bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mating Strategies in Relation to Sexually Selected Infanticide in a Non‐Social Carnivore: the Brown Bear
Authors: Bellemain Eva , Swenson Jon E. , Taberlet Pierre 
Published: February 2006

AbstractBased on the sexually selected infanticide (SSI) hypothesis, infanticide can be an adaptive mating strategy for males, but this is has rarely been documented in non‐social mammals. This phenomenon should not benefit females, so one would expect females to evolve mating counter strategies in order to protect their infants from infanticidal males. Cases of SSI are extremely difficult to document in the field, especially for non‐social species. Using field observations and genetic methods, we describe mating strategies employed by both sexes of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in relation to SSI. We present evidence for the first time suggesting that infanticide is an adaptive male mating strategy in this non‐social carnivore, as all requirements for SSI are fulfilled (1) infanticide shortens the time to the mother's next estrus, (2) the perpetrator is not the father of the killed infants, and (3) putative perpetrators sire the next litter. Moreover, all infanticide cases occurred during the mating season. We expected that primarily immigrant males were infanticidal, as in social species. However, we found that resident adult males commonly committed infanticide. Perhaps they recognize females they have mated with previously. Moreover, we used DNA‐based parentage testing to demonstrate a minimum of 14.5% of multiple paternities (up to 28% for litters with at least three young). Female promiscuity to confuse paternity may be an adaptive counter strategy to avoid infanticide.
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF ALOE VERA LEAF GEL EXTRACT ON LIPID PROFILE STATUS IN RATS WITH STREPTOZOTOCIN DIABETES
Authors: Rajasekaran Subbiah , Ravi Kasiappan , Sivagnanam Karuran , Subramanian Sorimuthu 
Published: February 2006

SUMMARY

The effect of diabetes mellitus on lipid metabolism is well established. The association of hyperglycaemia with an alteration of lipid parameters presents a major risk for cardiovascular complications in diabetes. Many secondary plant metabolites have been reported to possess lipid‐lowering properties. The present study was designed to examine the potential antihyperlipidaemic efficacy of the ethanolic extract from Aloe vera leaf gel in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats.
Oral administration of Aloe vera gel extract at a dose of 300 mg/kg bodyweight per day to STZ‐induced diabetic rats for a period of 21 days resulted in a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, hepatic transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase), plasma and tissue (liver and kidney) cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and phospholipids and a significant improvement in plasma insulin.
In addition, the decreased plasma levels of high‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol and increased plasma levels of low‐density lipoprotein–and very low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol in diabetic rats were restored to near normal levels following treatment with the extract.
The fatty acid composition of the liver and kidney was analysed by gas chromatography. The altered fatty acid composition in the liver and kidney of diabetic rats was restored following treatment with the extract.
Thus, the results of the present study provide a scientific rationale for the use of Aloe vera as an antidiabetic agent.
Infants show a facilitation effect for native language phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months
Authors: Kuhl Patricia K. , Stevens Erica , Hayashi Akiko , Deguchi Toshisada , Kiritani Shigeru , Iverson Paul 
Published: February 2006

Abstract Patterns of developmental change in phonetic perception are critical to theory development. Many previous studies document a decline in nonnative phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months of age. However, much less experimental attention has been paid to developmental change in native‐language phonetic perception over the same time period. We hypothesized that language experience in the first year facilitates native‐language phonetic performance between 6 and 12 months of age. We tested 6–8‐ and 10–12‐month‐old infants in the United States and Japan to examine native and nonnative patterns of developmental change using the American English /r‐l/ contrast. The goals of the experiment were to: (a) determine whether facilitation characterizes native‐language phonetic change between 6 and 12 months of age, (b) examine the decline previously observed for nonnative contrasts and (c) test directional asymmetries for consonants. The results show a significant increase in performance for the native‐language contrast in the first year, a decline in nonnative perception over the same time period, and indicate directional asymmetries that are constant across age and culture. We argue that neural commitment to native‐language phonetic properties explains the pattern of developmental change in the first year.
Birthweight‐discordance and differences in early parenting relate to monozygotic twin differences in behaviour problems and academic achievement at age 7
Authors: Asbury Kathryn , Dunn Judith F. , Plomin Robert 
Published: February 2006

Abstract This longitudinal monozygotic (MZ) twin differences study explored associations between birthweight and early family environment and teacher‐rated behaviour problems and academic achievement at age 7. MZ differences in anxiety, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems and academic achievement correlated significantly with MZ differences in birthweight and early family environment, showing effect sizes of up to 2%. As predicted by earlier research, associations increased at the extremes of discordance, even in a longitudinal, cross‐rater design, with effect sizes reaching as high as 12%. As with previous research some of these nonshared environmental (NSE) relationships appeared to operate partly as a function of SES, family chaos and maternal depression. Higher‐risk families generally showed stronger negative associations.
Learning words: children disregard some pragmatic information that conflicts with mutual exclusivity
Authors: Jaswal Vikram K. , Hansen Mikkel B. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract Children tend to infer that when a speaker uses a new label, the label refers to an unlabeled object rather than one they already know the label for. Does this inference reflect a default assumption that words are mutually exclusive? Or does it instead reflect the result of a pragmatic reasoning process about what the speaker intended? In two studies, we distinguish between these possibilities. Preschoolers watched as a speaker pointed toward (Study 1) or looked at (Study 2) a familiar object while requesting the referent for a new word (e.g. ‘Can you give me the blicket?’). In both studies, despite the speaker's unambiguous behavioral cue indicating an intent to refer to a familiar object, children inferred that the novel label referred to an unfamiliar object. These results suggest that children expect words to be mutually exclusive even when a speaker provides some kinds of pragmatic evidence to the contrary.
Syllogistic reasoning and belief‐bias inhibition in school children: evidence from a negative priming paradigm
Authors: Moutier Sylvain , Plagne‐Cayeux Stéphanie , Melot Anne‐Marie , Houdé Olivier 
Published: February 2006

Abstract Research on deductive reasoning in adolescents and adults has shown that errors in deductive logic are not necessarily due to a lack of logical ability but can stem from an executive failure to inhibit biases. Few studies have examined this dissociation in children. Here, we used a negative priming paradigm with 64 children (8–10 years old) to test the role of cognitive inhibition in syllogisms with belief‐bias effects. On trials where negative priming was predicted, results were as follows: For the first syllogism (A), the strategy ‘unbelievable‐equals‐invalid’ had to be inhibited. The logic of the syllogism led to affirming a conclusion inconsistent with one's knowledge of the world, such as ‘All elephants are light.’ For the second syllogism (B), one's real‐world knowledge and the syllogism's logic were congruent but the latter required affirming exactly what had been inhibited for A (i.e. that elephants are heavy). A negative priming effect on the A‐B sequence was reflected in a significant drop in reasoning performance on B. This supports the idea that during cognitive development, inhibitory control is required for success on syllogisms where beliefs and logic interfere.
Change in children's understanding of others’ intentional actions
Authors: Bellagamba Francesca , Camaioni Luigia , Colonnesi Cristina 
Published: February 2006

Abstract The study investigated children's intention understanding using a longitudinal design. Thirty‐two Italian children were tested on the ‘Demonstration of Intention’ in the Re‐enactment paradigm devised by Meltzoff (1995a), at two ages. Mean age was 12 months at the first session and 15 months at the second session. Previous research by Meltzoff showed that 18‐month‐olds are able to re‐enact what the adult intended to do, when an adult tried but failed to perform certain target acts. Bellagamba and Tomasello (1999) found that, compared to 18‐month‐olds, 12‐month‐olds are less able to imitate unsuccessful goal‐directed actions. The current study had two main goals. The first was to replicate earlier findings on intention understanding in 12‐ and 15‐month‐olds longitudinally assessed. The second goal was to analyse which actions children perform when not producing the target act. A coding scheme was devised to evaluate these non‐target actions. Results confirmed previous findings, i.e. children's tendency to produce the target act was higher at an older age. At a younger age the most frequent response was ‘undifferentiated manipulation’ of target objects, followed by ‘approximation to the target action’. Since children differed in their intention understanding performance at the first session, we decided to check whether these individual differences remained stable at the second session. Individual children with high intention understanding performance at 12 months tended to remain high at 15 months of age.
The development of emotional face processing during childhood
Authors: Batty Magali , Taylor Margot J. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract Our facial expressions give others the opportunity to access our feelings, and constitute an important nonverbal tool for communication. Many recent studies have investigated emotional perception in adults, and our knowledge of neural processes involved in emotions is increasingly precise. Young children also use faces to express their internal states and perceive emotions in others, but little is known about the neurodevelopment of expression recognition. The goal of the current study was to determine the normal development of facial emotion perception. We recorded ERPs in 82 children 4 to 15 years of age during an implicit processing task with emotional faces. Task and stimuli were the same as those used and validated in an adult study; we focused on the components that showed sensitivity to emotions in adults (P1, N170 and frontal slow wave). An effect of the emotion expressed by faces was seen on the P1 in the youngest children. With increasing age this effect disappeared while an emotional sensitivity emerged on N170. Early emotional processing in young children differed from that observed in the adolescents, who approached adults. In contrast, the later frontal slow wave, although showing typical age effects, was more positive for neutral and happy faces across age groups. Thus, despite the precocious utilization of facial emotions, the neural processing involved in the perception of emotional faces develops in a staggered fashion throughout childhood, with the adult pattern appearing only late in adolescence.
Multinational Corporations and the Competition for Media Influence in Developing Countries
Authors: SIBLEY MIKE , NADAS GINA 
Published: February 2006

The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first objective should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.—Thomas Jefferson, 1787
ANALYSIS, ABSTRACTION PRINCIPLES, AND SLINGSHOT ARGUMENTS
Authors: Levine James 
Published: February 2006

AbstractFrege's views regarding analysis and synomymy have long been the subject of critical discussion. Some commentators, led by Dummett, have argued that Frege was committed to the view that each thought admits of a unique ultimate analysis. However, this interpretation is in apparent conflict with Frege's criterion of synonymy, according to which two sentence express the same thought if one cannot understand them without regarding them as having the same truth–value. In a recent article in this journal, Drai attempts to reconcile Frege's criterion of synonymy with unique ultimate analysis by holding that, for Frege, if two sentences satisfy the criterion without being intensionally isomorphic, at most one of them is a privileged representation of the thought expressed. I argue that this proposal fails, because it conflicts not only with Frege's views of abstraction principles but also with slingshot arguments (including one presented by Drai herself) that accurately reflect Frege's commitment to the view that sentences alike in truth–value have the same Bedeutung. While Drai helpfully connects Frege's views of abstraction principles with such slingshot arguments, this connection cannot become fully clear until we recognise that Frege rejects unique ultimate analysis.
Cutaneous, pulmonary and hepatic sarcoidosis associated with autoimmune complications during interferon‐alpha treatment for hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Akay BN , Ekmekci P , Sanli H , Celik G , Bozdayi M 
Published: February 2006

AbstractA patient with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was diagnosed with cutaneous, pulmonary and hepatic sarcoidosis following interferon alpha therapy. There are only a few cases of sarcoidosis associated with this treatment. This is the first case who not only developed sarcoidosis, but also autoimmune hypothyroidism and thrombocytopenia during interferon alpha therapy due to the immunomodulatory effects of the drug.
Is growth hormone a radioprotective agent?
Authors: Tekin SB , Ertekin MV , Erdogan F , Sezen O , Karslioglu I , Gepdiremen A , Serifoglu K , Altas S 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThere is currently substantial clinical interest in growth hormone (GH) as a protective agent against radiation‐related normal tissue injury. To further assess the potential radiation injury‐preventive effects of GH, these effects were studied in rats by using a radiation‐induced skin injury model. Group 1 received neither GH nor irradiation (control group). Group 2 received 30 Gy of gamma irradiation as a single dose to the right hind legs of the rats (radiation group). Group 3 and 4 received the same irradiation plus either 0.01 U/kg/day GH (RT + 0.01 GH group) or 0.02 U/kg/day GH (RT + 0.02 GH group) subcutaneously. Clinically and histopathologically, acute skin reactions were assessed by two independent experts in radiation oncology and pathology, respectively. Irradiation increased dermatitis in rats when compared with the control group. The severity of radiodermatitis in the rats in the RT + 0.01 GH and RT + 0.02 GH groups was significantly lower than that in the RT group; radiodermatitis developed earlier in the RT group than in the other groups. GH was efficacious in preventing epidermal atrophy, dermal degeneration such as oedema and collagen fibre loss, and hair follicle atrophy, but not better than in the control group. These results are preliminary to studies that will be performed with higher doses of GH in radiation‐treated cancer patients, with the aim of reducing radiation‐induced toxicity.
Self‐reported skin sensitivity in a general adult population in France: data of the SU.VI.MAX cohort
Authors: Guinot C , Malvy D , Mauger E , Ezzedine K , Latreille J , Ambroisine L , Tenenhaus M , Préziosi P , Morizot F , Galan P , Hercberg S , Tschachler E 
Published: February 2006

AbstractObjective  This study aimed to examine the frequency of self‐assessed facial skin sensitivity and its different patterns, and the relationship with gender and sun sensitivity in a general adult population.Methods  A standardized 11‐item questionnaire investigating reactions experienced during the past year was developed. The questions explored different patterns of skin sensitivity: pattern I (blushing related to vascular reactivity), pattern II (skin reactions to certain environmental conditions), pattern III (skin reactions after substance contact), and for women pattern IV (‘breakout of spots’ related to menstrual cycle). Additional items were addressed for women and men, including sun sensitivity. The questionnaire was administered to a large middle‐aged population involved in the ‘Supplément en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants’ (SU.VI.MAX) cohort.Results  Sensitive facial skin was reported by 61% of the women (n = 5074) and 32% of the men (n = 3448), and the frequency decreased with age. The frequency of patterns I, II and III was greater for women (78, 72 and 58%, respectively) than for men (56, 48 and 28%) of comparable classes of age. The frequency of pattern IV was reported by 49% of premenopausal women, and skin reactions after shaving by 41% of the men. Sun sensitivity was found to be a major component of skin sensitivity. Factor analysis showed that individuals with fair phototype frequently evoked reactions associated with pattern I, and skin redness and burning sensations were related to certain environmental conditions (pattern II).Conclusion  Skin sensitivity is a common concern that declines with age and is relevant for men as well as for women.
Cutaneous Crohn's disease mimicking Melkersson–Rosenthal syndrome: treatment with methotrexate
Authors: Tonkovic‐Capin V , Galbraith SS , Rogers RS , Binion DG , Yancey KB 
Published: February 2006

AbstractA woman with a 5‐year history of unilateral orofacial granulomatosis required repeated evaluations (including sequential colonoscopies) to establish the diagnosis of cutaneous Crohn's disease, a condition that proved responsive to low doses of oral methotrexate administered weekly. To our knowledge this is the first report describing the use of methotrexate for treatment of orofacial granulomatosis caused by underlying Crohn's disease.
Introducing a fast and simple PCR‐RFLP analysis for the detection of mutant thiopurine S‐methyltransferase alleles TPMT*3A and TPMT*3C
Authors: Oender K , Lanschuetzer CM , Laimer M , Klausegger A , Paulweber B , Kofler B , Hintner H , Bauer JW 
Published: February 2006

AbstractBackground  Azathioprine, in combination with corticosteroids, is the first‐line therapy of severe forms of pemphigus vulgaris. Patients with an impaired thiopurine S‐methyltransferase (TPMT) activity are at risk of developing severe myelo‐suppression upon treatment with thiopurines such as azathioprine. Analysis of the TPMT status prior to drug administration is therefore highly recommended. However, because of the limited availability of TPMT testing outside of specialized centres, pre‐emptive TPMT testing is not widespread. To avoid laborious biochemical and sequencing assays, we evaluated a new restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.Methods  We designed a rapid genetic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐RFLP screen for the most prevalent mutant TPMT*3A and TPMT*3C alleles that are known to result in reduced TPMT enzyme activity.Results  Validating our fast system on 871 Caucasian DNA samples, we observed that 8.61% of our probands carried the TPMT*3A allele and 0.23% were heterozygous for the TPMT*3C allele, which is in concordance with previously reported allele frequencies.Conclusion  This simple and low‐cost PCR‐RFLP TPMT polymorphism testing approach can be performed in a standard laboratory. It should be applied to all patients prior to receiving thiopurine drug therapy to avoid the severe, but predictable, haematopoietic side‐effects of thiopurine drug administration.
Repeatable measures of take‐off flight performance in auklets
Authors: Renner M. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractRapid acceleration is the key to a successful escape manoeuvre and has attracted considerable research attention in a wide array of taxa. I recorded take‐offs of least auklets Aethia pusilla and crested auklets Aethia cristatella with digital video (60 frames per second). To smooth time–location data derived from video, I used predicted mean square error quintic splines, which have been shown to be good predictors of true acceleration. Repeated recordings of the same individual bird allowed me to measure repeatability of take‐off acceleration and velocity to find the most robust and biologically meaningful measure. The most repeatable take‐off parameters were power at time t=0.17 s after take‐off (r=75%) and acceleration at t=0.17 s (r=72%). The horizontal component of velocity at t=0.32 s was least affected by the slope of the take‐off trajectory. The mean acceleration of both species is close to expected values based on body mass, even though all previously studied species had considerably lower body mass. Within least auklets, however, I did not find a significant relationship of velocity or acceleration with mass. This would be expected if the observed drop in mass after hatching was an adaptation to reduce the risk of predation. I conclude that acceleration and exerted power at a certain time after take‐off is repeatable and the most suitable measure of performance for both inter‐ and intra‐specific comparisons.
Loudness summation and the mismatch negativity event‐related brain potential in humans
Authors: Oceák Attila , Winkler István , Sussman Elyse , Alho Kimmo 
Published: February 2006

AbstractInfrequently omitting a sound from a repetitive sequence elicits the mismatch negativity (MMN) ERP response when the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) is less than 200 ms. We contrasted two alternative explanations of omission MMN. (1) Each sound starts a separate temporal integration process. Omissions violate the constancy of the temporal structure within the integration window. (2) Sounds preceding an omission are perceived to be louder than those followed by a sound within the integration period, because omissions allow the full stimulus aftereffect to be included in perceived loudness. We varied the SOA between 117 and 217 ms. For this case, the temporal structure explanation predicts that no MMN will be elicited, whereas the loudness summation explanation predicts that MMN will be elicited. MMN was elicited by tone omissions with random SOA, suggesting that loudness summation plays an important role in the elicitation of omission MMN.
Cardiorespiratory fitness and laboratory stress: A meta‐regression analysis
Authors: Jackson Erica M. , Dishman Rod K. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractWe performed a meta‐regression analysis of 73 studies that examined whether cardiorespiratory fitness mitigates cardiovascular responses during and after acute laboratory stress in humans. The cumulative evidence indicates that fitness is related to slightly greater reactivity, but better recovery. However, effects varied according to several study features and were smallest in the better controlled studies. Fitness did not mitigate integrated stress responses such as heart rate and blood pressure, which were the focus of most of the studies we reviewed. Nonetheless, potentially important areas, particularly hemodynamic and vascular responses, have been understudied. Women, racial/ethnic groups, and cardiovascular patients were underrepresented. Randomized controlled trials, including naturalistic studies of real‐life responses, are needed to clarify whether a change in fitness alters putative stress mechanisms linked with cardiovascular health.