bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is speech learning ‘gated’ by the social brain?
Authors: Kuhl Patricia K. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract I advance the hypothesis that the earliest phases of language acquisition – the developmental transition from an initial universal state of language processing to one that is language‐specific – requires social interaction. Relating human language learning to a broader set of neurobiological cases of communicative development, I argue that the social brain ‘gates’ the computational mechanisms involved in human language learning.
Trust
Authors: Harris Paul L. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract Children rely extensively on others’ testimony to learn about the world. However, they are not uniformly credulous toward other people. From an early age, children's reliance on testimony is tempered by selective trust in particular informants. Three‐ and 4‐year‐olds monitor the accuracy or knowledge of informants, including those that are familiar. They prefer to seek and endorse information provided by someone who has proved accurate in the past rather than someone who has made mistakes or acknowledged ignorance. Future research is likely to pinpoint other heuristics that children use to filter incoming testimony and may reveal more generalized patterns of trust and mistrust among individual children.
The Probability of Identification: Applying Ideas from Forensic Statistics to Disclosure Risk Assessment
Authors: Skinner C. J. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryThe paper establishes a correspondence between statistical disclosure control and forensic statistics regarding their common use of the concept of ‘probability of identification’. The paper then seeks to investigate what lessons for disclosure control can be learnt from the forensic identification literature. The main lesson that is considered is that disclosure risk assessment cannot, in general, ignore the search method that is employed by an intruder seeking to achieve disclosure. The effects of using several search methods are considered. Through consideration of the plausibility of assumptions and ‘worst case’ approaches, the paper suggests how the impact of search method can be handled. The paper focuses on foundations of disclosure risk assessment, providing some justification for some modelling assumptions underlying some existing record level measures of disclosure risk. The paper illustrates the effects of using various search methods in a numerical example based on microdata from a sample from the 2001 UK census.
False Uniqueness: the Self‐Perception of New Entrants to Higher Education in the UK and Its Implications for Access – a Pilot Study1
Authors: Thorpe Andy , Snell Martin , Hoskins Sherria , Bryant Janet 
Published: December 2006

AbstractA central tenet of contemporary education policy relates to the desire to extend higher education (HE) provision to less advantaged groups (‘widening participation’). Our paper contends that a key behavioural obstacle to widening participation lies in the erroneous belief that persists among potential entrants from disadvantaged backgrounds as to their capabilities of succeeding within the HE environment – a perception that serves to deflate application/recruitment rates from such groupings. We test this ‘false uniqueness’ thesis using a sample of 127 new UK undergraduates, finding that students drawn from lower social class backgrounds consistently underestimated their abilities vis‐à‐vis the overall cohort.
Higher Education Mergers: Integrating Organisational Cultures and Developing Appropriate Management Styles
Authors: Locke William 
Published: December 2006

AbstractResearch evidence indicates that an unusually broad range of issues take on strategic significance in a merger and that organisational cultures are critical to the successful integration of staff, students and other stakeholders within a newly combined higher education institution (HEI). This study was based on two specialist higher education (HE) colleges seeking to expand through merger in order to meet the revised criteria for university status in England. It sought a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the management styles and organisational cultures of the two colleges and an assessment of the significance of these for the proposed merger. The main conclusion of the study was that management styles and initiatives needed to be mindful of the existing cultures and subcultures of the two colleges, otherwise there was a risk that the status and efficiency of the new HEI might be improved at the expense of its academic and scholarly development.
Acne is prevalent but use of its treatments is infrequent among adolescents from the general population
Authors: Nijsten T , Rombouts S , Lambert J 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackground  Little is known about the use of acne treatments among teenagers in the community.Objectives  To assess the prevalence of use of acne treatments in a general population sample of adolescents and to investigate factors associated with its use.Methods  During official school examinations, 594 adolescents (14–18 years old) were examined for acne on the face and body using a validated scoring system. In addition, they were interviewed about current and prior treatment use by showing them packages of available (non‐)prescription treatments of acne in Belgium.Results  Despite the high prevalence of acne, its treatments were used infrequently; 13% had used topicals and 5% systemic drugs. Among adolescents who used therapy, benzoylperoxide and oral antibiotics were most often used. Although the likelihood of having used treatment increased significantly for both number of retentional and inflammatory lesions (P ≤ 0.03), only a quarter of those with 20 or more papules and/or pustules had used topical treatment, and 10% systemic therapy. Multivariate logistic regression models demonstrated that girls were about twice as likely to have used topical agents (adjusted OR = 2.30 [95%CI = 1.37, 3.87]). Those with more inflammatory lesions on the face and with more extensive acne on the chest and back were about three times more likely to have used topical and/or systemic acne therapy.Conclusion  Acne is very common among teenagers but very few have actually used treatments. These findings suggest that it may be worthwhile to better inform the community about acne and its treatment options to reduce acne severity and its impact on those affected.
Staff Training in Positive Behaviour Support: Impact on Attitudes and Knowledge
Authors: Lowe Kathy , Jones Edwin , Allen David , Davies Dee , James Wendy , Doyle Tony , Andrew Jock , Kaye Neil , Jones Sian , Brophy Sam , Moore Kate 
Published: December 2006

Background  Positive behavioural support is increasingly viewed as the preferred service approach for people who challenge, but skills are insufficiently widespread. The need for effective staff training has been highlighted as a key factor in high quality service provision, with investigators recommending a multidimensional approach to increase effectiveness and produce changes in work performance.Method  Attitudes and knowledge of registered (qualified nurses) and non‐registered (unqualified nursing assistants) staff in specialist health care services were assessed via self‐completion questionnaires before and after the delivery of a newly accredited taught course in PBS and at a 1‐year follow‐up.Results  Significant increases in knowledge were evident immediately after the training for both groups, with further increases evident over time for the non‐registered staff who completed the qualification. Initial changes in attributions immediately after training reverted to baseline levels over time. Enduring change occurred in perceived confidence, which significantly increased both for registered and non‐registered staff.Conclusions  The training had a positive effect on knowledge and perceived confidence but little enduring effect on attributions or emotional responses. The importance of training conducted in conjunction with allied changes in organizational systems to ensure ongoing management attention is discussed.
Effects of Training on Controllability Attributions of Behavioural Excesses and Deficits Shown by adults with Down Syndrome and Dementia
Authors: Kalsy Sunny , Heath Rebecca , Adams Dawn , Oliver Chris 
Published: December 2006

Background  Whereas there is a knowledge base on staff attributions of challenging behaviour, there has been little research on the effects of training, type of behaviour and biological context on staff attributions of controllability in the context of people with intellectual disabilities and dementia.Methods  A mixed design was used to investigate the effects of three factors on care staff attributions of the controllability of challenging behaviour. Pre‐ and post‐training measures were administered to participants (n = 97) attending training on ageing, dementia and people with intellectual disabilities.Results  No significant effects of diagnosis or type of behaviour on attributions were found. There was a significant increase in knowledge after training (P < 0.001) and training was found to significantly decrease the attribution of controllability (P < 0.001).Conclusion  These results suggest that training that focuses on aspects of change relevant to behaviour can favourably influence care staff's knowledge and attributions of controllability within the context of people with Down syndrome and dementia.
The Relationship Between CAG Repeat Length and Age of Onset Differs for Huntington's Disease Patients with Juvenile Onset or Adult Onset
Authors: Andresen J. Michael , Gayán Javier , Djoussé Luc , Roberts Simone , Brocklebank Denise , Cherny Stacey S. ,   The US‐Venezuela Collaborative Research Group,   The HD MAPS Collaborative Research Group, Cardon Lon R. , Gusella James F. , MacDonald Marcy E. , Myers Richard H. , Housman David E. , Wexler Nancy S. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryAge of onset for Huntington's disease (HD) varies inversely with the length of the disease‐causing CAG repeat expansion in the HD gene. A simple exponential regression model yielded adjusted R‐squared values of 0.728 in a large set of Venezuelan kindreds and 0.642 in a North American, European, and Australian sample (the HD MAPS cohort). We present evidence that a two‐segment exponential regression curve provides a significantly better fit than the simple exponential regression. A plot of natural log‐transformed age of onset against CAG repeat length reveals this segmental relationship. This two‐segment exponential regression on age of onset data increases the adjusted R‐squared values by 0.012 in the Venezuelan kindreds and by 0.035 in the HD MAPS cohort. Although the amount of additional variance explained by the segmental regression approach is modest, the two slopes of the two‐segment regression are significantly different from each other in both the Venezuelan kindreds [F(2, 439) = 11.13, P= 2 × 10−5] and in the HD MAPS cohort [F(2, 688) = 38.27, P= 2 × 10−16]. In both populations, the influence of each CAG repeat on age of onset appears to be stronger in the adult‐onset range of CAG repeats than in the juvenile‐onset range.
Spermatophore feeding and mating behaviour in praying mantids (Mantodea: Liturgusidae)
Authors: Holwell G. I. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractIn a number of insects, males transfer sperm to females via an externally attached spermatophore, which females subsequently remove and consume. Here I report the first study of spermatophore feeding in a praying mantid. While studies of praying mantid mating behaviour have largely focused on sexual cannibalism, this behaviour is not known in the genus Ciulfina. The general patterns of mating behaviour and spermatophore feeding are described for four species: Ciulfina rentzi, Ciulfina klassi, Ciulfina biseriata and Ciulfina baldersoni. Copulation duration and postcopulatory spermatophore attachment duration were found to vary both inter‐ and intraspecifically. Ciulfina rentzi exhibited a considerably longer mean copulation duration and a considerably shorter mean postcopulatory spermatophore attachment duration than the other Ciulfina species. Smaller males copulated for longer durations in C. rentzi and C. klassi. For C. baldersoni, both copulation duration and postcopulatory spermatophore attachment duration increased with female mass. The genus Ciulfina is highlighted as an intriguing new system in which to test hypotheses surrounding the function of spermatophore feeding and the significance of copulation duration.
Inbreeding depression in an autotetraploid herb: a three cohort field study
Authors: Galloway Laura F. , Etterson Julie R. 
Published: December 2006

Summary
Autotetraploids are predicted to have reduced inbreeding depression relative to diploids. However, recent theory and information on genomic changes following autopolyploidy suggest that inbreeding depression may be closer to diploids.
In three consecutive years, self and outcross pollinations were conducted on autotetraploid Campanulastrum americanum, seeds were planted into native sites, and biennial offspring were followed through seed production.
Inbred individuals had lower germination rates, reduced survival, were smaller, and flowered later, producing fewer fruits with fewer seeds. Inbred offspring had 6% of the cumulative fitness of outcross offspring. Although performance varied substantially among cohorts, inbreeding depression for cumulative fitness was relatively constant, with δ ranging only from 0.92 to 0.95.
C. americanum, like many outcrossing species, expressed very high amounts of inbreeding depression. This supports the hypothesis that inbreeding depression of some autotetraploids may be similar to that of diploids. Furthermore, few studies have measured temporal variation in inbreeding depression. Constant inbreeding depression given a sixfold range in cohort performance suggests that inbreeding depression may be relatively robust to environmental variation experienced by natural populations.
Myrmecophilic food body production in the understorey tree,Ryparosa kurrangii(Achariaceae), a rare Australian rainforest taxon
Authors: Webber Bruce L. , Abaloz Bruce A. , Woodrow Ian E. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryPlant food bodies are rarely observed in the field, because of continual harvesting, and are often first documented on isolated glasshouse plants. Little is known about the genusRyparosa(Achariaceae), and the appearance of outgrowths on leaves and stems of glasshouse‐raisedR. kurrangiiseedlings suggested that the species may produce food bodies.Detailed macroimaging and histological techniques were used to characterize chemomorphological variation in food body material gathered from glasshouse plants.Two distinct types of food body were observed. Multicellular pearl bodies derived from epidermal and mesophyll tissue were produced on young leaves and stems, and contained lipids and glycogen‐like carbohydrates. A unique form of lipid‐rich multicellular food body that ‘opens’ during development was found exclusively on mature plant tissue. A filament network was associated with food body lipid droplets.This is the first detailed documentation of food body production in an understorey genus adapted to low light conditions. We suggest that the distinctive spatial deployment ofRyparosafood rewards, and the ants attracted to them, may be invaluable for keeping long‐lived leaves free from epiphyllous communities.
Behavioral and event‐related potential distraction effects with regularly occurring auditory deviants
Authors: Jankowiak Sylvia , Berti Stefan 
Published: December 2006

AbstractWhen auditory stimulation contains infrequent task‐irrelevant changes (deviants), behavioral responses to task‐relevant aspects of the stimulation are prolonged. Event‐related brain potentials (ERPs) show that deviants elicit mismatch negativity (MMN), P3a, and reorienting negativity (RON). Here, we examine whether distraction effects can also be elicited within fixed auditory sequences with deviant probabilities of 0.25, 0.33, and 0.5. Deviants varied either in pitch, loudness, or sound source location. In all conditions MMN and P3a were elicited, suggesting that an automatic detection of and an attentional allocation to the change occurred. With relative frequencies of 25% and 33%, deviants also yielded a RT prolongation and a RON, suggesting reorientation to the relevant task. Our study demonstrates the ability to detect frequent and predictable changes automatically and shows behavioral effects in two conditions.
Mental stress‐induced hemoconcentration and its recovery: A controlled study of time course and mechanisms
Authors: De Boer Dolf , Ring Christopher , Curlett Alexander C. , Ridley Matt , Carroll Douglas 
Published: December 2006

AbstractHemoconcentration to mental stress has been implicated in acute cardiovascular events. Participants were exposed to a 30‐min baseline, a 4‐min stress task, and a 40‐min recovery; they also undertook a 74‐min no‐stress control session. Hemodynamic activity was recorded and blood sampled regularly and analyzed for hematocrit, colloid osmotic pressure, and coagulation time. Hematocrit increased with stress and fully recovered after 20 min. Colloid osmotic pressure showed a similar time course. No such changes occurred in the control session. Coagulation time was not perturbed by stress. The pattern of increase in hematocrit correlated with contemporary colloid osmotic pressure and blood pressure. In recovery, only colloid osmotic pressure was strongly associated with hematocrit. The mechanisms of stress‐induced hemoconcentration may differ from those responsible for recovery, which may depend primarily on colloid osmotic pressure.
In vivoanalysis of serotonin clearance in rat hippocampus reveals that repeated administration of p‐methoxyamphetamine (PMA), but not 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), leads to long‐lasting deficits in serotonin transporter function
Authors: Callaghan Paul D. , Owens W. Anthony , Javors Martin A. , Sanchez Teresa A. , Jones David J. , Irvine Rodney J. , Daws Lynette C. 
Published: December 2006

Abstractp‐Methoxyamphetamine (PMA) has been implicated in fatalities as a result of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) overdose worldwide. Like MDMA, acute effects are associated with marked changes in serotonergic neurotransmission, but the long‐term effects of PMA are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of repeated PMA administration onin vitromeasures of neurodegeneration: serotonin (5‐HT) uptake, 5‐HT transporter (SERT) density and 5‐HT content in the hippocampus, and compare with effects onin vivo5‐HT clearance. Male rats received PMA, MDMA (4 or 15 mg/kg s.c., twice daily) or vehicle for 4 days and 2 weeks later indices of SERT function were measured. [3H]5‐HT uptake into synaptosomes and [3H]cyanoimipramine binding to the SERT were significantly reduced by both PMA and MDMA treatments. 5‐HT content was reduced in MDMA‐, but not PMA‐treatment. In contrast, clearance of locally applied 5‐HT measuredin vivoby chronoamperometry was only reduced in rats treated with 15 mg/kg PMA. The finding that 5‐HT clearancein vivowas unaltered by MDMA treatment suggests thatin vitromeasures of 5‐HT axonal degeneration do not necessarily predict potential compensatory mechanisms that maintain SERT function under basal conditions.
Arachidonic acid potentiates exocytosis and allows neuronal SNARE complex to interact with Munc18a
Authors: Latham Catherine F. , Osborne Shona L. , Cryle Max J. , Meunier Frederic A. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractNeuronal communication relies on the fusion of neurotransmitter‐containing vesicles with the neuronal plasma membrane. Recent genetic studies have highlighted the critical role played by polyunsaturated fatty acids in neurotransmission, however, there is little information available about which fatty acids act on exocytosis and, more importantly, by what mechanism. We have used permeabilized chromaffin cells to screen various fatty acids of the n‐3 and n‐6 series for their acute effects on exocytosis. We have demonstrated that an n‐6 series polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid, potentiates secretion from intact neurosecretory cells regardless of the secretagogue used. We have shown that arachidonic acid dose dependently increases soluble NSF attachment protein receptor complex formation in chromaffin cells and bovine cortical brain extracts and that a non‐hydrolysable analogue of arachidonic acid causes a similar increase in SNARE complex formation. This prompted us to examine the effect of arachidonic acid on SNARE protein interactions with Munc18a, a protein known to prevent Syntaxin1a engagement into the SNARE complex in vitro. In the presence of arachidonic acid, we show that Munc18a can interact with the neuronal SNARE complex in a dose‐dependent manner. We further demonstrate that arachidonic acid directly interacts with Syntaxin1a.
Bone morphogenetic protein down‐regulation of neuronal pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide and reciprocal effects on vasoactive intestinal peptide expression
Authors: Pavelock Kristen A. , Girard Beatrice M. , Schutz Kristin C. , Braas Karen M. , May Victor 
Published: December 2006

AbstractAmong bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), the decapentaplegic (Dpp; BMP2, BMP4) and glass bottom boat (Gbb/60A; BMP5, BMP6, BMP7) subgroups have well‐described functions guiding autonomic and sensory neuronal development, fiber formation and neurophenotypic identities. Evaluation of rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG) post‐ganglionic sympathetic neuron developmental regulators identified that selected BMPs of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily have reciprocal effects on neuronal pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) expression. Dpp and Gbb/60A BMPs rapidly down‐regulated PACAP expression, while up‐regulating other sympathetic neuropeptides, including PACAP‐related VIP. The suppressive effects of BMP on PACAP mRNA and peptide expression were potent, efficacious and phosphorylated mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad) signaling‐dependent. Axotomy of SCG dramatically increases PACAP expression, and the possibility that abrogation of inhibitory retrograde target tissue BMP signaling may contribute to this up‐regulation of sympathetic neuron PACAP was investigated. Replacement of BMP6 to SCG explant preparations significantly blunted the injury‐induced elevated PACAP expression, with a concomitant decrease in sympathetic PACAP‐immunoreactive neuron numbers. These studies suggested that BMPs modulate neuropeptide identity and diversity by stimulating or restricting the expression of specific peptidergic systems. Furthermore, the liberation of SCG neurons from target‐derived BMP inhibition following axotomy may be one participating mechanism associated with injury‐induced neuropeptidergic plasticity.