bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of iron supplementation during pregnancy on the behaviour of children at early school age: long-term follow-up of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Parsons Annie G. , Zhou Shao J. , Spurrier Nicola J. , Makrides Maria 
Published: October 2007

Although routine Fe supplementation in pregnancy is a common practice, its clinical benefits or risks are uncertain. Children born to mothers in the Fe group in a trial of Fe supplementation in pregnancy have been found to have a significantly higher risk of abnormal behaviour at 4 years of age than those born to mothers in the placebo group. The objective of the present study therefore was to determine whether Fe supplementation in pregnancy influences child behaviour at early school age. The study was a follow-up of children at 6–8 years of age after women (n 430) were randomly allocated to receive a daily Fe supplement (20 mg) or placebo from 20 weeks gestation until delivery. The supplement reduced the incidence of Fe-deficiency anaemia at delivery from 9 % to 1 %. Child behaviour and temperament were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Short Temperament Scale for Children. Of the children, 264 (61 %) participated in the follow-up. Mean behaviour and temperament scores and the proportion of parent-rated and teacher-rated abnormal total difficulties scores did not differ between the Fe and placebo groups. However, the incidence of children with an abnormal teacher-rated peer problems subscale score was higher in the Fe group (eleven of 112 subjects; 8 %) than in the placebo group (three of 113 subjects; 2 %); the relative risk was 3·70 (95 % CI 1·06, 12·91; P = 0·026). We conclude that prenatal Fe supplementation had no consistent effect on child behaviour at early school age in this study population. Further investigation regarding the long-term effects of this common practice is warranted.
Women, Politics and Islamism in Northern Pakistan
Authors: MARSDEN MAGNUS 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThis paper explores the responses of women living in a small town in the Chitral region of northern Pakistan to the Islamizing policies of the Muttahida Majlis-e Amal, a coalition of Islamist parties elected to provincial government in the North West Frontier Province in October 2002. Its focus is on women in the region who vocally and publicly criticize Chitral's politically activemadrasa-educated ‘men of piety’. Documenting the ways in which these women and the region's ‘men of piety’ debate with one another on matters concerning personal morality, comportment and self-presentation illuminates dimensions of small-town Muslim life that are rarely considered important in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. In particular, by exploring these complex and multi-dimensional debates, I seek to emphasize the inherently unfinished nature of Chitralis’ responses to ongoing Islamizing processes, a growing and pervasive sense of disenchantment amongst many of the region's Muslims with the authenticity of public expressions of personal piety, and, in this context, the continuing emergence of new ways of being Muslim, modes of self-presentation and categories of Islamic public opinion forming figures.
Kissing cousins but not identical twins: The denominator neglect and base-rate respect models
Authors: Brainerd C. J. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractBarbey & Sloman's (B&S's) base-rate respect model is anticipated by Reyna's denominator neglect model. There are parallels at three levels: (a) explanations are grounded in a general cognitive theory (rather than in domain-specific ideas); (b) problem structure is treated as a key source of reasoning errors; and most importantly, (c) nested set relations are seen as the cause of base-rate neglect.
Why frequencies are natural
Authors: Butterworth Brian 
Published: October 2007

AbstractResearch in mathematical cognition has shown that rates, and other interpretations of x/y, are hard to learn and understand. On the other hand, there is extensive evidence that the brain is endowed with a specialized mechanism for representing and manipulating the numerosities of sets – that is, frequencies. Hence, base-rates are neglected precisely because they are rates, whereas frequencies are indeed natural.
How to elicit sound probabilistic reasoning: Beyond word problems
Authors: Girotto Vittorio , Gonzalez Michel 
Published: October 2007

AbstractBarbey & Sloman (B&S) conclude that natural frequency theorists have raised a fundamental question: What are the conditions that compel individuals to reason extensionally? We argue that word problems asking for a numerical judgment used by these theorists cannot answer this question. We present evidence that nonverbal tasks can elicit correct intuitions of posterior probability even in preschoolers.
One wrong does not justify another: Accepting dual processes by fallacy of false alternatives
Authors: Keren Gideon , van Rooij Iris , Schul Yaacov 
Published: October 2007

AbstractBarbey & Sloman (B&S) advocate a dual-process (two-system) approach by comparing it with an alternative perspective (ecological rationality), claiming that the latter is unwarranted. Rejecting this alternative approach cannot serve as sufficient evidence for the viability of the former.
The underinformative formulation of conditional probability
Authors: Macchi Laura , Bagassi Maria 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThe formulation of the conditional probability in classical tasks does not guarantee the effective transmission of the independence of the hit rate from the base rate. In these kinds of tasks, data are all available, but subjects are able to understand them in the specific meanings proper to a specialized language only if these are adequately transmitted. From this perspective, the partitive formulation should not be considered a facilitation, but rather, a way of effectively transmitting the conditional probability.Consider the following two phrases:1The death-rate among men is twice that for women.2In the deaths registered last month there were twice as many men as women.Are these two different ways of saying the same or are these different events? In fact, they are different events. (Lindley 1985, p. 44)
Nested sets theory, full stop: Explaining performance on Bayesian inference tasks without dual-systems assumptions
Authors: Mandel David R. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractConsistent with Barbey & Sloman (B&S), it is proposed that performance on Bayesian inference tasks is well explained by nested sets theory (NST). However, contrary to those authors' view, it is proposed that NST does better by dispelling with dual-systems assumptions. This article examines why, and sketches out a series of NST's core principles, which were not previously defined.
Implications of real-world distributions and the conversation game for studies of human probability judgments
Authors: Thomas John C. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractSubjects in experiments use real-life strategies that differ significantly from those assumed by experimenters. First, true randomness is rare in both natural and constructed environments. Second, communication follows conventions which depend on the game-theoretic aspects of situations. Third, in the common rhetorical stance of storytelling, people do not tell about the representative but about unusual, exceptional, and rare cases.
The continuum of “looking forward,” and paradoxical requirements from memory
Authors: Bar Moshe 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThe claim that nonhuman animals lack foresight is common and intuitive. I propose an alternative whereby foresight is a gradual continuum in that it is present in animals to the extent that it is needed. A second aspect of this commentary points out that the requirements that the memory that mediates foresight be both specific yet flexible seem contradictory.
Prospection and the brain
Authors: Buckner Randy L. 
Published: October 2007

AbstractSuddendorf & Corballis (S&C) propose that the capacity to flexibly forsee the future was a critical step in human evolution and is accomplished by a set of component processes that can be likened to a theater production. Understanding the brain-bases of these functions may help to clarify the hypothesized component processes, inform us of how and when they are used adaptively, and also provide empirical ways of exploring to what degree these abilities exist and are implemented similarly (or differently) across species.
Emotional aspects of mental time travel
Authors: D'Argembeau Arnaud , Van der Linden Martial 
Published: October 2007

AbstractWe consider three possible reasons why humans might accord a privileged status to emotional information when mentally traveling backward or forward in time. First, mental simulation of emotional situations helps one to make adaptive decisions. Second, it can serve an emotion regulation function. Third, it helps people to construct and maintain a positive view of the self.
Prospection or projection: Neurobiological basis of stimulus-independent mental traveling
Authors: Okuda Jiro 
Published: October 2007

AbstractThe number of studies concerning the neurobiology of human prospection is now rapidly exploding. Recent works suggest that prospection can be better understood in a broader context of self-projection into other times, places, or agents that can share the same cerebral basis involving medial aspects of prefrontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. Mental time travel may be extended more generally to “mental traveling,” accomplished by stimulus-independent mental processes typical of human thought.
What are the evolutionary causes of mental time travel?
Authors: Osvath Mathias , Gärdenfors Peter 
Published: October 2007

AbstractWe are not entirely satisfied with the evolutionary explanation provided by Suddendorf & Corballis (S&C) for why only humans should be capable of advanced mental time travel. General social factors do not suffice, given that other primates are also highly social. We discuss the evolutionary mechanisms that have generated mental time travel typical to humans, focusing on ecological factors.
On the constructive episodic simulation of past and future events
Authors: Schacter Daniel L. , Addis Donna Rose 
Published: October 2007

AbstractWe consider the relation between past and future events from the perspective of the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis, which holds that episodic simulation of future events requires a memory system that allows the flexible recombination of details from past events into novel scenarios. We discuss recent neuroimaging and behavioral evidence that support this hypothesis in relation to the theater production metaphor.
On the ubiquity of certain total type structures
Authors: LONGLEY JOHN 
Published: October 2007

It is an empirical observation arising from the study of higher type computability that a wide range of approaches to defining a class of (hereditarily) total functionals over$\nat$leads in practice to a relatively small handful of distinct type structures. Among these are the type structure C of Kleene–Kreiselcontinuous functionals, its effective substructure Ceffand the type structure HEO of thehereditarily effective operations. However, the proofs of the relevant equivalences are often non-trivial, and it is not immediately clear why these particular type structures should arise so ubiquitously.In this paper we present some new results that go some way towards explaining this phenomenon. Our results show that a large class ofextensional collapseconstructions always give rise to C, Ceffor HEO (as appropriate). We obtain versions of our results for both the ‘standard’ and ‘modified’ extensional collapse constructions. The proofs make essential use of a technique due to Normann.Many new results, as well as some previously known ones, can be obtained as instances of our theorems, but more importantly, the proofs apply uniformly to a whole family of constructions, and provide strong evidence that the three type structures under consideration are highly canonical mathematical objects.
Glutamine and hypotaurine improves intracellular oxidative status andin vitrodevelopment of porcine preimplantation embryos
Authors: Suzuki C. , Yoshioka K. , Sakatani M. , Takahashi M. 
Published: October 2007

SummaryWe previously developed anin vitro-production system for porcine embryos and reported that the addition of glutamine (Gln) and hypotaurine (HT) duringin vitroculture improved embryo development. This study examined the effects of Gln and HT onin vitrodevelopment, intracellular oxidative status and DNA damage of porcine preimplantation embryos. Porcine zygotes produced byin vitromaturation (IVM) andin vitrofertilization (IVF) were cultured until day 2 (day 0 = day of IVF) in porcine zygote medium (PZM) including 2 mM Gln and 5 mM HT, namely PZM-5. On day 2, the cleaved embryos were selected and cultured for 24 h in PZM-5 to which one of the following substances was added: (1) none (control); (2) Gln; (3) HT; or (4) Gln + HT. After 24 h of culture in each medium, the embryos were then returned to PZM-5 and cultured until day 5. Day-5 blastocyst yield was significantly higher in the Gln and Gln + HT groups (p< 0.05) than in the control and HT groups. In addition, Gln + HT significantly increased the total number of cells in blastocysts (p< 0.05) compared with the control. Although the number of cells and the intracellular GSH levels in day-3 cleaved embryos did not differ among treatments, addition of Gln, HT or Gln + HT significantly (p< 0.05) reduced the intracellular H2O2content and the extent of DNA damage compared with the control. These results indicate that the presence of Gln and HT in PZM-5 from day 2 to day 3 promotes the development of porcine embryos by improvement of intracellular oxidative status.
Development and viability of bovine preimplantation embryos after the in vitro infection with bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1): immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies
Authors: Makarevich A.V. , Pivko J. , Kubovicova E. , Chrenek P. , Slezaková M. , Louda F. 
Published: October 2007

SummaryThe aim of our study was to examine whether: (1) the exposure of bovine embryos to the BHV-1 virus in vitro can compromise their further development and alter the ultrastructural morphology of cellular organelles; (2) whether the zona pellucida (ZP) can be a barrier protecting embryos against infection; and (3) whether washing with trypsin after viral exposure can prevent virus penetration inside the embryo and subsequent virus-induced damages. The embryos were recovered from superovulated Holstein-Friesian donor cows on day 6 of the estrous cycle. Only compact morulas or early blastocysts were selected for experiments with virus incubation. We used the embryos either with intact ZP (either with or without trypsin washing) or embryos in which the ZP barrier was avoided by using the microinjection of a BHV-1 suspension under the ZP. ZP-intact embryos (n = 153) were exposed to BHV-1 at 106.16 TCID50/ml for 60 min, then washed in trypsin according to IETS guidelines and postincubated in synthetic oviduct fluid (SOF) medium for 48 h. Some of the embryos (n = 36) were microinjected with 20 pl of BHV-1 suspension under the ZP, the embryos were washed in SOF medium and cultured for 48 h. Embryo development was evaluated by morphological inspection, the presence of viral particles was determined both immunocytochemically, using fluorescent anti-IBR–FITC conjugate and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on the basis of the ultrastructure of the cellular organelles.It was found that BHV-1 exposure impairs embryo development to higher preimplantation stages independent of the presence of the ZP or the trypsin treatment step, as most of the embryos were arrested at the morula stage when compared with the control. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed the presence of BHV-1 particles in about 75% of embryos that were passed through the trypsin treatment and in all the BHV-1-microinjected embryos. Ultrastructural analysis, using TEM, revealed the presence of virus-like particles inside the BHV-1-exposed embryos, where the trypsin washing step was omitted. Conversely, in trypsin-treated BHV-1-exposed embryos, TEM detected only the envelope-free virus-like particles adhered to pores of the ZP. The embryos that were microinjected with BHV-1 suspension showed the presence of BHV-1 particles, as well as ultrastructural alterations in cell organelles. Taken together these findings may suggest that BHV-1 infection compromises preimplantation development of bovine embryos in vitro and therefore the ZP may not be enough on its own to prevent virus-induced damage, unless it is not accompanied with trypsin washing.
Gene expression in thein vitro-produced preimplantation bovine embryos
Authors: Badr H. , Bongioni G. , Abdoon A.S.S. , Kandil O. , Puglisi R. 
Published: October 2007

SummaryRecent studies have demonstrated the relevance of a gene expression profile as a clinically important key feature determining embryo quality during thein vitropreimplantation period. Although the oocyte origin can play a crucial role in blastocyst yield, the postfertilization culture period has a profound effect in determining the blastocyst quality with particular regard to the relative abundance of many developmentally and clinically important candidate genes. During the preimplantation period, the embryo undergoes several morphogenetic developmental events including oocyte maturation, minor and major forms of embryonic genome activation and transition of transcription from maternal to embryonic control. The effect of an altered gene expression pattern on thein vitro-produced bovine embryos, particularly when cultured under suboptimal conditions, was reflected by the occurrence of clinically important phenomena like apoptosis and the large offspring syndrome. This review attempts to focus on the morphogenetic embryo development and gene expression profile in thein vitro-produced bovine embryos, with special emphasis on the different parameters that may alter gene expression pattern during the critical period ofin vitroculture. The effect of thein vitrosystem, as reflected by some clinically important phenomena like apoptosis, is also discussed.
Human round spermatids from azoospermic men exhibit oocyte-activation and Ca2+oscillation-inducing activities
Authors: Yazawa H. , Yanagida K. , Sato A. 
Published: October 2007

SummaryDuring mammalian fertilization, intracellular Ca2+oscillations are important for both oocyte activation and embryonic development. As the ability of round spermatids (ROS) to induce Ca2+oscillations and oocyte activation is different between species, we examined Ca2+oscillation- and oocyte activation-inducing abilities of human ROS originating from patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. Human ROS from 11 non-obstructive azoospermic patients were collected during their TESE–ICSI cycles. Following injection into mature unfertilized mouse oocytes, we examined the oocyte-activating and Ca2+oscillation-inducing activities of ROS by using Ca2+imaging and confocal laser scanning microscopy (mouse test). In these 11 cases, clinical TESE–ICSI using mature testicular spermatozoa was successful, with the exception of one case in which only one sperm-injected oocyte was not fertilized. The mean fertilization rate was 70.1% (40–100%); the mean cleavage rate was 97.9% (46/47). Two pregnancies were established from 10 transfer cycles (PR; 20%). When the ROS from these patients were injected into mouse oocytes, the ROS from all patients induced at least some intracellular Ca2+oscillations (25–100%). In all patients, 40 out of 82 oocytes injected with ROS exhibited normal oscillation patterns of [Ca2+]i.Human spermatogenetic cells acquired oocyte-activating and Ca2+oscillation-inducing abilities at the round spermatid stage, an earlier stage than found for rodent cells. These data indicate that human ROS might be useful for clinical treatments of non-obstructive azoospermic patients exhibiting mature spermatozoa in biopsied specimens.
Partial formation of sperm dimorphism from spermatocytes of the cottoid fish, Hemilepidotus gilberti in cell culture
Authors: Hayakawa Y. , Takayama-Watanabe E. , Watanabe A. , Kobayashi M. , Munehara H. , Onitake K. 
Published: October 2007

SummaryPolymorphism of sperm is considered to be significant for the reproductive strategy in some animal species. The phenomenon is thought to occur in the species-specific stage of spermatogenesis, but how the identical germ cells are differentiated towards polymorphic sperm remains unknown. We here performed a germ cell culture in the cottoid fish, Hemilepidotus gilberti, whose sperm exhibit dimorphism with fertilizable eusperm and unfertilizable parasperm. In the culture, germ cells, which were obtained with an identical morphology, a spherical shape of 5–7 µm in diameter, differentiated into smaller spherical cells with a single nucleus, a moving flagellum and localized mitochondria. In addition, large retroflex-shaped cells with two elongated nuclei were also observed in the cell culture. Germ cells that had each morphological feature were histologically also observed in some cysts of the spermatogenetic testis, suggesting that the former type of cell corresponded to developing eusperm and the latter corresponded to developing parasperm. When BrdU was incorporated into germ cells in the culture, it was detected in both cells with eusperm-like and those with parasperm-like morphologies. These findings suggest that DNA-duplicating spermatocytes are potent to autonomously progress a part of spermatogenesis to form dimorphic sperm.
Fibroblasts as novel therapeutic targets in chronic inflammation
Authors: Flavell S J , Hou T Z , Lax S , Filer A D , Salmon M , Buckley C D 
Published: October 2007

A characteristic feature of many chronic inflammatory diseases is their persistence and predilection for certain sites. The molecular basis for such tissue tropism and failure of the inflammatory response to resolve has until relative recently remained obscure. Recent studies have strongly implicated fibroblasts as cells which contribute to disease persistence and which help define anatomical location. Therefore fibroblasts make an attractive therapeutic target as they help orchestrate the inflammatory infiltrate. Current anti‐inflammatory therapies target immune cells in an attempt to inhibit the production of pro‐inflammatory mediators. However an equally important target is the active induction of pro‐resolution programmes responsible for the resolution of inflammation. Fibroblasts are likely to be an important source of these anti‐inflammatory mediators. Therapeutic manipulation of fibroblasts and their biologically active products is an emerging concept in treating cancer and is likely to provide a novel method to achieve improved control of chronic inflammatory disease.British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, S241–S246; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707487; published online 29 October 2007
Evidence against C‐type natriuretic peptide as an arterial ‘EDHF’
Authors: Garland C J , Dora K A 
Published: October 2007

C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is found in and released from vascular endothelial cells. Recently, a novel role has been suggested for this peptide, that of an endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor or EDHF. Implicit in this proposal is a widespread role for CNP as a key mediator of vascular dilatation. In this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, Leuranguer et al. compare the profile of membrane potential changes evoked with this putative EDHF or with endogenous EDHF (activated with ACh) in small carotid arteries. Marked differences between the two profiles lead them to discount a possible role for CNP as an EDHF.British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 4–5; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707520; published online 29 October 2007