bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neonatal immune challenge affects the regulation of estrus cyclicity and feeding behavior in female rats
Authors: Iwasa Takeshi , Matsuzaki Toshiya , Murakami Masahiro , Kinouchi Riyo , Shimizu Fumi , Kuwahara Akira , Yasui Toshiyuki , Irahara Minoru 
Published: October 2008

AbstractA single immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the neonatal period has a long‐lasting influence on immune response. Using female Sprague–Dawley rats, we examined whether neonatal LPS challenge influences the life‐long neuroendocrine sensitivity of reproductive function and feeding behavior to LPS, and whether stress‐related neuropeptides and their receptors are involved in neonatal LPS‐induced physiological change. On day 10 after birth, all pups were injected with LPS (100 μg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Then, in Experiment 1, LPS (100 μg/kg, i.p.) or saline was injected at diestrous in adulthood, and the length of the estrous cycle, 24 h food intake and body weight change were recorded. In Experiment 2, the mRNA expression levels of corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH), urocortin (UCN), urocortin 2 (UCN2), CRH receptor type 1 (CRH‐R1) and CRH receptor type 2 (CRH‐R2) in the hypothalamus were measured using real‐time PCR. LPS injection in adulthood prolonged the estrous cycle in neonatal LPS‐injected rats. LPS injection in adulthood decreased food intake and body weight in both neonatal LPS‐ and saline‐injected rats, more so in the latter. Basal expressions of UCN2 and CRH‐R2 mRNA were higher in neonatal LPS‐injected rats than in saline‐injected rats. These findings indicate that neonatal immune challenge influences the anti‐stress regulation of the estrous cycle and feeding behavior in adulthood. Increased expression of UCN2 and CRH‐R2 might enhance the sensitivity of the estrous cycle in suppressing the effects of LPS.
Electoral Systems and Real Prices: Panel Evidence for the OECD Countries, 1970–2000
Authors: CHANG ERIC C. C. , KAYSER MARK ANDREAS , ROGOWSKI RONALD 
Published: October 2008

In a recent article, Rogowski and Kayser introduced a claim to the political economy literature that majoritarian electoral systems: (a) systematically privilege consumers relative to producers and, consequently, (b) reduce real prices. The authors, modifying an established model of regulation, showed that, within a competitive political system, politicians favour those who provide only votes (consumers) over those who provide both money and votes (producers). When producers provide only money, the intuition becomes apparent even without a model: politicians respond more to voters under (majoritarian) systems in which a small change in vote share can produce a large change in seat share. Cross-sectional evidence for the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries in 1990 was strongly supportive, suggesting that real prices were, all else equal, about 10 per cent lower in the averageOECDcountry with single-member district (SMD) electoral systems than in those that used some form of proportional representation (PR).As with all new empirical claims, healthy scepticism is warranted. Indeed, recent research in related areas has to be contrasted with – but it has not contradicted – these price results, associating proportional electoral arrangements with more positive social welfare outcomes including (a) less income inequality, (b) higher public spending, or, in combination with central banking institutions, (c) greater price stability. We acknowledge the possible incongruity of these results with those of Rogowski and Kayser; after all, verification of the price effects would suggest a more complicated relationship between electoral institutions and social welfare than is indicated in the extant literature.
Clonal diversity within infections and the virulence of a malaria parasite,Plasmodium mexicanum
Authors: Vardo-ZALIK A. M. , Schall J. J. 
Published: October 2008

SUMMARYBoth verbal and mathematical models of parasite virulence predict that genetic diversity of microparasite infections will influence the level of costs suffered by the host. We tested this idea by manipulating the number of co-existing clones ofPlasmodium mexicanumin its natural vertebrate host, the fence lizardSceloporus occidentalis. We established replicate infections ofP.mexicanummade up of 1, 2, 3, or >3 clones (scored using 3 microsatellite loci) to observe the influence of clone number on several measures of parasite virulence. Clonal diversity did not affect body growth or production of immature erythrocytes. Blood haemoglobin concentration was highest for the most genetically complex infections (equal to that of non-infected lizards), and blood glucose levels and rate of blood clotting was highest for the most diverse infections (with greater glucose and more rapid clotting than non-infected animals). Neither specific clones nor parasitaemia were associated with virulence. In this first experiment that manipulated the clonal diversity of a naturalPlasmodium-host system, the cost of infection with 1 or 2 clones ofP.mexicanumwas similar to that previously reported for infected lizards, but the most complex infections had either no cost or could be beneficial for the host.
Induced encystment improves resistance to preservation and storage of Acanthamoeba castellanii
Authors: CAMPBELL S. J. , INGRAM P. R. , ROBERTS C. W. , HENRIQUEZ F. L. 
Published: October 2008

SUMMARYSeveral conditions that allow the preservation, storage and rapid, efficient recovery of viable Acanthamoeba castellanii organisms were investigated. The viability of trophozoites (as determined by time to confluence) significantly declined over a period of 12 months when stored at −70°C using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; 5 or 10%) as cryopreservant. As A. castellanii are naturally capable of encystment, studies were undertaken to determine whether induced encystment might improve the viability of organisms under a number of storage conditions. A. castellanii cysts stored in the presence of Mg2+ at 4°C remained viable over the study period, although time to confluence was increased from approximately 8 days to approximately 24 days over the 12-month period. Storage of cysts at −70°C with DMSO (5 or 10%) or 40% glycerol, but not 80% glycerol as cryopreservants increased their viability over the 12-month study period compared with those stored at room temperature. Continued presence of Mg2+ in medium during storage had no adverse effects and generally improved recovery of viable organisms. The present study demonstrates that A. castellanii can be stored as a non-multiplicative form inexpensively, without a need for cryopreservation, for at least 12 months, but viability is increased by storage at −70°C.
Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation among geographical isolates of Opisthorchis viverrini in Thailand and Lao PDR, and phylogenetic relationships with other trematodes
Authors: SAIJUNTHA W. , SITHITHAWORN P. , WONGKHAM S. , LAHA T. , CHILTON N. B. , PETNEY T. N. , BARTON M. , ANDREWS R. H. 
Published: October 2008

SUMMARYThe present study compared the genetic variation among 14 different geographical isolates of Opisthorchis viverrini sensu lato from Thailand and Lao PDR using sequence data for 2 mitochondrial DNA genes, the subunit 1 of NADH dehydrogenase gene (nad1) and cytochrome c oxidase gene (cox1). Four different nad1 haplotypes were detected among isolates, all of which were identical at the amino acid sequence level. Nucleotide sequence variation among 14 isolates ranged from 0 to 0·3% for nad1. Two different cox1 haplotypes were detected among isolates. These two haplotypes differed at 2 nucleotide positions, one of which resulted in a change in the amino acid sequence. Nucleotide sequence variation among isolates for cox1 ranged from 0 to 0·5%. Comparison of cox1 sequences of O. viverrini to those of other trematodes revealed nucleotide differences of 13–31%. A phylogenetic analysis of the cox1 sequence data revealed strong statistical support for a clade containing O. viverrini and 2 other species of opisthorchid trematodes; O. felineus and Clonorchis sinsensis.
Children's production of verb-phrase anaphora in a spoken task
Authors: DONALDSON MORAG L. , COOPER LYNN S. M. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTTo investigate the influence of semantic/pragmatic variables on children's production of verb-phrase anaphora (VPA), a spoken sentence completion task (e.g.John is throwing a ball and … Mary is too) was administered to four-, seven- and ten-year-olds. The frequency of VPA production was affected by whether the two clauses had the same or different polarity and by whether the actions were portrayed as simultaneous or sequential. These effects interacted in complex ways with age and with the presentation order of the polarity types. We speculate that developmental changes in the influence of semantic/pragmatic factors may be linked to increases with age in the strength of syntactic priming effects.
The longitudinal development of clusters in French
Authors: DEMUTH KATHERINE , MCCULLOUGH ELIZABETH 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTStudies of English and German find that children tend to acquire word-final consonant clusters before word-initial consonant clusters. This order of acquisition is generally attributed to articulatory, frequency and/or morphological factors. This contrasts with recent experimental findings from French, where two-year-olds were better at producing word-initial than word-final clusters (Demuth & Kehoe, 2006). The purpose of the present study was to examine French-speaking children's longitudinal acquisition of clusters to determine if these results replicate developmentally. Analysis of spontaneous speech productions from two French-speaking children between one and three years confirmed the earlier acquisition of initial clusters, even when sonority factors were controlled. The findings suggest that French-speaking children acquire complexity at the beginnings of words before complexity appears word-finally. The role of frequency, morphological, structural and input factors is discussed.
Imageability predicts the age of acquisition of verbs in Chinese children
Authors: MA WEIYI , GOLINKOFF ROBERTA MICHNICK , HIRSH-PASEK KATHY , MCDONOUGH COLLEEN , TARDIF TWILA 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTVerbs are harder to learn than nouns in English and in many other languages, but are relatively easy to learn in Chinese. This paper evaluates one potential explanation for these findings by examining the construct of imageability, or the ability of a word to produce a mental image. Chinese adults rated the imageability of Chinese words from the Chinese Communicative Development Inventory (Tardifet al., in press). Imageability ratings were a reliable predictor of age of acquisition in Chinese for both nouns and verbs. Furthermore, whereas early Chinese and English nouns donotdiffer in imageability, verbs receive higher imageability ratings in Chinese than in English. Compared with input frequency, imageability independently accounts for a portion of the variance in age of acquisition (AoA) of verb learning in Chinese and English.
Effects of atmospheric pressure on the survival of photosynthetic microorganisms during simulations of ecopoesis
Authors: Thomas David J. , Eubanks L. Michelle , Rector Carl , Warrington Jaime , Todd Paul 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThree cyanobacteria (Anabaenasp.,Plectonema boryanumandChroococcidiopsisCCMEE171) and an alga (Chlorella ellipsoidea) were grown under simulated martian ecopoesis conditions. A xenon arc lamp with a solar filter provided simulated martian sunlight, and temperature cycled diurnally from −80°C to 26°C. A Mars-like atmosphere of 100% CO2was provided at 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 mbar. The cyanobacteria and alga were inoculated into JSC Mars-1 soil simulant and exposed to each atmospheric pressure for five weeks. Survival and growth were determined via extractable chlorophyllaand total esterase (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis) activity. Maximum survival occurred at 100 and 300 mbar. At 50, 500 and 1000 mbar, esterase activity was near zero, and extractable chlorophyllawas less than 10% of control samples. Overall, the cyanobacteria survived better than the alga. Low survival at 50 mbar was probably due to desiccation. Low survival at 500 and 1000 mbar may have been due to CO2toxicity.
Retrieval of vascular foreign bodies using a self-made wire snare
Authors: Mallmann C. V. , Wolf K.-J. , Wacker F. K. 
Published: October 2008

Background: Foreign bodies in the vascular system have a high potential to cause embolization, perforation, and infection. Therefore, numerous commercially available percutaneous retrieval devices have been developed. Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a self-made wire snare for the retrieval of foreign bodies in the vascular system. Material and Methods: 16 consecutive patients, who underwent percutaneous foreign-body retrieval between 1997 and 2007, were included in this retrospective analysis. Percutaneous extraction was performed using an adjustable wire snare that was fabricated using a 5F diagnostic Headhunter or Multipurpose catheter and a 4-m-long 0.018-g/inch standard heavy-duty wire that was bent in the middle to create an eccentric loop. Results: Percutaneous foreign-body retrieval was successful in all 16 cases. Intraluminal materials including partially fractured venous catheters, guidewires, a stent, and a vena cava filter were removed from various locations. In six cases, mobilization of the intraluminal material via a pigtail catheter was necessary before using the wire snare for removal. Successful retrieval was investigator independent. In no cases were surgical procedures required, and no relevant complications were encountered. Conclusion: This snare technique is an effective, feasible, and cost-effective method to retrieve intraluminal material. It is an alternative to commercially available retrieval devices.
Unenhanced computed tomography in acute renal colic reduces cost outside radiology department
Authors: Lauritsen J. , Andersen J. R. , Nordling J. , Thomsen H. S. 
Published: October 2008

Background: Unenhanced multidetector computed tomography (UMDCT) is well established as the procedure of choice for radiologic evaluation of patients with renal colic. The procedure has both clinical and financial consequences for departments of surgery and radiology. However, the financial effect outside the radiology department is poorly elucidated. Purpose: To evaluate the financial consequences outside of the radiology department, a retrospective study comparing the ward occupation of patients examined with UMDCT to that of intravenous urography (IVU) was performed. Material and Methods: A total of 594consecutive patients were admitted for renal colic during two 6-month periods. One hundred seventy-three consecutive patients were examined with IVU in 2000 and 421 with UMDCT in 2005. The only difference between the two groups was the imaging procedure. The duration of hospital stay and pathology findings were registered. Results: In 50% of the patients undergoing UMDCT, a stone was found; a stone was found or suspected in 40% of patients undergoing IVU. Patients undergoing IVU stayed significantly longer in the ward than patients examined by UMDCT ( P<0.0001). The new procedure (UMDCT) saved the hospital USD 265,000 every 6 months compared to the use of IVU. Conclusion: Use of UMDCT compared to IVU in patients with renal colic leads to cost savings outside the radiology department.
TURNING DATA INTO WISDOM: WHO DECIDES?
Authors: Peet John , Peet Katherine 
Published: October 2008

The introduction of new technologies is associated with a major change of employment in society, from the traditional agricultural and manufacturing sectors, to the service sector. The availability of more and better services will, according to some analysts, generate wealth that will absorb the surplus labour made available from the traditional sectors. We believe this will be at best a short-term phenomenon. In the longer term, many service sector jobs will be taken over by computer-based systems. In addition, for most people employment also provides security, a pattern for their day, social relationships, a place to belong, and the opportunity to be involved in learning. These will be difficult to achieve in the newer jobs, and much more difficult for the jobless or those in short-term employment. It is critical that the meaning of ‘work’ in society be re-examined.
Under a regime in which ‘hard’, technological systems are programmed to treat society as a collection of individuals, we see the need to develop social, political and economic decision-making tools from the ‘soft’ systems viewpoint. These are not predictable from the sum of individual properties; they are properties of the system, and of the system alone. We also discuss analogies between societies and nonequilibrium thermodynamic systems, which we believe can be helpful when looking at questions involving invention of futures.
NEW MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY: ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN LOST OPPORTUNITY?
Authors: Forester Tom 
Published: October 2008

Three megatechnologies will dominate the last decade of the 20th Century: Information Technology, Biotechnology and New Materials Technology. New materials have been the least well publicized, yet they play a crucial precursor role in most other technological innovation. Developments in materials science now give us the ability to design so-called ‘advanced materials’ from scratch for specific purposes. They have a wide variety of applications. In addition, new materials technology extends the notion of choice in the production process and as such it has major implications for engineers, designers and managers.
Australia is in theory well-placed to take advantage of the materials revolution in terms of natural resources, environment and existing research strengths. But although some impressive and useful work has been done by the Department of Science in targeting fruitful areas for future research, an international comparison of materials R&D and a review of what the Australian government and private sector has done so far suggests that Australia once again is doing too little too late.
NEW PRODUCTION CONCEPTS
Authors: Mathews John A. 
Published: October 2008

Flexibilty within a framework of internal labour markets is now widely seen to be an important factor in the ability of manufacturing firms to respond quickly to changes in market conditions — which is increasingly coming to be the form that competitive advantage takes in advanced industrial economies. An emerging and flourishing literature has identified a number of ‘new production concepts’ being developed in manufacturing industries, that depart from time-honoured Taylorist systems of job fragmentation and skill minimisation. The new concepts, such as ‘flexible specialisation’, ‘human-centred production’, and ‘diversified quality production’, are all in one way or another seeking to characterise a form of ‘functional flexibility’, that both enhances productivity and offers workers themselves a greater sense of involvement with their activity. The new concepts rest on the identification of a critical linkage between work organisation, skill formation and advanced manufacturing technology; they point to a convergence between the previously separate worlds of work and of learning.
In this paper the new production concepts are characterised as elements of an emergent ‘post Fordist’ technoeconomic paradigm. The present period of uncertainty can be construed as a transition between the Fordist paradigm centred on mass production, and its successors. There is nothing predetermined about the shape of these successors: this will be the outcome of a prolonged economic, industrial and political process as much as of a technical process. The choices are identified as falling between a continuation and intensification of Fordism, dubbed Computer-Aided Taylorisation; or a break with Fordism, dubbed Skill-Dependent Innovation. The new production concepts are characterised as instances of the latter approach to manufacturing management and technology. It is through this notion of ‘competing paradigms’ that this paper formulates an approach to the ‘politics’ of technological change.
SOVIET SCIENCE UNDER GORBACHEV
Authors: Fortescue Stephen 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT
Gorbachev has exposed science to the same pressure for restructuring as all other sectors of Soviet society, as there has been an increasing recognition of poor scientific returns on a major investment. Some of the key problems of Soviet science are examined, in two basic categories: problems which are internal to Soviet science itself and problems of its relations with the outside world. The first category includes planning and funding difficulties, management style, and management-staff relations; the second, backwardness in key technologies and isolation from the world scientific community. The analysis of each of these areas of difficulty includes an account of current attempts at reform.
W.M. HUGHES, THE COMMONWEALTH LINE AND THE BRITISH SHIPPING CARTEL, 1914–1927
Authors: Tsokhas Kosmas 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT
The origins of a number of important public enterprises can be traced to the First World War. This article deals with the Commonwealth Line and traces the factors which led to its creation by government and those that caused its privatization. The article traces the history of the Commonwealth Line from its formation as a desperate measure to overcome a wartime shipping shortage that was preventing the transportation of vital primary products, especially wheat. Emphasis is placed on bargaining between the Australian and British governments over the tonnage to be allocated to Australia. At the end of the war the Line's obsolescent ships and its need for greater public investment was not welcomed by the Commonwealth government. The article concludes with a discussion of the decline of the Commonwealth Line after 1918 and emphasizes the role of the British shipping cartel and labor costs in its demise.
THE NEED FOR MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR GOVERNMENT PLANNING STRATEGIES TO PREPARE FOR THE ENHANCED GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Authors: Henderson-Sellers B. , Henderson-Sellers A. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTThere is a growing realization that the greenhouse-induced warming of the planet and the intensification of the hydrological cycle will have a significant impact on human society and its economic infrastructure. The significance of the effects for Australia, and for any other community in the world, will depend upon how government agencies and planners prepare for the consequences of these predicted changes. Governments need considerable help with any decision process associated with a long-term issue such as greenhouse. Availability of information (both accurate and complete) is of crucial importance if governments are to be expected to develop national (and polynational) strategic plans to ensure the continuation of, and development of, an acceptable lifestyle over the coming decades and centuries. In this paper, the authors present the scientific and planning background to the proposal for an integrated greenhouse data management system (IGDMS) and we briefly note some policy and planning options. The IGDMS proposed here is a first step in providing government departments with the decision support/management information systems required to face the global change challenges of the next century.