bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatial heterogeneity of epibenthos on artificial reefs: fouling communities in the early stages of colonization on an East Australian shipwreck
Authors: Walker Simon J. , Schlacher Thomas A. , Schlacher‐Hoenlinger Monika A. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractArtificial reefs are spatially complex habitats and serve as good model systems to study patterns of community succession and the response of epibiota to environmental clines over small spatial scales. Here, we quantified spatial heterogeneity in community composition and diversity of fouling communities across a number of environmental gradients that included water depth, surface orientation of habitats, exposure to currents, and shelter. Assemblage structure was quantified by spatially replicated photo transects on a recently scuttled large navy ship off the East Australian coast, lying in 27 m of water. A rich assemblage of epifauna had colonized the wreck within a year, dominated by barnacles, sponges and bryozoans. Community structure varied significantly over small spatial scales of meters to tens of meters. Depth, surface orientation and exposure were the major environmental drivers. Assemblages were substantially less diverse and abundant on the deepest (23 m near the seafloor) part of the hull with residual antifouling paint, on sheltered surfaces inside the wreck, and on the sediment‐laden horizontal surfaces. Overall, the wrecks’ habitat complexity corresponds with small‐scale heterogeneity in the fouling communities. This study supports the notion that wrecks enhance local diversity and biomass within the habitat mosaic of their location, and habitat complexity may be an important mechanism for this, as demonstrated by the large spatial variability in the assemblages documented here.
Differentiation of metastatic follicular thyroid cancer from hepatocellular carcinoma using Hep Par 1
Authors: Mullin Emma J , Metcalfe Matthew S , Maddern Guy J 
Published: October 2007

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma usually arises in a cirrhotic liver. Multiple hepatic nodules in a non‐cirrhotic liver are more likely to be metastatic. The primary focus commonly arises from the gastrointestinal tract, breast or lung, but in the absence of these a primary liver pathology must be considered. The case is reported of a middle‐aged woman presenting with multiple nodules on computed tomography with no clinically apparent primary for whom results of initial diagnostic investigations were potentially misleading.
Physical activity might not be the protective factor for health risk behaviours and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents
Authors: Tao Fang B , Xu Min L , Kim Soon D , Sun Ying , Su Pu Y , Huang Kun 
Published: October 2007

Aim:  This study aims to examine the effect of physical activity (PA) intensity on tobacco or alcohol abuse, suicide behaviours and psychopathological symptoms in junior and senior high school students in China.Methods:  A total of 5453 students from nine middle schools participated in a self‐administered anonymous survey to report their frequency of moderate and vigorous PA at a normal learning week. Tobacco or alcohol use in the past 30 days, suicide behaviours during the past 12 months were asked. The Symptoms Checklist 90 was used to assess general mental problem and nine special psychopathological symptoms. The Rosenberg's Self‐esteem Scale and School Life Satisfaction Rating Questionnaire for Adolescent were selected to rate the respondents' self‐esteem and school life satisfaction.Results:  Percentage of high‐, low–moderate‐ and very‐low‐intensity PA was 22.0%, 37.0% and 41.0%, respectively. By using multivariable multinomial logistic regression, it was indicated that low–moderate‐intensity PA was a protective factor of depression (odds ratio (OR) was 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.40–0.91) and psychotic symptoms (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.31–0.93), while high‐intensity PA was a risk factor of binge drinking (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.29–2.54), suicide ideation (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04–1.54), general psychological disorders (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.11–1.84), and hostile symptoms (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.03–2.07).Conclusion:  Different intensity PA in adolescents had different association with risk health behaviours and psychopathological symptoms. The reasons are worth further researching.
The effect of laser power density on the fatigue life of laser‐shock‐peened 7050 aluminium alloy
Authors: LIU Q. , YANG C. H. , DING K. , BARTER S. A. , YE L. 
Published: October 2007

ABSTRACTLaser shock peening (LSP) is an innovative surface treatment method that can result in significant improvement in the fatigue life of many metallic components. The process produces very little or no surface profile modification while producing a considerably deeper compressive residual stress layer than traditional shot peening operations. The work discussed here was designed to: (a) quantify the fatigue life improvement achieved by LSP in a typical high strength aircraft aluminium alloy and (b) identify any technological risks associated with its use. It is shown that when LSP conditions are optimal for the material and specimen configuration, a —three to four times increase in fatigue life over the as‐machined specimens could be achieved for a representative fighter aircraft loading spectrum when applied at a representative load level. However, if the process parameters are not optimal for the material investigated here, fatigue lives of LSP treated specimens may be reduced instead of increased due to the occurrence of internal cracking. This paper details the effect of laser power density on fatigue life of 7050‐T7451 aluminium alloy by experimental and numerical analysis.
Mechanical and focal electrical stimuli applied to the skin of the index fingertip induce both inhibition and excitation in low‐threshold flexor carpi radialismotor units
Authors: Lourenço George , Caronni Antonio , Cavallari Paolo 
Published: October 2007

AbstractIt has been observed that mechanical stimulation of the skin of the index fingertip causes a weak short‐latency inhibition followed by a strong long‐lasting facilitation of the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) H‐reflex. Based on threshold and latency, these cutaneous reflexes are thought to be routed to motoneurons by parallel pathways. As recent studies have shown predominant inhibitory potentials in slow motoneurons and predominant excitatory potentials in faster ones, the question arises as to whether or not the two cutaneous pathways converge onto the same motoneuron. The poststimulus time histogram technique was used to investigate the changes in firing frequency of low‐threshold FCR motor units (MUs), induced by passive mechanical or focal electrical stimuli to the index skin. After gently tapping the finger pulp a small sharp inhibition appeared in 20 MUs. On average, inhibition started 10.2 ± 1.6 ms from the homonymous Ia monosynaptic effect, and its central delay was estimated to be 1.2 ± 1.6 ms. The subsequent facilitation, more consistent, had a mean latency of 13.5 ± 1.7 ms. Inhibition and excitation were statistically significant (P < 0.05). A similar biphasic effect was observed in seven other FCR‐MUs, also after focal electrical stimulation of the same skin area. Comparison with the time course of the H‐reflex, representing the whole population of MUs, showed striking similarities in time course and latency to the present MU effect. It is thus suggested that cutaneous spinal pathways may have a homogeneous distribution within the FCR motoneuron pool, and that the skewed distribution of cutaneous afferents onto motoneurons should be not taken as a rule.
Responses of aerobic microbial communities and soil respiration to water‐level drawdown in a northern boreal fen
Authors: Jaatinen Krista , Laiho Raija , Vuorenmaa Anita , Del Castillo Urko , Minkkinen Kari , Pennanen Taina , Penttilä Timo , Fritze Hannu 
Published: October 2007

SummaryOn a global basis, peatlands are a major reserve of carbon (C). Hydrological changes can affect the decomposition processes in peatlands and in turn can alter their C balance. Since 1959, a groundwater extraction plant has generated a water‐level gradient at our study site that has gradually changed part of the wet fen into a dry peatland forest. The average water‐level drawdown of the gradient (from a pristine 9 cm to 26 cm in the dry end) is close to an estimate predicted by an increase in mean global temperature of 3°C. We studied the total microbial community of the aerobic surface peat in four locations along the gradient through phospholipid fatty acid and PCR‐DGGE methods. Additionally, field measurements of soil respiration showed a threefold increase in the C‐emission rate at the driest location compared with the wettest one, indicating enhanced decomposition. Also, both fungal and bacterial biomass increased in the drier locations. At the species level, the fungal community changed due to water‐level drawdown whereas actinobacteria were less sensitive to drying. The majority of fungal sequences were similar to ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, which dominated throughout the gradient. Our results indicate that ECM fungi might act as important facultative decomposers in organic‐rich environments such as peatlands.
Patients with distant metastases from renal cell carcinoma can be accurately identified: external validation of a new nomogram
Authors: Hutterer Georg C. , Patard Jean‐Jacques , Jeldres Claudio , Perrotte Paul , De La Taille Alexandre , Salomon Laurent , Verhoest Gregory , Tostain Jacques , Cindolo Luca , Ficarra Vincenzo , Artibani Walter , Schips Luigi , Zigeuner Richard , Mulders Peter F. , Karakiewicz Pierre I. 
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVETo identify clinical variables that can accurately predict the presence of distant metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).PATIENTS AND METHODSAge, symptom classification, tumour size and the prevalence of distant metastases at diagnosis before nephrectomy were available for 5376 patients with pathologically confirmed RCC. The data of 2660 (49.5%) patients from 11 centres were used to develop a multivariable logistic regression model‐based nomogram predicting the individual probability of distant metastases. The remaining data from 2716 (50.5%) patients from three institutions were used for external validation.RESULTSIn the development cohort, 269/2660 (10.1%) had distant metastases, vs 285/2716 (10.5%) in the external validation cohort. Symptom classification and tumour size were independent predictors of distant metastases in the development cohort; age was not an independent predictor. A nomogram based on symptom classification and tumour size was 85.2% accurate in predicting the individual probability of distant metastases in the external validation cohort.CONCLUSIONAlthough distant metastases might be easily identifiable in some patients, their diagnosis might be a challenge in others. The current nomogram provides a simple, user‐friendly and, most importantly, an accurate tool aimed at predicting the probability of distant metastases in patients with RCC.
Continental Drift: On Unemployment Policy Change in Bismarckian Welfare States
Authors: Clegg Daniel 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThis article analyses the development of unemployment policies over the past 20 years in four continental European countries: Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. It shows that, far from being as ‘frozen’ as many analysts have suggested, each of these Bismarckian welfare states has in fact seen considerable change in this policy sector in recent decades. In Belgium, France and Germany, significant changes in unemployment policy reforms have unfolded gradually, through an accumulation of small changes. This finding offers some support to recent theorizing on the potential for policy changes that are both incremental and transformative. However, while such processes have led to shifts in unemployment policy that are far from negligible, the article also argues that they fall short of those seen in this policy sector in other welfare institutional contexts as well as in the Netherlands, where substantive reforms have in the last decade been complemented with changes to the institutional framework for unemployment policy. Through its analysis of the relationship between the institutional features of these welfare states and the possibility frontier of unemployment policy reform, the article develops a nuanced perspective on the scope for and resistance to social policy change in continental Europe.
From Subsidiarity to ‘Free Choice’: Child‐ and Elder‐care Policy Reforms in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands
Authors: Morel Nathalie 
Published: October 2007

Abstract This article analyses the patterns of reform in care policies in Bismarckian welfare systems since the early 1980s. Based on a comparison of France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, the article shows that these reforms share similar logics and trajectories, which can be explained by the shared conservative and corporatist traits of Bismarckian labour markets and welfare state institutions and their impact on labour market adjustment possibilities and preferences. Indeed, we argue that care policy reforms have been very closely linked to specific employment strategies, and the politics of welfare without work and subsequent attempts to shift away from such a labour‐shedding strategy go a long way in explaining both the nature and the timing of child‐ and elder‐care policy reforms in Bismarckian welfare systems. The article also shows how a focus on promoting ‘free choice’ in all four countries has justified the introduction of measures that have simultaneously reinforced social stratification in terms of access to the labour market – meaning that some women have much more ‘free choice’ than others – and weakened certain labour market rigidities. To conclude, we argue that care policy reforms have provided a backdoor for the introduction of labour‐cheapening measures and for increasing employment flexibility in otherwise very rigid labour markets.
Parents’ experiences of pain and discomfort in people with learning disabilities
Authors: Clarke Zara Jane , Thompson Andrew R. , Buchan Linda , Combes Helen 
Published: October 2007

Accessible summary

Eight parents of adults with learning disabilities were interviewed about their  experience of managing their son or daughter’s pain.
Parents developed trial and error methods of identifying pain and managing this.
Parents reported having mixed experiences of the services their sons/daughters  had received.
Parental carers play a crucial role in the pain management of adults with learning  disabilities.
This research matters to people with learning disabilities because it  informs professionals of the importance of listening to parental carers’ views and  experiences in the successful management of ill health and pain in situations  where the sufferer has limited verbal communication.

Good practice statement  The results of this study have already been presented to health professionals who work with people with learning disabilities, within the first author’s organization, as well as at a conference about pain in people with learning disabilities. Further work is intended to publicize the findings to people with learning disabilities and their carers.SummaryThere are few measures of pain for people with limited ability to communicate. Eight parents of adults with a known learning disability and associated physical health complaint were interviewed to explore their experience of identifying and managing the pain felt by their children. The parents did not often perceive their son or daughter to be in pain or discomfort, which was an unexpected finding given the sampling strategy. They described, however, specific ways of recognizing pain and would use a trial and error process to determine the cause. Parents had strategies for dealing with pain and reported mixed experiences of service interactions. The emerging themes can be related back to the pain literature and psychological theory. They emphasize the importance of involving parents in pain assessment and represent the first stage of research into a previously unexplored area.
Genetic and environmental influences on socio‐emotional behavior in toddlers: an initial twin study of the infant–toddler social and emotional assessment
Authors: Van Hulle C.A. , Lemery‐Chalfant K. , Goldsmith H.H. 
Published: October 2007

Background:  Relatively little is known about the genetic architecture of childhood behavioral disorders in very young children.Method:  In this study, parents completed the Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment, a questionnaire that assesses symptoms of childhood disorders, as well as socio‐emotional competencies, for 822 twin pairs (49.3% female; age 17–48 months) participating in the Wisconsin Twin Project. Psychometric, rater bias, and sex‐limitation models explored the role of genetic and environmental influences on (1) externalizing and internalizing behavior; (2) less commonly assessed behaviors pertaining to physical and emotional dysregulation, general competencies, social relatedness; and (3) infrequent behaviors such as those associated with pervasive developmental delays.Results:  Heritable influences accounted for the majority (56% or more) of variation in behavior that was commonly observed by both parents. The remaining variance was associated with non‐shared environmental factors, with the exception of competency and atypical behavior, which were also influenced by shared environmental factors. In contrast, for most behaviors, the variation unique to mother and father ratings was split between variation due to shared environment or rater biases and to measurement error. Little evidence emerged for sex differences in the underlying causes of variation.
Gender differences in the behavioral associates of loneliness and social dissatisfaction in kindergarten
Authors: Coplan Robert J. , Closson Leanna M. , Arbeau Kimberley A. 
Published: October 2007

Background:  Much of the evidence suggesting that loneliness is a risk factor for socio‐emotional adjustment difficulties comes from studies with older children and adolescents. Comparatively less is known about the mental health implications of loneliness in early childhood. The goals of the present study were to provide additional convergent validity of the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire for Young Children (Cassidy & Asher, 1992) and explore potential gender differences in relations between loneliness and behavior problems in early childhood.Methods:  A multiple source assessment of 139 kindergarten‐aged children (Mage = 64.76 mos., SD = 4.48) was undertaken, including parental ratings, behavioral observations, child interviews, and teacher ratings.Results:  Overall, loneliness was positively associated with anxiety, aggression, and peer exclusion. However, several gender differences were also observed.Conclusions:  Loneliness may be a marker variable for both early internalizing and externalizing problems. However, gender differences in the behavioral associates of loneliness are also evident.
Foraging behaviour and prey size of the painted stork
Authors: Kalam A. , Urfi A. J. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThe foraging behaviour of painted stork Mycteria leucocephala was studied during 2004–2006 at 14 different sites in the Delhi region, India. Observations were recorded on 131 individuals, including 29 juvenile birds using a video camera. Recordings were also made at the nesting colony in Delhi zoo to study the prey sizes regurgitated to nestlings. The results confirm that the painted stork is a tactile forager and exclusively piscivorous. Foraging group size ranged from 1 to 18 individuals. Per 5 min foot stirring rates in the vegetated habitats were significantly higher than in non‐vegetated habitats. The attempt rate and feeding rate in the breeding season were significantly higher than that in the non‐breeding season. Prey sizes taken in the breeding season were significantly smaller than those taken in the non‐breeding season. About 80% fish fed to the chicks were smaller than 10 cm. Young chicks were offered smaller prey compared with older chicks. The variations in foraging parameters are discussed in relation to habitats and their conservation in the Delhi region.
Different structural stability and toxicity of PrPARR and PrPARQ sheep prion protein variants
Authors: Paludi Domenico , Thellung Stefano , Chiovitti Katia , Corsaro Alessandro , Villa Valentina , Russo Claudio , Ianieri Adriana , Bertsch Uwe , Kretzschmar Hans A. , Aceto Antonio , Florio Tullio 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThe polymorphisms at amino acid residues 136, 154, and 171 in ovine prion protein (PrP) have been associated with different susceptibility to scrapie: animals expressing PrPARQ [PrP(Ala136/Arg154/Gln171)] show vulnerability, whereas those that express PrPARR [PrP(Ala136/Arg154/Arg171)] are resistant to scrapie. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro toxic effects of PrPARR and PrPARQ variants in relation with their structural characteristics. We show that both peptides cause cell death inducing apoptosis but, unexpectedly, the scrapie resistant PrPARR form was more toxic than the scrapie susceptible PrPARQ variant. Moreover, the α‐helical conformation of PrPARR was less stable than that of PrPARQ and the structural determinants responsible of these different conformational stabilities were characterized by spectroscopic analysis. We observed that PrP toxicity was inversely related to protein structural stability, being the unfolded conformation more toxic than the native one. However, the PrPARQ variant displays a higher propensity to form large aggregates than PrPARR. Interestingly, in the presence of small amounts of PrPARR, PrPARQ aggregability was reduced to levels similar to that of PrPARR. Thus, in contrast to PrPARR toxicity, scrapie transmissibility seems to reside in the more stable conformation of PrPARQ that allows the formation of large amyloid fibrils.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES: A microarray for large‐scale genomic and transcriptional analyses of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and other passerines
Authors: NAURIN SARA , BENSCH STAFFAN , HANSSON BENGT , JOHANSSON TOMAS , CLAYTON DAVID F. , ALBREKT ANN‐SOFIE , VON SCHANTZ TORBJÖRN , HASSELQUIST DENNIS 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThe microarray technology has revolutionized biological research in the last decade. By monitoring the expression of many genes simultaneously, microarrays can elucidate gene function, as well as scan entire genomes for candidate genes encoding complex traits. However, because of high costs of sequencing and design, microarrays have largely been restricted to a few model species. Cross‐species microarray (CSM) analyses, where microarrays are used for other species than the one they were designed for, have had varied success. We have conducted a CSM analysis by hybridizing genomic DNA from the common whitethroat (Sylvia communis) on a newly developed Affymetrix array designed for the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), the Lund‐zf array. The results indicate a very high potential for the zebra finch array to act as a CSM utility in other passerine birds. When hybridizing zebra finch genomic DNA, 98% of the gene representatives had higher signal intensities than the background cut‐off, and for the common whitethroat, we found the equivalent proportion to be as high as 96%. This was surprising given the fact that finches and warblers diverged 25–50 million years ago, but may be explained by a relatively low sequence divergence between passerines (89–93%). Passerine birds are widely used in studies of ecology and evolution, and a zebra finch array that can be used for many species may have a large impact on future research directions.