bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rethinking burgeoning political consciousness: student activists, the Class of ‘99 and political intent in Sierra Leone
Authors: Bolten Catherine 
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACTThis article uses interviews with former student activists in Sierra Leone to explore what ideals motivate students to participate in political action. In Sierra Leone, students used the military as a cover for their own democratic programme, initially by encouraging a coup that they wanted to partake in, later by joining the officer corps themselves. I challenge the notion that student interactions with the urban lumpenproletariat and ‘militariat’ serve as evidence for their desire to cloak a lack of ideals in popular violence; rather I argue that coalitions are built as needs must to push a particular agenda, whether or not the agenda is known to all participants. In this case, that agenda was to ensure that an idealistic intelligentsia had economic and political futures that they had been denied under a paternalistic dictatorship. In essence student activism was elitist, not popular.
A constructed (un)reality on China's re-entry into Africa: the Chinese online community perception of Africa (2006–2008)
Authors: Shen Simon 
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACTChina's 21st-century re-entry into Africa has been made with considerable new fanfare and in a manner that contrasts sharply with the Maoist ideologist policy of the 1960s. However, how the Chinese perceive Africa, as expressed by the online community, has been little studied. In a country where full democracy and complete freedom of expression are still lacking, online communication arguably plays a particularly significant role. When it comes to topics in China which are not frequently addressed in the public domain, the flow of information among the online community is paramount in shaping public perceptions. The result of systematic qualitative research on the online community in China, this paper aims to bridge the gap between formal studies of Sino-African relations and online perceptions. Reconstructing the online image of Africa is essential in understanding not only contemporary Sino-African relations from the popular perspective but also the distorted nature of information that circulates in Chinese cyberspace.
Still standing: neighbourhood wars and political stability in Guinea
Authors: Arieff Alexis 
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACTThe Republic of Guinea is located in a particularly turbulent region. However, while several conflicts in neighbouring countries – Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone – have spilled over Guinea's borders, the country's central government has displayed a seemingly unlikely stability. Until a bloodless coup in December 2008 brought a military junta to power, the country had had only two presidents since independence, both of whom died of natural causes while still in office. Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinea's first leader, deftly used the anti-colonial insurgency in neighbouring Guinea-Bissau to enhance his political credentials and control domestic and international opposition. The administration of the late President Lansana Conté leveraged regional warfare to solidify its command over remote provinces, increase government revenues, bolster military capacity, and improve regional diplomatic relations. This paper supports the analysis of civil wars as regional phenomena, while shedding light on mechanisms that may interact in counter-intuitive ways with the dynamics of state strength.
Impaired financial capacity in late life depression is associated with cognitive performance on measures of executive functioning and attention
Authors: MACKIN R. SCOTT , AREÁN PATRICIA A. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractFew studies have evaluated the prevalence of impairments of financial capacity among individuals with psychiatric disorders. Late life depression (LLD) is a common psychiatric disorder associated with significant disability and cognitive impairment. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence and cognitive correlates of impairments of financial capacity among individuals with LLD. Participants included 65 LLD individuals and 32 comparison subjects. Assessments included measures of financial capacity, cognitive functioning, and depression symptom severity. Individuals with LLD exhibited a significantly higher rate of impaired financial capacity (22%) than the comparison group (6%). Results of a multiple regression analysis indicated that performance on measures of executive functioning and attention, but not depression severity, were most strongly associated with financial capacity performance in LLD. Our results suggest impairments of financial capacity in LLD are largely explained by cognitive functioning in these domains. (JINS, 2009, 15, 793–798.)
The diagnostic utility of multiple-level likelihood ratios
Authors: BOWDEN STEPHEN C. , LORING DAVID W. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractClinicians are accustomed to interpreting diagnostic test scores in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Many clinicians also appreciate that sensitivity and specificity need to be interpreted in terms of local base rates (i.e., pretest probability). However, most neuropsychological tests contain a wide range of scores. Important diagnostic information may be sacrificed when valid test scores are reduced to the simple dichotomy of “positive” or “negative” diagnosis that underlies sensitivity and specificity analysis. The purpose of this study is to provide an introduction to multiple-level likelihood ratios, a method for preserving the information in a wider range of scores. These statistics are first described using a hypothetical example of dementia screening, then with patient data from an epilepsy surgery sample. Multiple-level likelihood ratios have several advantages over sensitivity and specificity analysis because they are applied across a wider range of diagnostic scores, and generalize to settings with different base rates. We suggest that the diagnostic validity of many psychological tests may be underestimated by relying solely on traditional dichotomous sensitivity and specificity analysis. (JINS, 2009,15, 769–776.)
INECO Frontal Screening (IFS): A brief, sensitive, and specific tool to assess executive functions in dementia–CORRECTED VERSION
Authors: TORRALVA TERESA , ROCA MARÍA , GLEICHGERRCHT EZEQUIEL , LÓPEZ PABLO , MANES FACUNDO 
Published: July 2009

AbstractAlthough several brief sensitive screening tools are available to detect cognitive dysfunction, few have been developed to quickly assess executive functioning (EF) per se. We designed a new brief tool to evaluate EF in neurodegenerative diseases. Patients with an established diagnosis of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD; n = 22), Alzheimer disease (AD; n = 25), and controls (n = 26) were assessed with a cognitive screening test, the INECO Frontal Screening (IFS), and EF tests. Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) scores were obtained for all patients. Internal consistency of the IFS was very good (Cronbach’s alpha = .80). IFS total (out of 30 points) was 27.4 (SD = 1.6) for controls, 15.6 (SD = 4.2) for bvFTD, and 20.1 (SD = 4.7) for AD. Using a cutoff of 25 points, sensitivity of the IFS was 96.2%, and specificity 91.5% in differentiating controls from patients with dementia. The IFS correlated significantly with the CDR and executive tasks. The IFS total discriminated controls from demented patients, and bvFTD from AD. IFS is a brief, sensitive, and specific tool for the detection of executive dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The IFS may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of FTD and AD. (JINS, 2009, 15, 777–786.)
BFO/DOLCE Primitive Relation Comparison
Authors: Seyed A. Patrice 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThis paper examines the primitive relations (dependence, quality, and constitution) of the BFO and DOLCE upper ontologies, employed in developing domain ontologies of the biomedical sciences. The strengths in both upper ontologies are examined, which sets a framework for developing a common upper ontology that utilizes the assets of both.
Improvement of PubMed Literature Searching using Biomedical Ontology
Authors: Xiang Zuoshuang , He Yongqun 
Published: July 2009

AbstractPubMed articles are annotated using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to increase search efficiency. However, MeSH contains limited information on many biomedical domains (e.g., vaccine). Biomedical ontologies may be used to improve PubMed searching capability. This study demonstrates that Vaccine Ontology (VO) can be used to significantly improve PubMed searching efficacy in the vaccine domain. The recall and precision of the ontology-based literature mining approach are analyzed and discussed.
Communicative Acts of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Second Year of Life
Authors: Shumway Stacy , Wetherby Amy M. 
Published: July 2009

Purpose
To examine the communicative profiles of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the second year of life.

Method
Communicative acts were examined in 125 children 18 to 24 months of age: 50 later diagnosed with ASD; 25 with developmental delays (DD); and 50 with typical development (TD). Precise measures of rate, functions, and means of communication were obtained through systematic observation of videotaped behavior samples from the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (A. Wetherby & B. Prizant, 2002).

Results
Children with ASD communicated at a significantly lower rate than children with DD and TD. The ASD group used a significantly lower proportion of acts for joint attention and a significantly lower proportion of deictic gestures with a reliance on more primitive gestures compared with the DD and TD groups. Children with ASD who did communicate for joint attention were as likely as other children to coordinate vocalizations, eye gaze, and gestures. Rate of communicative acts and joint attention were the strongest predictors of verbal outcome at age 3.

Conclusion
By 18 to 24 months of age, children later diagnosed with ASD showed a unique profile of communication, with core deficits in communication rate, joint attention, and communicative gestures.
Long-Term Effects of Early-Life Otitis Media on Language Development
Authors: Zumach Anne , Gerrits Ellen , Chenault Michelene , Anteunis Lucien 
Published: July 2009

Purpose
The aim of the present study was to examine the long-term consequences of early-life otitis media (OM) and the associated hearing loss (HL) on language skills of school-aged children.

Method
In a prospective study, the middle-ear status of 65 Dutch healthy-born children was documented every 3 months during their first 2 years of life; language comprehension and production were evaluated at 27 months and again at 7 years.

Results
The positive relation that was found between OM-related HL and language development at 27 months could no longer be discerned at school age. Accordingly, parent-reported HL between 2 and 7 years had no effect on scores at school age.

Conclusion
The present study shows that negative consequences of early-life OM or the underlying HL on language comprehension and production appear to be resolved by the age of 7. It also shows that parent-reported HL between 2 and 7 years is not related to language skills at school age.
Use of a T Cell Interferon-γ Release Assay to Evaluate Tuberculosis Risk in Newly Qualified Physicians in Singapore Healthcare Institutions
Authors: Chee C. B. E. , Lim L. K. Y. , Barkham T. M. , Koh D. R. , Lam S. O. , Shen L. , Wang Y. T. 
Published: July 2009

Background.Surveillance for latent tuberculosis in high-risk groups such as healthcare workers is limited by the nonspecificity of the tuberculin skin test (TST) in BCG-vaccinated individuals. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-specific interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) show promise for more accurate latent tuberculosis detection in such groups.Objective.To compare the utility of an IGRA, the T-SPOT.TB assay, with that of the TST in healthcare workers with a high rate of BCG vaccination.Methods.Two hundred seven medical students from 2 consecutive cohorts underwent the T-SPOT.TB test and the TST in their final year of study. Subjects with negative baseline test results underwent repeat testing after working for 1 year as junior physicians in Singapore's public hospitals.Results.The baseline TST result was an induration 10 mm or greater in diameter in 177 of the 205 students who returned to have their TST results evaluated (86.3%), while the baseline T-SPOT.TB assay result was positive in 9 (4.3%) of the students. Repeat T-SPOT.TB testing in 182 baseline-negative subjects showed conversion in 9 (4.9%). A repeat TST in 18 subjects with baseline-negative TST results did not reveal any TST result conversion.Conclusions.The high rate of positive baseline TST results in our BCG-vaccinated healthcare workers renders the TST unsuitable as a surveillance tool in this tuberculosis risk group. Use of an IGRA has enabled the detection and treatment of latent tuberculosis in this group. Our T-SPOT.TB conversion rate highlights the need for greater tuberculosis awareness and improved infection control practices in our healthcare institutions.
Relationship of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone with obesity and body composition in African Americans
Authors: Valiña‐Tóth Anna Liza B. , Lai Zongshan , Yoo Wonsuk , Abou‐Samra Abdul , Gadegbeku Crystal A. , Flack John M. 
Published: July 2009

SummaryBackground  Obesity disproportionately affects African Americans (AA) (especially women), and is linked to depressed 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25‐OH D) and elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH). The relationship of 25‐OH D and PTH with body composition and size in AA is not well known.Objective  To determine the relationship of 25‐OH D and PTH levels with body composition and anthropometric measures.Design  A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 98 healthy, overweight, adult AA enrolled in an NIH/NIEHS‐sponsored weight loss/salt‐sensitivity trial.Measurements  Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationship of 25‐OH D and PTH with body composition, determined by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, and anthropometric measures. Body composition and size were contrasted across vitamin D/PTH groups using general linear models: (i) normal (25‐OH D >50 nmol/l, PTH ≤65 pg/ml), (ii) low 25‐OH D and normal PTH and (iii) low 25‐OH D and high PTH.Results  Age, gender and season‐adjusted regression analyses showed that PTH was directly correlated with total (P = 0·02), truncal (P = 0·03) and extremity (P = 0·03) fat mass, while 25‐OH D was inversely related to truncal fat mass (P = 0·02). Total fat mass in groups 1–3, respectively, was 30·0, 34·0 and 37·4 kg (P = 0·008); truncal fat mass was 13·4, 15·9 and 17·6 kg (P = 0·006) and extremity fat mass was 15·8, 16·9 and 19·7 kg (P = 0·02). Lean mass did not differ across the three groups.Conclusions  Our findings show that lower 25‐OH D and raised PTH are both correlated, though in opposite directions, with fat mass, fat distribution and anthropometric measures in adult AA.
Seagrass patch size affects fish responses to edges
Authors: Smith Timothy M. , Hindell Jeremy S. , Jenkins Greg P. , Connolly Rod M. 
Published: July 2009

Summary 1. Patch area and proximity of patch edge can influence ecological processes across patchy landscapes and may interact with each other. Different patch sizes have different amounts of core habitat, potentially affecting animal abundances at the edge and middle of patches. In this study, we tested if edge effects varied with patch size. 2. Fish were sampled in 10 various‐sized seagrass patches (114–5934 m2) using a small (0·5 m2) push net in three positions within each patch: the seagrass edge, 2 m into a patch and in the middle of a patch. 3. The two most common species showed an interaction between patch size and the edge–interior difference in abundance. In the smallest patches, pipefish (Stigmatopora nigra) were at similar densities at the edge and interior, but with increasing patch size, the density at the edge habitat increased. For gobies (Nesogobius maccullochi), the pattern was exactly the opposite. 4. This is the first example from a marine system of how patch size can influence the magnitude and pattern of edge effects. 5. Both patch area and edge effects need to be considered in the development of conservation and management strategies for seagrass habitats.
Refugia within refugia: the case study of a canopy tree (Eurycorymbus cavaleriei) in subtropical China
Authors: Wang Jing , Gao Puxin , Kang Ming , Lowe Andrew J. , Huang Hongwen 
Published: July 2009

AbstractAim  Eurycorymbus cavaleriei (Lévl.) Rehd. et Hand.‐Mazz. (Sapindaceae) is a Tertiary relict tree endemic to subtropical China. This area is a centre for speciation and evolution within the East Asia biome and one of its most important refugial locations. In this study we aim to elucidate the phylogeographical patterning in E. cavaleriei, in order to identify the locations of the species’ main refugia and the predominant patterns of migration that have led to the contemporary spatial genetic structure of chloroplast variation.Location  Subtropical China.Methods  We sampled 18 populations of E. cavaleriei throughout its geographical range. Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequence data from two non‐coding regions ((trnS/trnG and pl20/5′‐rps12) were obtained from 170 individuals for phylogeographical analyses. Relationships among cpDNA haplotypes were determined using median‐joining networks. Genetic structure was examined by spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA). Population differentiation was estimated by GST and NST statistics.Results  Ten distinct haplotypes were identified. The level of differentiation among populations was relatively high (GST = 0.817), and NST was significantly higher than GST (P < 0.05), indicating that strong phylogeographical structure is exhibited by this species. The SAMOVA revealed five diverging groups of related haplotypes, which coincide with major landscape features in this region.Main conclusions  The high differentiation among populations of E. cavaleriei may be a combined effect of historical and contemporary processes, such as the low effective population size for the chloroplast genome of a dioecious species, long‐term range fragmentation and limited seed dispersal for the species. Clear‐cut geographical distributions of ancestral haplotypes of the species suggest multiple potential refugia across subtropical China. The identified refugial regions have long been recognized as centres of plant diversity and endemism for China and have also been suggested as glacial refugia for many other plant species. The combination of these factors means that these locations should be considered as the highest priority for inclusion in conservation policies and sustainable forest management strategies for subtropical China.
Biological Flora of the British Isles: Coincya monensis (L.) Greuter & Burdet ssp. monensis (Rhyncosinapis monensis (L.) Dandy ex A.R. Clapham) and ssp. cheiranthos (Vill.) Aedo, Leadley & Muñoz Garm. (Rhyncosinapis cheiranthos (Vill.) Dandy)
Authors: Hipkin Charles R. , Facey Paul D. 
Published: July 2009

Summary 1.
This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Coincya monensis (L.) Greuter & Burdet that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history and conservation. 2.
Coincya monensis is represented in the British flora by two subspecies; ssp. monensis is a diploid, endemic taxon largely confined to open, coastal, sand dune habitats along the west coast of Britain; ssp. cheiranthos is a tetraploid neophyte (alien) of ruderal and coastal habitats. 3.  Both subspecies occur as short‐lived perennials in outbreeding, insect‐pollinated populations in open, early successional communities. Individuals may perennate as hemicryptophytes with buds in basal rosettes or as chamaephytes with buds in aerial shoot rosettes, but adequate seed production is essential for the long‐term maintenance of populations. Seed production by the much larger and more floriferous tetraploid alien populations is much greater than that of the native endemic populations. 4.
Neither subspecies is able to compete effectively in late successional, grassland communities. Coincya monensis ssp. monensis benefits from moderate disturbance by trampling, which helps to maintain open, sandy, semi‐fixed dune communities, such as those dominated by Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria). 5.
Coincya monensis ssp. monensis has been designated a scarce plant in the British flora and is a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The main threats to its conservation are loss of habitat through natural successional processes and urban development. Coincya monensis ssp. cheiranthos is well‐established in South Wales where it appears to be undergoing a range expansion. At present there are no known mixed populations of the two subspecies but this remains a possibility if the alien subspecies continues to expand its range. Competition and hybridisation between subspecies in mixed populations will present additional problems in the conservation of endemic biodiversity in the British Flora.
Effects of disturbance frequency, species traits and resprouting on directional succession in an individual‐based model of forest dynamics
Authors: Caplat Paul , Anand Madhur 
Published: July 2009

Summary 1.  Succession theory focuses on the position of species along the shade tolerance gradient and their ability to colonize recently disturbed patches and has for decades overlooked resprouting as a key trait in community patterns. 2.  We study how different species traits interact with disturbance frequency to change species dominance in the canopy, focusing on the effects of resprouting ability. 3.
We develop an individual‐based model that simulates the dynamics of three species paper birch Betula papyrifera Marsh, white pine Pinus strobus L. and sugar maple Acer saccharum Marsh., characterized by different successional strategies, as observed in northern Minnesota forests. We tested (i) how different disturbance frequencies, (ii) sugar maple resprouting and (iii) paper birch resprouting change successional patterns. 4.  We show that three disturbance frequency classes produce three different outcomes, each dominated by a different species, with lower disturbance frequency favouring later successional species. 5.  The importance of resprouting ability for success in the canopy depends on the species’ other life‐history traits. Sugar maple is able to dominate the community at all disturbance frequency classes with resprouting, whereas the inclusion of resprouting for paper birch does not change the successional patterns. 6.  White pine is indirectly favoured by sugar maple’s resprouting ability, excluding paper birch from the community at disturbance frequency classes that would see paper birch dominance in the absence of resprouting. 7.
Synthesis. We model tree life histories in a disturbed environment and test how the inclusion of resprouting changes succession patterns. Our results confirm the recent interest of taking into account resprouting, as it can bend succession directionality, and thus change community composition in response to disturbance. This has wide consequences for predicting forest diversity patterns as well as invasion phenomena in a changing world.