiences within the Counter‐Reformation Church. In particular, the requirement for miracles meant that even unofficial, candidate saints had to be taken up by devotees: thus ‘holiness’ could exist aside from official sainthood despite increased regulation of the canonisation process.
Historicising the ‘Big O.E.’: New Approaches to New Zealand Tourists and Travel Writing Abroad
Authors: de Pont Genevieve 
Published: March 2012

AbstractNew Zealand scholars only began to focus on New Zealanders’ leisured travelling abroad in the last decade, far more recently than scholars from other former British settler colonies commenced research on past travellers from their nations. New Zealand research sits within a nexus of popular assertions or stereotypes about the importance of travel for the development of New Zealand culture, and about the national characteristics of New Zealanders. This article outlines the trends which have emerged within this small pool of literature, and argues scholars who have researched the O.E., or overseas experience, have tended to look ‘inwards’ at pre‐existing local understandings of the value of travel, while scholars considering other models of travel by New Zealanders have more often turned their attention ‘outwards’, using post‐colonial frameworks. I argue that between these strands of scholarship lie many opportunities for further research on New Zealand international tourists and travel writers, and that this scholarship is necessary in order to adequately reflect upon the importance which has been attributed to New Zealanders’ travels by historians and public commentators.
Central line insertion bundle: experiences and challenges in an adult ICU
Authors: McPeake Joanne , Cantwell Shelia , Malcolm G Booth , Malcolm Daniel 
Published: March 2012

Background: Central venous catheters are used frequently in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, there is an associated morbidity, mortality and cost derived from their infectious and mechanical complications. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) has developed a multi faceted care bundle, with the aim of reducing catheter‐related blood stream infections.Aim: This paper aims to identify and describe the experience and challenges in implementing the SPSP central line insertion bundle in one adult ICU, in a large inner city teaching hospital.Interventions:‘Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act' cycles, checklists for insertion and a standardized trolley were adopted to implement the central line insertion bundle in clinical practice.Conclusion/Implications: Improving the reliability of the central line insertion bundle has reduced infections. Key steps in the process were setting clear aims and ensuring staff understand the change process and measurement of results. This is fundamental to the success of any quality improvement process.