bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fish ecolabels and consumer choice: weighing the factors.
Authors: Johnston R. J. 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
Ecolabelling is a stringent subset of environmental labelling in which the production processes of market goods are evaluated against established environmental standards by independent third-party certifiers. If the production process meets these standards, the producer or marketer may use a specific label in its marketing. The use of ecolabels is grounded in the assumption that consumers are willing to pay a price premium for labelled products, thereby providing a market incentive for more sustainable or 'environmentally friendly' production methods. This paper reviews the literature regarding seafood ecolabels and consumer choice, with an emphasis on systematic, quantitative assessments of consumer behaviour in hypothetical and actual markets. As shown by this review, there are a variety of published works addressing theoretical and empirical aspects of labelling in seafood and non-seafood markets. However, while seafood ecolabels have garnered substantial interest among many public and private organizations, there is a paucity of quantitative evidence regarding the impact of ecolabels on consumer behaviour. Evidence that does exist is found primarily in the stated preference literature, and suggests that while there may be a positive willingness to pay for seafood certification, consumers may be unwilling to give up a favoured seafood species in exchange for an ecolabel.
Balancing industrial and recreational use of forests - a review of empirical studies.
Authors: Bostedt G. , Brännlund R. 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
The value of the forest and how it should be utilized is the subject of a heated debate. The objective of this study is to review the literature on the benefits and costs of forest conservation and the adaptations of forest management practices, to improve the forest landscape for recreation. The overview focuses mainly on studies in the Nordic countries published in the last 15 years. The benefit studies provide distinct conclusions regarding the preferences of recreational users: they tend to prefer old growth rather than young forests, and favour a mixture of conifers and broadleaves over a pure conifer stand. On the cost side, there seems to be a consensus that forest conservation for recreation or biodiversity purposes has an opportunity cost in terms of foregone timber revenues. However, there is no evidence from the reviewed studies that such a conservation policy would hamper economic growth in the regions that are directly subject to the policy. On the contrary, there is some evidence that conservation can have a positive effect on local economies, mostly the result of an economic diversification towards tourism and commercial recreation. Overall, there is a striking lack of connection between the benefits and costs of forest conservation. Very few benefit studies make the extra effort to estimate the cost of the changes in forest management that the respondents in the non-market valuation studies are asked to value. Thus, one suggestion for future research is to improve the use of various methods in practical applications to ensure that guidance is comprehensive for policy decision-making.
Nature, extent and developmental regulation of somagenetic variations.
Authors: Li XiuQing Li XiuQing 
Published: May 2008

Abstract

Accumulated evidence indicates that the genome of somatic cells continues to vary after meiosis or sexual conjugation. This review reviews various types of somagenetic variations that usually do not cause significant modification of the genome size. The concept of somagenetic variation (changes of DNA sequence in somatic cells) differs from the classical concept variation associated with meiotic recombination, epigenetics (variations without changes in DNA sequence), and somaclonal variation (tissue-culture-induced genetic and epigenetic changes), and goes beyond mutagen-caused DNA sequence changes. Some examples of somagenetic variation include high-frequency gene conversion in fungi, continued immunoglobulin gene formation during development in animals, extrachromosomal DNA formation in
Xenopus
embryo and systemic increase of DNA rearrangement after pathogen infection in
Arabidopsis
. Mutagens and environmental stresses can enhance somagenetic variation rates; however, some of the enhanced rates are likely the organisms' repair responses to the DNA damage caused by the mutagens or stresses. The somagenetic mutation/variation activity of the organism is likely a balance between the selection for relative stability and the need for evolutional adaptation to environment. Somagenetic variations are largely developmentally regulated and genetically controlled processes.
Bathymetric preferences of juvenile European hake (Merluccius merluccius)
Authors: Bartolino Valerio , Ottavi Alessandro , Colloca Francesco , Ardizzone Gian Domenico , Stefánsson Gunnar 
Published: May 2008

Abstract
Bartolino, V., Ottavi, A., Colloca, F., Ardizzone, G. D., and Stefánsson, G. 2008. Bathymetric preferences of juvenile European hake (Merluccius merluccius). – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 963–969. The concept of a recruit is a basic notion in fisheries science, but it is still far from being an unequivocal term, and many diverse, even ambiguous, definitions can be found in the literature. We propose a more objective and biologically meaningful way to define the length range of recruits for species that have clear bathymetric segregation during the early stages of their life cycle. The bathymetric distribution of juvenile European hake was studied by fitting a thin plate spline to data from the national autumn trawl survey. Hake showed a stable pattern of depth preference in the 6-year dataset examined. Small hake had the greatest preference for depths of 170–220 m and appeared to move slightly deeper when they reached 10-cm total length. Larger hake persisted on the continental shelf with a preference for water 70–100 m deep, especially when they reached 18–20 cm long. The length at migration was defined as the length at which the minimum depth preference was shown, and it ranged between 13.2 and 15.8 cm depending on the year. There was a relationship between length at and depth of migration, and we provide a full description of the depth preference of juvenile hake, and test the effectiveness of the analytical approach used.
Impulsivity, age of first alcohol use and substance use disorders among male adolescents: a population based case–control study
Authors: Von Diemen Lisia , Bassani Diego Garcia , Fuchs Sandra Costa , Szobot Claudia Maciel , Pechansky Flavio 
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACTAims  To evaluate the association between impulsivity, age of first alcohol consumption (AFD) and substance use disorders (SUD) in a non‐clinical sample of adolescents.Design and setting  Population‐based case–control study of male adolescents between 15 and 20 years of age nested in a community survey in southern Brazil.Participants  Cases were drug or alcohol abusers/dependents defined according to DSM‐IV abuse/dependence criteria (n = 63). Individuals who had experienced alcohol use but where non‐abusers served as controls (n = 355). Cases and controls completed a structured face‐to‐face interview.Measurements  The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was completed during the original survey and used to identify cases and controls. Impulsivity was measured by means of the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS 11). Self‐reported AFD and socio‐demographic data were collected and analyzed through logistic regression according to a hierarchical model.Findings  Impulsivity and AFD were significantly associated with SUD. Both higher impulsivity [odds ratio (OR) 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–7.8] and earlier AFD (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0–1.3) remained associated with SUD after model adjustments.Conclusions  The findings from this population‐based case–control study suggest that impulsivity and age of first alcoholic drink are associated strongly with alcohol and drug problems. Additionally, impulsivity seems to contribute to a premature exposure to alcohol by hastening the AFD. If the temporal effect of these associations is confirmed in longitudinal designs including broader population groups, our findings may contribute to the development of clinical and policy interventions aiming at reducing the incidence and morbidity associated with substance‐related problems among adolescents.
Consequences of lifetime isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency and effects of short‐term GH treatment on bone in adults with a mutation in the GHRH‐receptor gene
Authors: De Paula Francisco J. A. , Góis‐Júnior Miburge B. , Aguiar‐Oliveira Manuel H. , Pereira Francisco de A. , Oliveira Carla R. P. , Pereira Rossana M. C. , Farias Catarine T. , Vicente Tábita A. R. , Salvatori Roberto 
Published: May 2008

SummaryObjective  Growth hormone (GH) influences bone mass maintenance. However, the consequences of lifetime isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) on bone are not well established. We assessed the bone status and the effect of 6 months of GH replacement in GH‐naïve adults with IGHD due to a homozygous mutation of the GH‐releasing hormone (GHRH)‐receptor gene (GHRHR).Patients and methods  We studied 20 individuals (10 men) with IGHD at baseline, after 6 months of depot GH treatment, and 6 and 12 months after discontinuation of GH. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the heel was performed and serum osteocalcin (OC) and C‐terminal cross‐linking telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) were measured. QUS was also performed at baseline and 12 months later in a group of 20 normal control individuals (CO), who did not receive GH treatment.Results  At baseline, the IGHD group had a lower T‐score on QUS than CO (–1·15 ± 0·9 vs.–0·07 ± 0·9, P < 0·001). GH treatment improved this parameter, with improvement persisting for 12 months post‐treatment (T‐score for IGHD = –0·59 ± 0·9, P < 0·05). GH also caused an increase in serum OC (baseline vs. pGH, P < 0·001) and ICTP (baseline vs. pGH, P < 0·01). The increase in OC was more marked during treatment and its reduction was slower after GH discontinuation than in ICTP.Conclusions  These data suggest that lifetime severe IGHD is associated with significant reduction in QUS parameters, which are partially reversed by short‐term depot GH treatment. The treatment induces a biochemical pattern of bone anabolism that persists for at least 6 months after treatment discontinuation.
Relationship between serum free T4 (FT4) levels and metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components in healthy euthyroid subjects
Authors: Kim Beom‐Jun , Kim Tae Yong , Koh Jung‐Min , Kim Hong‐Kyu , Park Joong‐Yeol , Lee Ki‐Up , Shong Young Kee , Kim Won Bae 
Published: May 2008

SummaryBackground  The metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with increased life‐time risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. While some reports suggest that MS and/or insulin resistance is associated with low serum free T4 (FT4) level in euthyroid subjects, this remains a controversial issue.Objective  To clarify the association of serum FT4 level with presence of MS and its components in healthy euthyroid subjects.Subjects and measurements  For 44 196 euthyroid subjects (including 25 147 males) not taking thyroid hormone or antithyroid‐drug and without liver or renal disease who participated in a routine health screening examination, we measured serum FT4, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), triglycerides (TG), fasting glucose, blood pressure (BP), height, weight, and waist circumference. Subjects were categorized into five groups according to their serum FT4 concentration. The association of FT4 quintiles with clinical and metabolic parameters of MS was analysed by significance test for linearity, and logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for risk of MS and each of its components, before and after adjustment for age.Results  In males, serum FT4 concentrations were positively associated with BP, fasting glucose, HDL‐C, and TG levels, and negatively associated with waist circumference after adjustment for age (P for trend = 0·033 to < 0·001). Females also showed similar findings except that FT4 had no correlation with TG after adjustment for age (all P for trend < 0·001 except TG). The negative association between FT4 and waist circumference was not present in younger male subjects (< 50 years), and the positive association between FT4 and BP was more prominent in younger female subjects (< 50 years) than in older females (P < 0·05). In both sexes, the ORs for elevated BP and elevated fasting glucose were significantly higher in subjects in the highest FT4 quintile than those in the lowest FT4 quintile, while the ORs for abdominal obesity and low HDL‐C were significantly lower. Subjects in the higher FT4 quintiles had a significantly lower prevalence of MS than those in the lowest FT4 quintile, but such differences disappeared after adjustment for age in both males and in females.Conclusion  These results suggest that the interaction between serum FT4 and MS components could be different according to age as well as gender in euthyroid subjects. Although thyroid hormone significantly affected each component of MS, there was no association between serum FT4 level and presence of MS after adjustment for age in healthy euthyroid subjects.
Primary peritoneal mesotheliomas in children: a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of eight cases
Authors: Moran C A , Albores‐Saavedra J , Suster S 
Published: May 2008

Aims:  To present eight cases of primary diffuse peritoneal malignant mesothelioma in children <15 years old, with a discussion of the pitfalls of this diagnosis in the paediatric age group.Methods and results:  The cases were selected based on the following criteria: (i) primary peritoneal neoplasms confined grossly or radiographically to the abdominal cavity; (ii) negative history of previous or another associated malignancy; (iii) histopathological confirmation. All patients (five female, three male) presented clinically with symptoms of abdominal pain, distention and ascites. Grossly, the tumours showed multiple, diffuse peritoneal nodules. Histologically, seven cases corresponded to epithelioid mesotheliomas and one case displayed biphasic (epithelioid and spindle) cellular proliferation. Immunohistochemical studies for cytokeratin (CK) 5/6, calretinin and low‐molecular‐weight CK (CAM5.2) showed strong cytoplasmic positivity in the neoplastic cells. Three patients were treated by chemotherapy. On clinical follow‐up, four patients with epithelioid mesotheliomas were alive and well from 12 to 18 months after initial diagnosis; one patient with a mixed (biphasic epithelioid/sarcomatoid) mesothelioma died of tumour 24 months after diagnosis.Conclusions:  Peritoneal malignant mesothelioma in children is a rare condition that can introduce difficulties in histopathological diagnosis.
Tissue microarray technology in the routine assessment of HER‐2 status in invasive breast cancer: a prospective study of the use of immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization
Authors: Graham A D , Faratian D , Rae F , J Thomas J St 
Published: May 2008

Aims:  To compare tissue microarray (TMA) and whole‐section (WS) techniques in the routine assessment of HER‐2 status in invasive breast cancer by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).Methods and results:  HER‐2 status was assessed prospectively in 106 consecutive cases of excised high‐grade and/or node‐positive breast carcinoma using both WS‐ and TMA‐based techniques. Whole sections were assessed by immunohistochemistry with FISH being performed on equivocal cases (scoring 2+ on Hercep®Test) and randomly selected 3+ cases included for quality assurance. Five 0.6‐mm cores from each tumour allowed accurate immunohistochemical and FISH testing in >95% of cases. Ninety‐seven per cent concordance was achieved between WS and TMA approaches to FISH analysis, the only discrepancies being in cases that were borderline or near borderline by both techniques. TMA and WS approaches were comparable in terms of time for preparation and scoring.Conclusions:  TMA technology is a robust method of assessing HER‐2 status in invasive breast cancer. This is directly comparable to the current standard methodology using whole sections. The use of TMA technology offers several advantages over existing full‐section methods in terms of cost, quality control, facilitation of future research and the facility to provide a high‐throughput testing methodology.
Development of a Chinese short form of the Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire
Authors: Lin Chun‐Ting , Cheng Chung‐Ping , Kuo Shih‐Hsien , Chou Fan‐Hao 
Published: May 2008

Aims.  To develop a short‐form version of the Chinese Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire and to examine its reliability and validity.Background.  Health professionals are short of screening instruments, especially in Chinese, to assess adaptation of pregnant women.Design.  A cross‐sectional research design was used. Pregnant women who visited prenatal clinics in southern Taiwan were recruited for this study. This study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was to develop a Chinese short form of the Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire, using a convenience sample that consisted of 600 pregnant women. The second phase was to examine the reliability and validity of the short‐form Chinese Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire, and used a convenience sample consisting of 225 pregnant women. Internal consistency and split‐half reliability were used to assess reliability. Construct, convergent and discriminate validities were conducted to assess the validity.Results.  Item, correlation, factor and cluster analyses were used to eliminate 35 items from the questionnaire and to retain 44 items in phase one. The correlation coefficient between the short‐form Chinese Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire and the original Chinese Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire was 0·95, indicating that the short‐form Chinese Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire was acceptable. In phase two, 35 items were eventually retained and divided into six factors: concern for well‐being of self and baby (seven items), acceptance of pregnancy (six items), identification of a motherhood role (three items), preparation for labour (six items), relationship with own mother (eight items) and relationship with husband (five items), accounting for 50·42% of the total variance. The convergent and discriminant validities were good, because the correlation coefficients between subscales and the total scale as well as between subscales and subscales were 0·57–0·71 and 0·18–0·41 (p < 0·01), respectively. The Cronbach's α and split‐half reliabilities of the short form were 0·90 and 0·88, respectively.Conclusions.  A 35‐item Chinese short form of the Prenatal Self‐Evaluation Questionnaire was developed. The results of this study can be used as a measurement tool for widespread, cost‐effective clinical assessment and further research.Relevance to clinical practice.  Use of the new tool may help nurses to understand the adaptation status of pregnant women and thereby provide suitable nursing care for good adaptation to pregnancy as well as enhanced quality of life.
Enhancing pregnant, donor oocyte recipient women’s health in the infertility clinic and beyond: a phenomenological investigation of caring behaviour
Authors: Hershberger Patricia E , Kavanaugh Karen 
Published: May 2008

Aim.  To describe pregnant, donor oocyte recipient women’s perceptions of the essence of caring behaviour among nurses and other healthcare providers who they encountered in the clinic environment.Background.  Despite the ever increasing use of donor oocytes to treat infertility worldwide, little is known about the caring behaviour of nurses and other healthcare providers that support and enhance the health of pregnant, donor oocyte recipient women.Design.  Qualitative, descriptive interviews.Method.  A Husserlian phenomenological approach.Results.  Eight women participated in a larger phenomenological study that examined the lived experience of pregnant, donor oocyte recipient women. Five components of caring behaviour among nurses and other healthcare providers emerged from the in‐depth interviews with the women and were: being available, providing communication, exhibiting compassion, demonstrating competency and promoting empowerment. Being available was described when the participants had ongoing access to or were humanly present with nurses. The ability of nurses to provide communication and education about complex information was perceived as supportive. Nurses exhibited compassion through words and behaviours that expressed empathy and a deep understanding of the women’s experience. Competency was demonstrated when a healthy pregnancy was achieved and maintained and through behaviours where a high level of technical and ethical knowledge and skill was observed. Empowerment occurred when nurses encouraged the women to engage in aspects of decision making and when a sense of control over infertility treatment and obstetrical care was promoted.Conclusions.  For donor oocyte recipient women, caring behaviour in the clinic environment consists of five essential components. The findings support a link between empowerment and the concept of caring.Relevance to clinical practice.  The dense empirical description of the women’s perceptions of caring behaviour are directly applicable to clinical practice, delineating areas for improvement and providing specific data driven interventions including the development of a ‘hope box’.
Relative information content of polymorphic microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA for inferring dispersal and population genetic structure in the olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis
Authors: LUKOSCHEK V. , WAYCOTT M. , KEOGH J. S. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractPolymorphic microsatellites are widely considered more powerful for resolving population structure than mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers, particularly for recently diverged lineages or geographically proximate populations. Weaker population subdivision for biparentally inherited nuclear markers than maternally inherited mtDNA may signal male‐biased dispersal but can also be attributed to marker‐specific evolutionary characteristics and sampling properties. We discriminated between these competing explanations with a population genetic study on olive sea snakes, Aipysurus laevis. A previous mtDNA study revealed strong regional population structure for A. laevis around northern Australia, where Pleistocene sea‐level fluctuations have influenced the genetic signatures of shallow‐water marine species. Divergences among phylogroups dated to the Late Pleistocene, suggesting recent range expansions by previously isolated matrilines. Fine‐scale population structure within regions was, however, poorly resolved for mtDNA. In order to improve estimates of fine‐scale genetic divergence and to compare population structure between nuclear and mtDNA, 354 olive sea snakes (previously sequenced for mtDNA) were genotyped for five microsatellite loci. F statistics and Bayesian multilocus genotype clustering analyses found similar regional population structure as mtDNA and, after standardizing microsatellite F statistics for high heterozygosities, regional divergence estimates were quantitatively congruent between marker classes. Over small spatial scales, however, microsatellites recovered almost no genetic structure and standardized F statistics were orders of magnitude smaller than for mtDNA. Three tests for male‐biased dispersal were not significant, suggesting that recent demographic expansions to the typically large population sizes of A. laevis have prevented microsatellites from reaching mutation‐drift equilibrium and local populations may still be diverging.