bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Duration of Rent Extraction and the Entry Mode Decision of Multinational Enterprises
Authors: An Galina , Maskus Keith E. , Puttitanun Thitima 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe prior literature is ambiguous about the effects of stronger intellectual property rights (IPR) on the choice of a multinational firm's mode of entry into foreign markets. However, available indexes of IPR protection exist only at the country level and do not identify interindustry variation in the ability to extract rents through exclusive rights and other factors. The authors introduce this dimension and compute a parameter that reflects the relative length of time that positive profits may be earned in various industries. Estimation results find that strengthening IPR would reduce exporting in all industries in the sample. However, it would raise (reduce) foreign direct investment, relative to licensing, in industries with shorter (longer) rent‐extraction times.
Mothers'andFathers' Use of Internal State Talk with their Young Children
Authors: LaBounty Jennifer , Wellman Henry M. , Olson Sheryl , Lagattuta Kristin , Liu David 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe present study extends previous results demonstrating a relation between maternal discourse and child social understanding to include paternal discourse. Emotion understanding (EU) and theory of mind (ToM) were considered as two distinctive aspects of social understanding. Participants were 106 children (54 boys and 52 girls) studied at 3.5 and 5 years. Discourse measures came from separate parent–child conversations during a picture‐book task; measures of EU and ToM came from children's performance on social cognition tasks. Differences in parental talk translated into important differences in the influence of each parent on children's social‐cognitive understanding. Mothers' references to emotion and emotion causal explanatory language predicted children's concurrent EU. Fathers' use of causal explanatory language referring to desires and emotions predicted children's concurrent and later ToM. These results highlight important differences between mothers and fathers in their use of internal state language and its impact on children's social‐cognitive understanding.
Cultural Transmission of Tool Use in Young Children: A Diffusion Chain Study
Authors: Flynn Emma , Whiten Andrew 
Published: March 2008

AbstractDevelopmental and gender effects in the transmission of information about a tool‐use task were investigated within a ‘diffusion chain’ design. One hundred and twenty‐seven children (65 three‐year‐olds and 62 five‐year‐olds) participated. Eighty children took part in diffusion chains in which consecutive children in chains of five witnessed two attempts on a tool‐use task by the previous child in the chain. Comparisons were made between two experimental conditions in which alternative techniques were seeded and a third no‐model control condition. Children in the diffusion chains conformed to the technique they witnessed, in one experimental condition faithfully transmitting a technique absent in the no‐model condition. Five‐year‐olds displayed more robust transmission than three‐year‐olds, and boys were both more competent and displayed stronger transmission than girls.
ISLAM AND BIOETHICS
Authors: Brockopp Jonathan E. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTMuslim theologians, jurists, and healthcare workers have been addressing the challenges of modern biotechnology for years. Major textbooks on religion and bioethics cover Islam in one or two articles, offering only a general introduction to these important discussions. The five articles in this issue of the Journal of Religious Ethics, originating from a conference at Pennsylvania State University, are unusual in the specificity of their topics—brain death, feeding tubes, sex selection, spiritual counseling, and organ transplantation—and in their engagement with complex discussions in the Muslim and non‐Muslim worlds. In this essay, I introduce the five articles and consider two larger implications: the changing definition of the human person in light of biotechnological advances and the continuing importance of religious traditions, especially Islam, in legitimizing ethical responses to these advances.
Misunderstandings Between Experimentalists and Observationalists about Causal Inference
Authors: Imai Kosuke , King Gary , Stuart Elizabeth A. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryWe attempt to clarify, and suggest how to avoid, several serious misunderstandings about and fallacies of causal inference. These issues concern some of the most fundamental advantages and disadvantages of each basic research design. Problems include improper use of hypothesis tests for covariate balance between the treated and control groups, and the consequences of using randomization, blocking before randomization and matching after assignment of treatment to achieve covariate balance. Applied researchers in a wide range of scientific disciplines seem to fall prey to one or more of these fallacies and as a result make suboptimal design or analysis choices. To clarify these points, we derive a new four-part decomposition of the key estimation errors in making causal inferences. We then show how this decomposition can help scholars from different experimental and observational research traditions to understand better each other’s inferential problems and attempted solutions.
Haematological changes after switching from stavudine to zidovudine in HIV‐infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Aurpibul L , Puthanakit T , Sirisanthana T , Sirisanthana V 
Published: March 2008

ObjectiveIn resource‐limited countries, stavudine (d4T) is commonly used as part of the initial highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen. Many patients who subsequently develop lipodystrophy switch from d4T to zidovudine (ZDV), a drug that can be myelotoxic. We aimed to study the spectrum and severity of haematological changes following this substitution.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: HIV‐infected children were included who (1) were 2–15 years old at the time of HAART initiation, (2) had not been diagnosed as having haematological diseases, (3) had been receiving a first HAART regimen consisting of either nevirapine or efavirenz, together with lamivudine and d4T, for at least 48 weeks and (4) had switched from d4T to ZDV at least 48 weeks previously.ResultsSeventy‐eight children were included in the study. Thirty‐six (46%) were male. The mean age was 10.3 years (standard deviation 3.1 years). The switch had been made a median time of 65 weeks (range 48–97 weeks) previously. There was no significant change in CD4 lymphocyte count or percentage, or HIV RNA level, after the switch. There was a statistically significant decrease in haemoglobin level (12.6 vs.12.1 g/dL; P<0.001), total white blood cell (WBC) count (8088 vs. 6910 cells/μL; P<0.001) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) (4320 vs. 3448 cells/μL; P<0.001). However, the decreases never reached Division of AIDS grade 3 or 4 severity, and none of the patients had clinical symptoms or signs of anaemia, leukopenia, or neutropenia. No participant had to discontinue ZDV during the 48‐week follow‐up period.ConclusionIn a paediatric population, statistically significant decreases in haemoglobin level, WBC count and ANC occurred following the substitution of d4T with ZDV, but the magnitudes of the decreases were small and not clinically significant.
Reported sexually transmitted infections in Swedish Internet‐using men and women
Authors: Ross MW , Daneback K , Mansson S‐A , Berglund T , Tikkanen R 
Published: March 2008

AbstractAlthough the Internet has become a forum for making sexual contacts, and has been associated with increased sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission, we have little information of history of STIs in Internet‐based samples. The Internet behaviours that are associated with STI acquisition are poorly understood. We analysed STI histories reported by 904 Swedish men and 931 Swedish women who responded to an Internet‐based survey on sexual behaviour in 2002: 16.6% of men and 22.5% of women reported a lifetime history of STIs, with Chlamydia being the most common for both genders. 3% of men and 5% of women who reported an STI, indicated that they had had more than one. Sources of the STI, where known, were Internet‐acquired partners in only 3% of cases. There were no differences between men and women with or without an STI history regarding the kind of online sexual activities they engaged in, how they found sexual material online, and the reasons they engage in sexual activities. These rates are similar to those reported in a national random study of sexuality in Sweden. Contrary to prior research, these results suggest no relationship between STI and specific Internet characteristics usage patterns. These data suggest that the Internet is not yet a major source of STIs in Swedish men and women. Given these STI histories, the Internet may be a useful medium to include in STI prevention efforts.
Traumatic events and suicide‐related outcomes among Mexico City adolescents
Authors: Borges Guilherme , Benjet Corina , Medina‐Mora Maria Elena , Orozco Ricardo , Molnar Beth E. , Nock Matthew K. 
Published: March 2008

Background:  We report the prevalence and associations between traumatic events and suicidal ideation, suicide plans and suicide attempts among Mexican adolescents.Methods:  The data are from a representative multistage probability household survey of 3,005 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years residing in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area that was carried out in 2005. We used discrete time survival analyses to model the net impact of retrospectively reported prior occurrence of traumatic events on ideation, plans and attempts, taking into account the onset of psychiatric disorders.Results:  Prevalence of suicidality was high among respondents with traumatic events, ranging from a 43% prevalence of suicidal ideation among those with a history of ‘Being raped’ to a 25% prevalence of suicide attempts among those that reported ‘Purposely injured, tortured or killed someone.’ In cross‐sectional estimates, any traumatic event was associated with an increase of 3.2 times the odds of suicide ideation, 5.1 times the odds of a plan and 6.6 times the odds of an attempt. Number of events was also associated with increasing suicidality such that those with three or more events were 13.7 times more likely to report a suicide attempt than those with none. Multivariate discrete time survival models that took into account a large number of demographic, suicide‐related and psychiatric disorder variables reduced in strength but did not alter these basic relationships.Conclusions:  We conclude that traumatic events such as rape and sexual assault have a profound impact upon suicidality and that this relationship is not entirely explained by the onset of psychiatric disorders. Comprehensive interventions for adolescent victims of traumatic events, especially those with a history of cumulative events, should include, but not be restricted to, treatment of any associated psychiatric disorder.
Deliberate self‐harm within an international community sample of young people: comparative findings from the Child & Adolescent Self‐harm in Europe (CASE) Study
Authors: Madge Nicola , Hewitt Anthea , Hawton Keith , Wilde Erik Jan de , Corcoran Paul , Fekete Sandor , Heeringen Kees van , Leo Diego De , Ystgaard Mette 
Published: March 2008

Background: Deliberate self‐harm among young people is an important focus of policy and practice internationally. Nonetheless, there is little reliable comparative international information on its extent or characteristics. We have conducted a seven‐country comparative community study of deliberate self‐harm among young people.Method: Over 30,000 mainly 15‐ and 16‐year‐olds completed anonymous questionnaires at school in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. Study criteria were developed to identify episodes of self‐harm; the prevalence of self‐harm acts and thoughts, methods used, repetition, reasons given, premeditation, setting for the act, associations with alcohol and drugs, hospitalisation, and whether other people knew, were examined.Results: Self‐harm was more than twice as common among females as males and, in four of the seven countries, at least one in ten females had harmed herself in the previous year. Additional young people had thought of harming themselves without doing so. More males and females in all countries except Hungary cut themselves than used any other method, most acts took place at home, and alcohol and illegal drugs were not usually involved. The most common reasons given were ‘to get relief from a terrible state of mind’ followed by ‘to die’, although there were differences between those cutting themselves and those taking overdoses. About half the young people decided to harm themselves in the hour before doing so, and many did not attend hospital or tell anyone else. Just over half those who had harmed themselves during the previous year reported more than one episode over their lifetime.Conclusions: Deliberate self‐harm is a widespread yet often hidden problem in adolescents, especially females, which shows both similarities and differences internationally.
Early phonological and sociocognitive skills as predictors of later language and social communication outcomes
Authors: Chiat Shula , Roy Penny 
Published: March 2008

Background:  Previous studies of outcome for children with early language delay have focused on measures of early language as predictors of language outcome. This study investigates whether very early processing skills (VEPS) known to underpin language development will be better predictors of specific language and social communication outcomes than measures of language itself.Method:  Participants were 163 children referred to clinical services with concerns about language at 2;6–3;6 years and followed up at 4–5 years. Novel assessments of phonological and sociocognitive processing were administered at Time 1 (T1), together with a standardised test of receptive and expressive language, and parental report of expressive vocabulary. The language test was re‐administered at Time 2 (T2), together with assessments of morphosyntax and parental reports of social communication.Results:  Intercorrelations at and between T1 and T2 were high, and dissociations were rare. Ordinal regressions were run, entering predictors singly and simultaneously. With the exception of the phonological task, every early measure on its own was significantly predictive of most outcomes, and receptive language was the strongest all‐round predictor. Results of simultaneous entry, controlling for the effect of other predictors, showed that early language was the strongest predictor of general language outcome, but early phonology was the strongest predictor of a measure of morphosyntax, and early sociocognition the strongest predictor of social communication.Conclusions:  Language measures which draw on a wide range of skills were the strongest overall predictors of general language outcomes. However, our VEPS measures were stronger predictors of specific outcomes. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Regulation of dendritic spine morphology by an NMDA receptor‐associated Rho GTPase‐activating protein, p250GAP
Authors: Nakazawa Takanobu , Kuriu Toshihiko , Tezuka Tohru , Umemori Hisashi , Okabe Shigeo , Yamamoto Tadashi 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe NMDA receptor regulates spine morphological plasticity by modulating Rho GTPases. However, the molecular mechanisms for NMDA receptor‐mediated regulation of Rho GTPases remain elusive. In this study, we show that p250GAP, an NMDA receptor‐associated RhoGAP, regulates spine morphogenesis by modulating RhoA activity. Knock‐down of p250GAP increased spine width and elevated the endogenous RhoA activity in primary hippocampal neurons. The increased spine width by p250GAP knock‐down was suppressed by the expression of a dominant‐negative form of RhoA. Furthermore, p250GAP is involved in NMDA receptor‐mediated RhoA activation. In response to NMDA receptor activation, exogenously expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐tagged p250GAP was redistributed. Thus, these data suggest that p250GAP plays an important role in NMDA receptor‐mediated regulation of RhoA activity leading to spine morphological plasticity.
Regulation of CB1cannabinoid receptor internalization by a promiscuous phosphorylation‐dependent mechanism
Authors: Daigle Tanya L. , Kwok Mary Lee , Mackie Ken 
Published: March 2008

AbstractAgonists stimulate cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) internalization. Previous work suggests that the extreme carboxy‐terminus of the receptor regulates this internalization – likely through the phosphorylation of serines and threonines clustered within this region. While truncation of the carboxy‐terminus (V460Z CB1) and consequent removal of these putative phosphorylation sites prevents endocytosis in AtT20 cells, the residues necessary for CB1R internalization remain elusive. To determine the structural requirements for internalization, we evaluated endocytosis of carboxy‐terminal mutant CB1Rs stably expressed in HEK293 cells. In contrast to AtT20 cells, V460Z CB1R expressed in HEK293 cells internalized to the same extent and with similar kinetics as the wild‐type receptor. However, mutation of serine and/or threonine residues within the extreme carboxy‐terminal attenuated internalization when these receptors were expressed in HEK293 cells. These results establish that the extreme carboxy‐terminal phosphorylation sites are not required for internalization of truncated receptors, but are required for internalization of full‐length receptors in HEK293 cells. Analysis of β‐arrestin‐2 recruitment to mutant CB1R suggests that putative carboxy‐terminal phosphorylation sites mediate β‐arrestin‐2 translocation. This study indicates that the local cellular environment affects the structural determinants of CB1R internalization. Additionally, phosphorylation likely regulates the internalization of (full‐length) CB1Rs.
What drives long‐distance movements in the nomadic Grey TealAnas gracilisin Australia?
Authors: ROSHIER DAVID , ASMUS MARTIN , KLAASSEN MARCEL 
Published: March 2008

In contrast to northern temperate environments, where day length and temperature changes are obvious proximate cues for movement to resource‐rich breeding habitats, the cues for movement used by birds in an often resource‐poor, stochastic environment are less obvious. We recorded long‐distance movements of 23 Grey TealAnas gracilisusing satellite telemetry for up to 879 days and examined the relationship between those movements and environmental factors, such as heavy rainfall and flooding, at the destination site. We identified 32 long‐distance (> 150 km) movements that met our criterion for minimally interrupted flight between origin and destination. Thirteen of these flights coincided with rainfall and/or flooding events up to 1050 km from the origin. However, some ducks moved without any clear beneficial conditions at the destination onto small wetlands in regions with little surface water. The data suggest that there are two types of long‐distance movement – ranging and directed. These flights occurred over distances up to 1200 km across the arid inland. The rates and distances of movement suggest that long‐distance movements of Grey Teal entail high energy costs as in waterfowl elsewhere. We conclude that the proximate controls of directed movements need not be very different from those of their temperate counterparts.
Body mass of prefledging Emperor GeeseChen canagica: large‐scale effects of interspecific densities and food availability
Authors: LAKE BRYCE C. , SCHMUTZ JOEL A. , LINDBERG MARK S. , ELY CRAIG R. , ELDRIDGE WILLIAM D. , BROERMAN FRED J. 
Published: March 2008

We studied body mass of prefledging Emperor GeeseChen canagicaat three locations across the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, during 1990–2004 to investigate whether large‐scale variation in body mass was related to interspecific competition for food. From 1990 to 2004, densities of Cackling GeeseBranta hutchinsii minimamore than doubled and werec. 2–5× greater than densities of Emperor Geese, which were relatively constant over time. Body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese was strongly related (negatively) to interspecific densities of geese (combined density of Cackling and Emperor Geese) and positively related to measures of food availability (grazing lawn extent and net above‐ground primary productivity (NAPP)). Grazing by geese resulted in consumption of ≥ 90% of the NAPP that occurred in grazing lawns during the brood‐rearing period, suggesting that density‐dependent interspecific competition was from exploitation of common food resources. Efforts to increase the population size of Emperor Geese would benefit from considering competitive interactions among goose species and with forage plants.
Manganese superoxide dismutase activity regulates transitions between quiescent and proliferative growth
Authors: Sarsour Ehab H. , Venkataraman Sujatha , Kalen Amanda L. , Oberley Larry W. , Goswami Prabhat C. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryIn recent years, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels have gained increasing attention as a critical regulator of cellular proliferation. We investigated the hypothesis that manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity regulates proliferative and quiescent growth by modulating cellular ROS levels. Decreasing MnSOD activity favored proliferation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), while increasing MnSOD activity facilitated proliferating cells’ transitions into quiescence. MnSOD (+/–) and (–/–) MEFs demonstrated increased superoxide steady‐state levels; these fibroblasts failed to exit from the proliferative cycle, and showed increasing cyclin D1 and cyclin B1 protein levels. MnSOD (+/–) MEFs exhibited an increase in the percentage of G2 cells compared to MnSOD (+/+) MEFs. Overexpression of MnSOD in MnSOD (+/–) MEFs suppressed superoxide levels and G2 accumulation, decreased cyclin B1 protein levels, and facilitated cells’ transit into quiescence. While ROS are known to regulate differentiation and cell death pathways, both of which are irreversible processes, our results show MnSOD activity and, therefore, mitochondria‐derived ROS levels regulate cellular proliferation and quiescence, which are reversible processes essential to prevent aberrant proliferation and subsequent exhaustion of normal cell proliferative capacity. These results support the hypothesis that MnSOD activity regulates a mitochondrial ‘ROS‐switch’ favoring a superoxide‐signaling regulating proliferation and a hydrogen peroxide‐signaling supporting quiescence.
Dietary restriction suppresses proteotoxicity and enhances longevity by an hsf‐1‐dependent mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Steinkraus Katherine A. , Smith Erica D. , Davis Christina , Carr Daniel , Pendergrass William R. , Sutphin George L. , Kennedy Brian K. , Kaeberlein Matt 
Published: March 2008

SummaryDietary restriction increases lifespan and slows the onset of age‐associated disease in organisms from yeast to mammals. In humans, several age‐related diseases are associated with aberrant protein folding or aggregation, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. We report here that dietary restriction dramatically suppresses age‐associated paralysis in three nematode models of proteotoxicity. Similar to its longevity‐enhancing properties, dietary restriction protects against proteotoxicity by a mechanism distinct from reduced insulin/IGF‐1‐like signaling. Instead, the heat shock transcription factor, hsf‐1, is required for enhanced thermotolerance, suppression of proteotoxicity, and lifespan extension by dietary restriction. These findings demonstrate that dietary restriction confers a general protective effect against proteotoxicity and promotes longevity by a mechanism involving hsf‐1.