bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Disentangling the effects of historic vs. contemporary landscape structure on population genetic divergence
Authors: ZELLMER A. J. , KNOWLES L. L. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractIncreasing habitat fragmentation poses an immediate threat to population viability, as gene flow patterns are changed in these altered landscapes. Patterns of genetic divergence can potentially reveal the impact of these shifts in landscape connectivity. However, divergence patterns not only carry the signature of altered contemporary landscapes, but also historical ones. When considered separately, both recent and historical landscape structure appear to significantly affect connectivity among 51 wood frog (Rana sylvatica) populations. However, by controlling for correlations among landscape structure from multiple time periods, we show that patterns of genetic divergence reflect recent landscape structure as opposed to landscape structure prior to European settlement of the region (before 1850s). At the same time, within‐population genetic diversities remain high and a genetic signature of population bottlenecks is lacking. Together, these results suggest that metapopulation processes – not drift‐induced divergence associated with strong demographic bottlenecks following habitat loss – underlie the strikingly rapid consequences of temporally shifting landscape structure on these amphibians. We discuss the implications of these results in the context of understanding the role of population demography in the adaptive variation observed in wood frog populations.
Can body mass index help predict outcome in patients with bipolar disorder?
Authors: Calkin Cynthia , Van De Velde Caroline , Růžičková Martina , Slaney Claire , Garnham Julie , Hajek Tomas , O’Donovan Claire , Alda Martin 
Published: August 2009

Objective:  Several studies have reported higher prevalence of obesity in patients suffering from bipolar disorder (BD). To study the relation of elevated body mass index (BMI) in patients with BD more closely, we investigated differences in sociodemographic, clinical, and medical characteristics with respect to BMI, with the hypothesis that BMI is related to prognosis and outcome.Methods:  We measured the BMI of 276 subjects of a tertiary care sample from the Maritime Bipolar Registry. Subjects were 16 to 83 years old, with psychiatric diagnoses of bipolar I disorder (n = 186), bipolar II disorder (n = 85), and BD not otherwise specified (n = 5). The registry included basic demographic data and details of the clinical presentation. We first examined the variables showing a significant association with BMI; subsequently, we modeled the relationship between BMI and psychiatric outcome using structural equation analysis.Results:  The prevalence of obesity in our sample was 39.1%. We found higher BMI in subjects with a chronic course (p < 0.001) and longer duration of illness (p = 0.02), lower scores on the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (p = 0.02), and on disability (p = 0.002). Overweight patients had more frequent comorbid subthreshold social (p = 0.02) and generalized anxiety disorders (p = 0.05), diabetes mellitus type II (p < 0.001), and hypertension (p = 0.001). Subjects who achieved complete remission of symptoms on lithium showed significantly lower BMI (p = 0.01).Conclusions:  Our findings suggest that BMI is associated with the prognosis and outcome of BD. Whether this association is causal remains to be determined.
Cognitive function and serum levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in patients with bipolar disorder
Authors: Dias Vasco Videira , Brissos Sofia , Frey Benicio N , Andreazza Ana Cristina , Cardoso Carlos , Kapczinski Flávio 
Published: August 2009

Objectives:  Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important contributor to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD), and abnormalities in the BDNF‐signaling system may be implicated in the cognitive decline observed in BD patients. We aimed to investigate serum BDNF levels in BD patients and its relation to neurocognitive function.Methods:  We measured serum BDNF levels using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method in 65 euthymic type I BD patients and 50 healthy controls, and administered a neuropsychological test battery to assess attention and mental control, perceptual‐motor skills, executive functions, verbal fluency and abstraction, visuospatial attention, and memory.Results:  We found no significant differences regarding serum BDNF levels in BD patients and healthy controls. We found significant positive associations between serum BDNF levels and illness duration, and manic and depressive episodes in female BD patients only. Serum BDNF levels were lower in patients medicated with antipsychotics and/or lithium, whereas patients on valproate and/or antidepressants showed higher serum BDNF levels. Patients performed significantly worse on 11 out of 16 neurocognitive tests as compared to controls. We found a significant positive association between serum BDNF levels and a test of verbal fluency in both BD patients and controls.Conclusions:  Present results support the hypothesis that BDNF normalizes with mood stabilization and pharmacological treatment. Our findings in young and physically healthy patients with short illness duration and few mood episodes may explain the lack of association between serum BDNF levels and neurocognitive performance, even though cognitive performance in patients was overall significantly worse as compared to healthy controls.
Cardiovascular disease and hypertension among adults with bipolar I disorder in the United States
Authors: Goldstein Benjamin I , Fagiolini Andrea , Houck Patricia , Kupfer David J 
Published: August 2009

Objective:  Despite ample evidence of excess cardiovascular mortality in bipolar disorder (BD), few studies have demonstrated increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or hypertension (HTN) in BD. We therefore examined this topic in a representative epidemiologic sample.Method:  The 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions was used to determine whether prevalence of physician‐diagnosed CVD and HTN is elevated among subjects with lifetime bipolar I disorder (BD‐I), and whether CVD and HTN are prevalent at earlier ages among subjects with BD‐I.Results:  The age‐, race‐, and sex‐adjusted prevalence of CVD was significantly greater among subjects with BD‐I versus controls [odds ratio (OR) = 4.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.27–5.75] and versus subjects with major depressive disorder [(MDD); OR =1.80, 95% CI: 1.52–2.14], as was the prevalence of HTN (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 2.16–2.62 versus controls, OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.30–1.61 versus MDD; p < 0.0001 for all). Controlling additionally for marital status, education, income, obesity, smoking, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders did not substantially alter these findings. The mean age of BD‐I subjects with CVD and HTN was 14 and 13 years younger, respectively, than controls with CVD and HTN.Conclusions:  Adults with BD‐I are at increased risk of CVD and HTN, prevalent over a decade earlier than non‐BD adults. Strategies are needed to prevent excessive and premature cardiovascular burden in BD‐I.
Mood‐incongruent psychosis in bipolar disorder: conditional linkage analysis shows genome‐wide suggestive linkage at 1q32.3, 7p13 and 20q13.31
Authors: Hamshere Marian L , Schulze Thomas G , Schumacher Johannes , Corvin Aiden , Owen Michael J , Jamra Rami Abou , Propping Peter , Maier Wolfgang , Orozco y Diaz Guillermo , Mayoral Fermin , Rivas Fabio , Jones Ian , Jones Lisa , Kirov George , Gill Michael , Holmans Peter A , Nöthen Markus M , Cichon Sven , Rietschel Marcella , Craddock Nick 
Published: August 2009

Objective:  The majority of research into functional psychosis has proceeded under the assumption that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are distinct entities with separate underlying disease processes and treatments. This view has been increasingly challenged in both clinical and genetic studies. Findings in recent association studies at two specific genes suggest that the occurrence of mood‐incongruent psychotic features may indicate a relatively homogeneous subset of the bipolar phenotype. We examined this hypothesis.Methods:  Caucasian affected individuals were ascertained from Europe (the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Italy and Andalusia). Consensus best‐estimate diagnoses were assigned by two independent raters according to all available information. There was no cross‐site evaluation of inter‐rater reliability. Families multiply affected by bipolar spectrum mood disorder were selected, comprising 383 affected relative pairs. Individuals were considered to be affected if they were diagnosed with DSM‐IV bipolar I disorder or schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. Multipoint, affected relative pair covariate linkage analysis was performed.Results:  Significant familiality of incongruent psychosis was observed [intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.309; p = 0.001, one‐tail]. Covariate linkage analysis provided three regions with genome‐wide suggestive evidence for linkage on chromosomes 1q32.3 (LOD = 4.15, expected 0.12 times per genome scan), 7p13 (LOD = 3.32) and 20q13.31 (LOD = 2.98). No region in our analysis met criteria for genome‐wide significance.Conclusion:  Our results provide molecular support for the hypothesis that genes may exist for specific forms of bipolar illness, dependent on the presence or absence of incongruent psychosis. Our findings suggest that researchers should take account of mood‐congruence/incongruence of psychotic features in studies of bipolar disorder.
Visual paired‐pulse stimulation reveals enhanced visual cortex excitability in migraineurs
Authors: Höffken Oliver , Stude Philipp , Lenz Melanie , Bach Michael , Dinse Hubert R. , Tegenthoff Martin 
Published: August 2009

AbstractMigraine is a common ictal disorder with an interindividual heterogeneous characteristic, whose underlying mechanisms remain elusive. On the one hand migraine is associated with abnormal cortical hyperexcitability. On the other hand, studies reported lower amplitudes of visual‐evoked potentials (VEPs) and concluded that low preactivation levels imply decreased excitability. Here we measured visual cortex excitability and paired‐pulse suppression in subjects suffering from migraine without aura and in a group of aged‐ and gender‐matched healthy subjects to address the relation between activation levels and excitability. To that aim, we analysed amplitudes of VEPs and paired‐pulse suppression evoked by a paired‐pulse stimulation paradigm using stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) between 80 and 133 ms. We found that in migraineurs in the interictal state the amplitudes of the first VEP were reduced as compared with healthy subjects by approximately 20%. In the case of paired‐pulse suppression comparable to healthy controls, the second response amplitude should be reduced as well, which was not the case. Instead, the ratio between the first and second VEP was higher than in healthy controls and did not depend on SOA in the range tested, which demonstrates reduced paired‐pulse suppression and therefore implicates increased cortical excitability. Our data show that in migraineurs VEPs were reduced presumably due to reduced activation levels. However, paired‐pulse suppression using short SOAs in the range of 100 ms or less was even higher than in normal subjects. Thus, our data show that signatures of both hyper‐ and hypoexcitability can be found depending on stimulation condition.
A CHARIOT FOR THE SHEKHINAH: Identity and the Ideal Life in Sixteenth‐Century Kabbalah
Authors: Fishbane Eitan P. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I seek to present the range of issues involved in the efforts of sixteenth‐century kabbalists to understand the nature of selfhood, and the paths prescribed for the formation of an ideal life. I reflect on the mystical writings of Moshe Cordovero, Eliyahu de Vidas, andayyim Vital—probing their conceptions of core identity, the polarity between body and soul, and the ethical guidance for a life well lived. In so doing, I consider the following additional themes, and their relation to the matrix of self‐formation and religious identity: reincarnation and rebirth; the virtue of humility and self‐effacement; the cultivation of wisdom; ideals of piety and prophetic experience; asceticism; and the spiritual transcendence of desire. In presenting this wide range of constituent themes, I argue that sixteenth‐century kabbalists understood the soul to be the ultimate marker of personal identity (nuanced and complicated by the doctrine of reincarnation), and that they formulated a vision of an ideal ethics in which the human being functions as an earthly vessel for the divine presence. What is more, the preparation of that vessel required a degree of humility so extreme that the attainment of ideal personhood ultimately involved the effacement of that very identity.
“DISMANTLING THE MASTER'S HOUSE”: Freedom as Ethical Practice in Brandom and Foucault
Authors: Springs Jason A. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTThis article makes a case for the capacity of “social practice” accounts of agency and freedom to criticize, resist, and transform systemic forms of power and domination from within the context of religious and political practices and institutions. I first examine criticisms that Michel Foucault's analysis of systemic power results in normative aimlessness, and then I contrast that account with the description of agency and innovative practice that pragmatist philosopher Robert Brandom identifies as “expressive freedom.” I argue that Brandom can provide a normative trajectory for Foucault's diagnoses of power and domination, helping to resolve its apparent lack of ethical direction. I demonstrate that Foucault, in turn, presents Brandom with insights that might overcome the charges of abstraction and conservatism that his pragmatic inferentialism frequently encounters. The result is a vindication of social practice as an analytical lens for social criticism that is at once both immanent and radical.
CALVINIST RESOURCES FOR CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POLITICAL LIFE: A Critique of Michael Walzer's Revolution of the Saints
Authors: Beach‐Verhey Timothy A. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTInheriting the religious prejudices of the Enlightenment, many supporters of liberal democracy consider John Calvin's theology contrary to the norms and virtues necessary for productive public discourse in a religiously and culturally diverse society. In Revolution of the Saints: A Study in the Origins of Radical Politics, Michael Walzer makes a similar assumption, arguing that, despite its contribution to political modernization, the inherent fideism, absolutism, and intolerance of Calvinism constitutes a threat to public discourse in liberal society. In this paper, I contend that the prevailing understanding of Calvin's theology is incorrect. In actuality he is a nuanced natural law thinker, whose complex understanding of human nature and the state encourages the subtle balance of virtues that contemporary political life requires.
AGREEING TO DISAGREE: Indigenous Pluralism from Human Rights to Bioethics
Authors: Durante Chris 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTDavid Hollenbach, working within the context of human rights theory, has developed the notion of “indigenous pluralism” as a means of coping with the problems that arise when different religious traditions hold distinct or incompatible interpretations of human rights. It will be argued that indigenous pluralism is a theoretically and practically useful concept for bioethics as well and hence should be incorporated into bioethical methodology and processes of bioethical policy formation. Subsequently, the notion of indigenous pluralism will be discussed in relation to determinations of death as a means of illustrating this concept's applicability to bioethical inquiry.
THE MORAL AND POLITICAL BURDENS OF MEMORY
Authors: Miller Richard B. 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTMemory brings the past into the present. It is a feature of human temporality, contingency, and identity. Attention to memory's psychological and social importance suggests new vistas for work in religious ethics. This essay examines four recent works on memory's importance for self‐interpretation, social criticism, and public justice. My focus will be on normative questions about memory. The works under review ask whether, and on what terms, we have an obligation to remember, whether memory is linked to neighbors near and distant, how memory is related to justice and forgiveness, and whether memory sits easily with the kind of relationships that allegedly characterize life in democratic public culture.
“Luring Overseas Trained Doctors to Australia: Issues of Training, Regulating and Trading”
Authors: Iredale Robyn 
Published: August 2009

AbstractAustralia is at a crossroads. Its long history of relying on overseas trained medical practitioners and the last decade’s changes, in terms of the introduction of policies to recruit large numbers of temporary doctors, both require examination. Not only is Australia alone in its overt policy initiatives but it also fails to be aware of the consequences for some sending countries. Australia has not entered into the spirit of international attempts to ameliorate the potential effects of developing‐to‐developed country medical migration and trade. This paper will provide an overview of the current international situation regarding supply and demand, major ethical issues, Australia’s immigration policies and regulatory framework and the situation with respect to the labour market integration of overseas trained doctors (OTDs). It will be argued that Australia ‘lures’ with little concern for the consequences for source countries.
Incentives for International Migration of Scientists and Engineers to Japan
Authors: Murakami Yukiko 
Published: August 2009

AbstractMany developed countries, welcome foreign talent, and Japan is no exception. The Japanese government has developed programmes for expanding the acceptance of foreign labour in specialized and technical fields, in order to compete with foreign nations in the global economy and accommodate the highly specialized domestic industrial structure. This paper focuses on scientists and engineers (S&E) as a component of the highly skilled labour force, and examines their incentives for migrating to Japan, which is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. According to a survey conducted in 2004, the majority of S&E working in Japan migrated from Asian nations, and many obtained their doctoral degrees in Japan and continued to stay in the country to work. Key incentives for migration are Japan’s high level of science and technology, opportunities to acquire cutting‐edge knowledge, and prospects for improving performance in an environment with large budgets, superior equipment and facilities, and good quality human resources. In particular, the technological environment is influential for S&E from countries with a significant technological gap when compared with Japan. However, this does not mean that S&E are indifferent to monetary rewards. The salary gap, which is considered to be a major factor in international mobility in to traditional economic theory, has also proven to be a significant incentive, particularly for S&E from countries where the gap in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita compared with Japan is large. In addition, cultural and social aspects of Japan attract mainly young S&E. The attractiveness of Japanese culture, opportunities to learn the Japanese language, and chances to build a network of personal contacts are important incentives for migration. This study presents some policy implications for countries competing over capable S&E.
Built to bite: cranial design and function in the wrinkle‐faced bat
Authors: Dumont E. R. , Herrel A. , Medellín R. A. , Vargas‐Contreras J. A. , Santana S. E. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractOne of the major goals of evolutionary biology is to explain phenotypic diversity and understand the limits imposed by those phenotypes. The cranial morphology of the wrinkle‐faced bat Centurio senex (Family Phyllostomidae) is bizarre and enigmatic. Its extremely short and wide skull consistently emerges as an outlier in morphological studies and many researchers have speculated about its function. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that the unique skull morphology of Centurio is associated with the ability to generate high bite forces and/or high bite forces at wide gapes. We accomplish this by comparing bite force data gathered in the field and estimates of gape limitations gathered from museum specimens. We also examine the possibility that Centurio uses unique feeding behaviors that may impose unique loading regimes on the facial skeleton. We found that relative to head size, Centurio generates the strongest bites known for any fruit‐eating phyllostomid bat, but that its ability to generate high bite forces at wide gape angles is likely limited. We also propose that its exceptionally strong bite indicates the ability to consume hard food items when other resources are limited, and that these ‘resource bottlenecks’ may have imposed strong selective pressure on its skull morphology. Behavioral data indicate that Centurio exhibits a unique reliance on unilateral biting (loading) during feeding. Based on data summarizing bite force, estimates of gape ability and feeding behavior, we suggest that Centurio's exceptionally short and wide skull reflects adaptations for high bite forces and repeated unilateral loading of the facial skeleton during feeding.
Quantifying terrestrial carbon stocks: examining the spatial variation in two upland areas in the UK and a comparison to mapped estimates of soil carbon
Authors: Frogbrook Z. L. , Bell J. , Bradley R. I. , Evans C. , Lark R. M. , Reynolds B. , Smith P. , Towers W. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractIntensive field surveys were undertaken in two upland catchments in the UK, Plynlimon in mid‐Wales and Glensaugh in North East Scotland. The survey was to examine the spatial variation across the area and to assess the accuracy of the database underpinning the soil carbon map for the UK. In each area three 1‐km2 squares were sampled on a 200‐m grid, with samples taken from both the organic and mineral horizons. Carbon stock was estimated, from the sample data, for each 1‐km2 square and compared with values from the UK database for that square. The results showed large differences between some squares, particularly for Plynlimon. In this area, the overall discrepancy between field and database values was 45%, compared with 8% for Glensaugh. Various sources of uncertainty were examined, including bulk density, organic horizon depth, and the proportion of different soil types within a square. The value for bulk density, assumed to determine carbon stock, had a significant effect on the estimates. In both catchments the organic layer showed a gradual decrease in bulk density with depth, resulting in a large proportion of the carbon being stored in the top part of the profile. The soil types, mapped during the survey, also showed large differences from those previously identified for each 1‐km2 square. This would have a considerable effect on the estimates of carbon stock within the UK database. It highlights that caution needs to be used when interpreting the UK soil map at this spatial scale.
EU Policies on Bioenergy and their Potential Clash with the WTO
Authors: Swinbank Alan 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe paper outlines EU policy on bioenergy, including biofuels, in the context of its policy initiatives to promote renewable energy to combat greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The EU’s Member States are responsible for implementing EU policy: thus, the UK’s Renewables Obligation on electricity suppliers and its Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation and road‐fuel tax rebates are examined. It is unlikely that EU policy is in conflict with the WTO Agreement on Agriculture or that on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, but its provisions on environmental sustainability criteria could be problematic.