bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dominant sugar utilizers in sediment of Lake Constance depend on syntrophic cooperation with methanogenic partner organisms
Authors: Müller Nicolai , Griffin Benjamin M. , Stingl Ulrich , Schink Bernhard 
Published: January 2008

SummarySix strains of novel bacteria were isolated from profundal sediment of Lake Constance, a deep freshwater lake in Germany, by direct dilution of the sediment in mineral agar medium containing a background lawn of the hydrogen‐scavenging Methanospirillum hungatei as a syntrophic partner. The numbers of colony‐forming units obtained after incubation for more than 2 months were in the same range as those of total bacterial counts determined by DAPI staining (up to 108 cells per millilitre) suggesting that these organisms were dominant members of the community. Identical dilution series in the absence of methanogenic partners yielded numbers that were lower by two to three orders of magnitude. The dominant bacteria were isolated in defined co‐culture with M. hungatei, and were further characterized. Growth was slow, with doubling times of 22–28 h at 28°C. Cells were small, 0.5 × 5 μm in size, Gram‐positive, and formed terminal oval spores. At 20°C, glucose was fermented by the co‐culture strain BoGlc83 nearly stoichiometrically to 2 mol of acetate and 1 mol of methane plus CO2. At higher temperatures, also lactate and traces of succinate were formed. Anaerobic growth depended strictly on the presence of a hydrogen‐scavenging partner organism and was inhibited by bromoethane sulfonate, which together indicate the need for a syntrophic partnership for this process. Strain BoGlc83 grew also aerobically in the absence of a partner organism. All enzymes involved in ATP formation via glycolysis and acetyl CoA were found, most of them at activities equivalent to the physiological substrate turnover rate. This new type of sugar‐fermenting bacterium appears be the predominant sugar utilizer in this environment. The results show that syntrophic relationships can play an important role also for the utilization of substrates which otherwise can be degraded in pure culture.
How does the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) Bridge the Intention–Behavior Gap? An Examination of the Model's Causal Structure
Authors: Sutton Stephen 
Published: January 2008

The health action process approach (HAPA) is attracting increasing interest from researchers who want to predict, explain, and change health‐related behaviors. The main aim of this commentary is to examine the causal structure of the continuum version of the HAPA (HAPA‐C), and, in particular, to consider the implications of this structure for the claim that the theory helps to bridge the intention–behavior gap. The article discusses, in turn, mediators of the intention–behavior relationship, additional proximal determinants of behavior, moderators of the intention–behavior relationship and implications for intervention. The commentary may contribute to a better understanding of the HAPA‐C and to its further development.L’Approche des Processus d’Action en faveur de la Santé (HAPA) suscite de plus en plus d’intérêt de la part des chercheurs qui souhaitent prédire, expliquer et modifier les comportements relatifs à la santé. L’objet de ce commentaire est l’examen de la structure causale de la version continuum de l’HAPA (HAPA‐C) et, en particulier, de prendre en considération les implications de cette structure dans la prétention de la théorie à combler le fossé intention–comportement. L’article aborde successivement les médiateurs de la relation intention–comportement, les déterminants immédiats additionnels de la conduite, les modérateurs de la relation intention–comportement et les retombées pour les interventions. Ce commentaire peut contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de l’HAPA‐C et à son futur développement.
Stage and Non‐stage Theories of Behavior and Behavior Change: A Comment on Schwarzer
Authors: Velicer Wayne F. , Prochaska James O. 
Published: January 2008

Schwarzer characterises theories as being Continuum Models or Stage Models. We prefer the labels Theories of Behavior and Theories of Behavior Change. The stage concept is designed to represent the temporal dimension. In this way, individuals are viewed as evolving over time. Theories of behavior change also focus on dynamic variables, i.e. variables that are open to change while theories of behavior will focus on static variables. Schwarzer focuses on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), which distinguishes between pre‐intentional motivational processes and post‐intentional volition processes and makes a compelling case that theories of behavior change need to differentiate between at least two stages, motivation and action, if they are to fill the intention–behavior gap. In some HAPA studies, these two stages are expanded into three stages. The issue of how many stages there are and what are the best ways to represent, assess and treat the different stages represents an important research focus. This response discusses several reasons to believe that the stage differentiation of five stages included as part of the Transtheoretical Model is superior to the two‐ or three‐stage model included as part of HAPA.Schwarzer caractérise les théories comme relevant soit des modèles du continuum soit des modèles de processus de changement. Nous préférons les termes de théories du comportement et de théories des stades du changement. Le concept d’étapes est employé pour tenir compte de la dimension temporelle. Ainsi, les individus sont envisagés comme évoluant au cours du temps. Les théories des stades du changement se focalisent donc sur des variables dynamiques i.e. des variables tenant compte du changement alors que les théories du comportement se concentrent sur des variables statiques. Schwarzer se polarise sur l’approche des processus d’action pour la santé (HAPA) qui distingue les processus motivationnel pré‐intentionnel du processus de volition post‐intentionnelle. Il avance l’argument selon lequel les théories des stades du changement ont besoin de distinguer au moins deux étapes, la motivation et l’action, dans la mesure où elles doivent expliquer le lien entre intention et comportement. Dans certaines études HAPA, ces deux étapes sont étendues à trois. La question de savoir le nombre d’étapes et les meilleures façons de les représenter, évaluer et traiter constitue un champ de recherches important. Cet article avance plusieurs raisons soulignant que la différenciation en 5 étapes incluses dans le Modèle transthéorique est supérieur à celui en deux ou trois étapes établi par l’HAPA.
Messenger RNA expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 and interleukin‐6 in stone‐containing kidneys
Authors: Boonla Chanchai , Hunapathed Chanutra , Bovornpadungkitti Sombat , Poonpirome Kanitta , Tungsanga Kriang , Sampatanukul Pichet , Tosukhowong Piyaratana 
Published: January 2008

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the intrarenal mRNA expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in patients with nephrolithiasis, and to evaluate whether their expression is associated with renal function, as oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of nephrolithiasis.PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODSRenal biopsies from near the stone, and blood and 24‐h urine specimens were collected from 29 patients with nephrolithiasis. Control renal tissues were taken from non‐cancerous and cancerous portions of nephrectomy from six patients with renal cancers, and control 24‐h urine samples were obtained from 30 healthy subjects. Corrected creatinine clearance, urinary N‐acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidase activity and 8‐hydroxy‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) were determined. The mRNA expressions of MCP‐1 and IL‐6 in the tissues were measured by real time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction.RESULTSPatients with nephrolithiasis had significantly greater renal tubular damage and oxidative stress than the healthy controls. Intrarenal mRNA expressions of MCP‐1 and IL‐6 in stone‐adjacent renal tissues were significantly lower than in cancerous renal tissues, but not statistically different from that in non‐cancerous renal tissues. In stone‐adjacent renal tissues, the mRNA level of MCP‐1 was significantly higher than that of IL‐6, but their expressions were significantly correlated with each other. Histological examination showed that the number of infiltrated leukocytes corresponded well with the intrarenal mRNA levels of MCP‐1 and IL‐6. Patients with nephrolithiasis and compromised renal function had significantly higher intrarenal mRNA levels of MCP‐1 and IL‐6 than those with preserved renal function. Also, the mRNA levels in patients with severe renal tubular damage were significantly greater than in those with less renal tubular damage. There was no association between intrarenal mRNA expression and urinary 8‐OHdG.CONCLUSIONNephrolithiasis was associated with low‐grade intrarenal inflammation. A greater intrarenal mRNA expression of MCP‐1 and IL‐6 was associated with enhanced renal impairment. Thus, expression of MCP‐1 and IL‐6, at least in part, contributed to the progression of nephrolithiasis.
Students' Preferences and Needs in Portuguese Higher Education
Authors: TAVARES DIANA , TAVARES ORLANDA , JUSTINO ELSA , AMARAL ALBERTO 
Published: January 2008

In Portugal, there is a diversified higher education system comprising some 160 institutions: universities, polytechnics and isolated schools, public or private, with a total enrolment of some 350,000 students. This article presents the analysis of the results of questionnaires which were completed in 2004 by students entering higher education for the first time so as to understand their perceived needs and aspirations and how they chose their institution/study programme.In the last few years, there has been a decline in the number of candidates to higher education — mainly due to demography — which created strong institutional competition. Therefore it is important to understand the reasons behind students' choices, perceived needs and aspirations and how students assess the capacity of different institutions/programmes to fulfil these. It is also relevant to understand how their choices may be conditioned by factors such as their socio‐economic and cultural background, employability prospects, other available information, gender and type of institution and study programme.
Indicators and Indices of Children's Well‐being: towards a more policy‐oriented perspective
Authors: BEN‐ARIEH ASHER 
Published: January 2008

This article focuses on the potential and actual use of child social indicators and indices in the policy‐making process. It opens with a brief overview of the child indicators field and its current development and trends. A discussion of these new developments follows, with special emphasis on the consequences of the changing field to the potential role of child social indicators in the policy‐making process. The third section focuses on existing knowledge on indicators of children's well‐being and the information needed to enhance their policy impact.The article then turns to discuss two major efforts to measure and monitor children's well‐being: the UNICEF child well‐being index and the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) child well‐being index. As both cases were mainly data driven, the paper uses them as case studies assessing the potential for using existing indicators of children's well‐being in the policy process. The paper if finalized with discussing the two indices within a context of a future oriented research and indicators development agenda for anyone who want to enhance the policy impact of indicators and indices of children well‐being.
Developing Instruments to Capture Young People's Perceptions of how School as a Learning Environment Affects their Well‐Being
Authors: AWARTANI MARWAN , WHITMAN CHERYL VINCE , GORDON JEAN 
Published: January 2008

This article describes the Universal Education Foundation's (UEF) activities to create research tools and methodologies that capture the voices of children concerning their perceptions of the effect of the school learning environment on their well‐being. UEF defines well‐being as the realisation of one's physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual potential. The Voice of Children (VOC) toolkit includes a survey and techniques to conduct focus groups as ways for young people to share their views. Young people participated in the development of the pilot instruments and, perhaps more importantly, they are involved as agents of change, presenting the findings through advocacy events to those who make decisions about policies and programmes that can have a positive impact on well‐being. While UEF will be examining the effects of many learning environments — school, information and communications technologies (ICT) and media, and health care settings — this article focuses on the school as one learning environment.Methods to create Version One of the Voice of Children (VOC1) and preliminary findings from the initial pilot in Palestine are described. Steps taken to revise the instruments and create Version Two for Wales (VOC2) are discussed. UEF's definition of well‐being and its sub‐components, background research and theoretical framework, hypotheses and structure of the survey are reviewed. The overarching hypothesis is that learning environments — in this case the school — affect various aspects of young people's well‐being, both overall and in its sub‐components.
Taking stock as theories of word learning take shape
Authors: Booth Amy E. , Waxman Sandra R. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractIn this paper we consider the perceptual and conceptual contributions that shape early word learning, using research on theshape biasas a case in point. In our view, conceptual, linguistic, social‐pragmatic, and perceptual sources of information influence one another powerfully and continuously in the service of word learning throughout infancy and early childhood. We articulate several key points of convergence and divergence between our theoretical perspective and that of the attentional learning account. Finally, we consider the broader implications of this debate for clarifying the forces that constrain development.
Knowledge embedded in process: the self‐organization of skilled noun learning
Authors: Colunga Eliana , Smith Linda B. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractYoung children's skilled generalization of newly learned nouns to new instances has become the battleground for two very different approaches to cognition. This debate is a proxy for a larger dispute in cognitive science and cognitive development: cognition as rule‐like amodal propositions, on the one hand, or as embodied, modal, and dynamic processes on the other. After a brief consideration of this theoretical backdrop, we turn to the specific task set before us: an overview of the Attentional Learning Account (ALA) of children's novel noun generalizations, the constrained set of experimental results to be explained, and our explanation of them. We conclude with a consideration of what all of this implies for a theory of cognitive development.
How Reliable Are Hog Futures as Forecasts?
Authors: Carter Colin A. , Mohapatra Sandeep 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures contract was revamped in 1997 and it is one of the largest futures markets for a nonstorable commodity. The literature is divided on whether or not futures prices for nonstorables provide reliable forecasts of cash prices. We find that from 1998 to 2004, the hog futures market was an unbiased predictor of cash prices.
Spatial Dynamics of Water and Nitrogen Management in Irrigated Agriculture
Authors: Knapp Keith C. , Schwabe Kurt A. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractDynamic optimization of crop production with nonuniform irrigation and nitrogen carryover and leaching is considered. A production function system with thresholds, plateau maximum, and yield reduction is estimated from experimental data; rapid convergence to a steady‐state is observed. Spatial variability implies a 40% increase in applied water and a six‐fold increase in nitrate emissions, while dynamic optimization has more modest impacts. Nitrate emission control is accomplished primarily through reduced applied water, illustrating a strong cross‐policy effect. Significant levels of water conservation and nitrate pollution control are achieved at relatively low cost with traditional irrigation systems and baseline conditions.
Does Participation in the Food Stamp Program Increase the Prevalence of Obesity and Health Care Spending?
Authors: Meyerhoefer Chad D. , Pylypchuk Yuriy 
Published: January 2008

AbstractWe use panel data techniques and information on state‐level Food Stamp Program characteristics to obtain unbiased estimates of the impact of Food Stamp Program participation on weight status and health care spending among nonelderly adults. Our results suggest that program participation by women leads to a 5.9% (p = 0.07) increase in their likelihood of overweight and obesity, which is smaller than previous estimates, and to higher medical expenditures. The direct effect of program participation on medical spending through higher discretionary income is significantly larger than the indirect effect through changes in weight status.
The Impact of Regulations on Agricultural Trade: Evidence from the SPS and TBT Agreements
Authors: Disdier Anne-Célia , Fontagné Lionel , Mimouni Mondher 
Published: January 2008

AbstractAccording to World Trade Organization rules, countries may adopt regulations under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phyto‐Sanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). We analyze the structure of these measures in agricultural trade. The inventory approach suggests that European countries have among the lowest coverage ratios of all OECD countries. Using a gravity equation, we also estimate their stringency. Our results suggest that they significantly reduce developing countries' exports to OECD countries, but do not affect trade between OECD members. Furthermore, European imports are more negatively influenced by SPS and TBTs than imports of other OECD countries.
A Comparison of the Economic Well‐Being of Farm and Nonfarm Households
Authors: Katchova Ani L. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis study compares the economic well‐being of farm and nonfarm households using data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey and the Survey of Consumer Finances. Comparisons are made in terms of income and wealth using parametric and nonparametric tests, regression analyses, and inequality measures. The results show that the economic well‐being of households differs based on their degree of involvement in business activities and their life‐cycle stages. The main conclusion is that the income of rural residence and intermediate farms is comparable to that of wage‐earning nonfarm households, while commercial farms are similar in well‐being to nonfarm households with businesses.
Agro‐Manufactured Export Prices, Wages and Unemployment
Authors: Porto Guido G. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis article estimates the impacts of world agricultural trade liberalization on wages and unemployment in Argentina in the presence of individual labor supply responses and adjustment costs in labor demand. After a 10% increase in agro‐manufactured export prices, I find that: (a) the employment probability would increase by 1.36 percentage points, matched by a decline in the unemployment probability of 0.75 percentage points and an increase in labor market participation of 0.61 percentage points; (b) the unemployment rate would decline by 1.23 percentage points; (c) expected wages would increase by 10.3%, mostly due to higher employment probabilities.
WHICH NATURALISM FOR BIOETHICS? A DEFENSE OF MODERATE (PRAGMATIC) NATURALISM
Authors: RACINE ERIC 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACTThere is a growing interest in various forms of naturalism in bioethics, but there is a clear need for further clarification. In an effort to address this situation, I present three epistemological stances: anti‐naturalism, strong naturalism, and moderate pragmatic naturalism. I argue that the dominant paradigm within philosophical ethics has been a form of anti‐naturalism mainly supported by a strong ‘is’ and ‘ought’ distinction. This fundamental epistemological commitment has contributed to the estrangement of academic philosophical ethics from major social problems and explains partially why, in the early 1980s, ‘medicine saved the life of ethics’. Rejection of anti‐naturalism, however, is often associated with strong forms of naturalism that commit the naturalistic fallacy and threaten to reduce the normative dimensions of ethics to biological imperatives. This move is rightly dismissed as a pitfall since ethics is, in part, a struggle against the course of nature. Rejection of naturalism has drawbacks, however, such as detering bioethicists from acknowledging the implicit naturalistic epistemological commitments of bioethics. I argue that a moderate pragmatic form of naturalism represents an epistemological position that best embraces the tension of anti‐naturalism and strong naturalism: bioethics is neither disconnected from empirical knowledge nor subjugated to it. The discussion is based upon historical writings in philosophy and bioethics.
‘We Got to Figure it Out’: Information‐sharing and Siblings' Negotiations of Conflicts of Interests
Authors: Ram Avigail , Ross Hildy 
Published: January 2008

AbstractGiven the importance of mutual understanding for constructive conflict resolution, this study investigated the influence of information‐sharing on siblings faced with conflicts of interests. Thirty‐two sibling dyads (ages 4.5 to 8) participated. Siblings were asked to negotiate the division of five toys between themselves. Half of the pairs first shared information on which toys they wanted and why. Results indicated that information‐sharing increased children's knowledge of one another's interests, the likelihood of achieving maximally beneficial outcomes, and the involvement of younger siblings in problem‐solving.
Strategy‐Proofness and the Tops‐Only Property
Authors: WEYMARK JOHN A. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA social choice function satisfies the tops‐only property if the chosen alternative only depends on each person's report of his most‐preferred alternatives on the range of this function. On many domains, strategy‐proofness implies the tops‐only property provided that the range of the social choice function satisfies some regularity condition. The existing proofs of this result are model specific. In this paper, a general proof strategy is proposed for showing that a strategy‐proof social choice function satisfies the tops‐only property when everyone has the same set of admissible preferences.
Redistribution and Provision of Public Goods in an Economic Federation
Authors: ARONSSON THOMAS , BLOMQUIST SÖREN 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis paper concerns redistribution and public good provision in an economic federation with two levels of government: a local government in each locality and a (first mover) central government. Each locality is characterized by two ability‐types, and the ability‐distribution differs across localities. The central government redistributes via a nonlinear income tax and a lump‐sum transfer to each local government, while the local governments use proportional income taxes and provide local public goods. We show how the redistributive role of taxation is combined with a corrective role, and how the central government can implement the second best resource allocation.