bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Undamaged cotton plants yield more if their neighbour is damaged: implications for pest management
Authors: Wilson L.J. , Lei T.T. , Sadras V.O. , Wilson L.T. , Heimoana S.C. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractUnderstanding the compensatory responses of crops to pest damage is important in developing pest thresholds. Compensation for pest damage in crops can occur at the plant level, where the architecture, growth dynamics and allocation patterns of damaged plants are altered, allowing them to recover or, at the crop level, where differential damage between plants may alter plant-to-plant interactions. We investigated growth and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) following non-uniform manual defoliation of seedlings. This partially replicates real pest damage and is valuable in understanding crop-level responses to damage because it can be inflicted precisely. Damage distributions included damaging 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100% of the plants. Damage intensity for the damaged plants was varied by removing 100 or 75% of each true leaf when plants had two, four and six true leaves. At the crop level, yield loss increased as the proportion of plants damaged and intensity of damage per damaged plant increased. Neighbour interactions occurred; undamaged plants with damaged neighbours grew larger and yielded better than undamaged plants with undamaged neighbours, while the converse applied for damaged plants with undamaged neighbours. Neighbour interactions were influenced by the intensity of damage and were stronger when 100% of the leaf area was removed than when 75% was removed. At the crop level, when compared with yield estimates based on yield of plants from uniformly damaged or undamaged plots, these interactions resulted in higher yield than expected (+8%). This suggests that damage distribution may have to be considered in studies where artificial or real pest damage is inflicted uniformly on plants.
Who Gives Charitable Donations for Overseas Development?
Authors: MICKLEWRIGHT JOHN , SCHNEPF SYLKE V. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractIndividuals' donations to overseas charities are an important source of funding for development assistance from rich industrialised countries. But little is known about the nature of these charitable donations. The literature on giving focuses on total donations to all causes and does not identify separately the pattern or the determinants of giving to any particular cause. We investigate giving to overseas causes using UK survey microdata that record individuals' donations to different types of charity. We establish a picture of overseas giving, comparing this with giving to other causes. Socio-economic correlates of both types of giving are analysed, including gender, marital status, occupation, education and, especially, income. We also investigate the relationship between individuals' overseas giving and their attitudes towards poverty in developing countries.
Obstacles to the Implementation of an Integrated National Alcohol Policy in Ireland: Nannies, Neo-Liberals and Joined-Up Government
Authors: BUTLER SHANE 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis article explores how proponents of a public health model of alcohol policy have, for more than a quarter of a century, argued consistently but unsuccessfully for an integrated national alcohol policy in the Republic of Ireland. It looks in particular at the past decade, a time when increases in alcohol consumption and related problems strengthened the case for such an integrated policy, and when managerial innovations in the sphere of cross-cutting management appeared to provide a template for its implementation. A number of explanations are offered for the refusal of successive governments to respond to what its advocates see as the only rational, evidence-based approach to the prevention of alcohol problems. It is argued that, unlike the Nordic countries, the political culture of independent Ireland has never been one in which the state could unilaterally impose strict alcohol control policies as a feature of its broader vision of the welfare state. It is also argued that during the recent period of economic prosperity (the so-called ‘Celtic Tiger’ era) the country was characterised by a neo-liberal policy climate, which was specifically antipathetic to the idea that the state should interfere directly in the alcohol market with a view to preventing related problems. It is suggested that the social partnership model of governance, to which many people attributed the country's economic success, created an atmosphere of consensualism within which the state as mediator between the two main protagonists (the public health lobby and the drinks industry) was unwilling to challenge the drinks industry. It is also concluded that this failure to create a national alcohol policy based on public health principles demonstrates the limitations of the cross-cutting, or ‘joined-up’, approach to public management in those areas of social policy characterised by clashing value systems or fundamental conflicts of economic interest. Finally, it is acknowledged that in Ireland, as elsewhere, neo-liberal certitudes have been effectively dethroned by the economic recession and banking crisis of late 2008; whether these more straitened economic circumstances will provide a better fit for the ‘nanny state’ ideals of the public health perspective on alcohol remains to be seen.
China's Returned Scholars and the Democracy Movement
Authors: Hayhoe Ruth 
Published: February 2009

A People's.Daily editorial of 24 August 1989 heralding the early return of students to university campuses, blamed the events of May-June 1989 on students's lack of appreciation of “national essence!” (guoqing) and the fact that bourgeois liberal ideas from the west had flooded in to fill an ideological vacuum created by the lack of serious attention to education in Marxist-Leninist thought on Chinese campuses in recent years. In a long speech given before a national higher education meeting in mid July and published on 30 August, Li Tieying, head of the State Education Commission, specifically linked bourgeois liberalism and what he called “democratic individualism” with “certain courses in the social sciences” that had uncritically introduced bourgeois social theories. The suggested solution to the problem was to strengthen Party leadership on university campuses and reassert political education and education in patriotism and national identity.The actual response has been much harsher than that. Regular undergraduate enrolments for autumn 1989 were cut from a planned 640,000 to 610,000, with these cuts mainly affecting social science and humanities specializations and national comprehensive universities directly under the State Education Commission. It was these universities which pioneered new work in the social sciences over the past decade, and many of their students took a leading part in the democratic movement. There is thus little subtlety in the attack now being made upon them. To give some specific examples, Fudan's enrolment was cut from a planned 2,000 to 1,200, Nankai's from a planned 1,200 to 800 and Beida's from a planned 2,000 to 800.
Elite Transformation and Modern Change in Mainland China and Taiwan: Empirical Data and the Theory of Technocracy
Authors: Cheng Li , White Lynn 
Published: February 2009

Four decades have passed since the 1949 Communist Revolution divided China into two political entities. These culturally similar polities adopted different ownership systems and divergent development strategies in their early decades, but they have witnessed nearly identical elite transformations and convergent social transitions in recent years.At their recent respective 13th party congresses, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) both promoted a great number of new leaders who can be identified as “technocrats” to top Party positions. In the Mainland, this new group of leaders has only recently come to power, while in Taiwan it emerged at the beginning of the 1970s and has continuously increased in number since then. This is a new generation of leadership, whose socialization, educational background, political experience and value orientation differ significantly from those of the old elite.Parallel to this leadership transformation, a profound social transition has also occurred in both Mainland China and Taiwan. The Chinese people in both places have made great economic achievements and have moved rapidly from isolationism towards mercantilism. This is particularly obvious in Taiwan, but it can be seen to a lesser degree in the Mainland. Less noted, but equally significant, has been the change in their political systems. In Mainland China, although the June Fourth Incident (1989) has impeded the momentum of political reform, the relationship between state and society has been significantly altered. It seems that political reform, which includes institutionalization, decentralization and liberalization, will continue its zigzag but progressive journey.
China, Japan and Economic Interdependence in the Asia Pacific Region
Authors: Howe Christopher 
Published: February 2009

China, Japan and Economic Interdependence in the Asia Pacific RegionIn expressing their gratitude for economic co-operation from Japan, Chinese leaders noted that such assistance would also be profitable to Japan in the long run. We in Japan certainly have no objection to this view. (Sakutaro Tanino, The Japan Times, 1 October 1988.)
Corruption and its Shadow: An Anthropological View of Corruption in China
Authors: Rocca Jean-Louis 
Published: February 2009

There has been little systematic research on corruption in China. Analyses so far often only reveal various cases of corruption and conclude by commenting on the retrograde aspect of the Chinese state. Work of this nature also tends to be too static – not considering the historical and cultural dimensions of politics – and too superficial – just concentrating on anecdotal aspects of corruption. As a result, one could quite simply conclude that what is required is a Weberian bureaucracy, which would be both rational and efficient, though without explaining how this should come about.However, in the light of works dealing with the shifting role of the state in societies which are undergoing change, the causes and nature of the phenomenon of “corruption” in China can be reassessed.
Carriage of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusin veterinary personnel
Authors: ŽEMLIČKOVÁ H. , FRIDRICHOVÁ M. , TYLLOVÁ K. , JAKUBŮ V. , MACHOVÁ I. 
Published: February 2009

SUMMARYA survey of 280 attendees at a veterinary meeting in the Czech Republic in 2008 revealed a carriage rate of 0·7% for methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA). The two strains isolated were of distinct genetic lineages, carried type IV SCCmecdeterminants and were negative for Panton–Valentine leukocidin genes. The MRSA positivity rates for veterinarians in the Czech Republic is considerably lower than reported elsewhere.
Directional collisions during a route-following task
Authors: THOMAS NICOLE A. , STUCKEL DANE , GUTWIN CARL , ELIAS LORIN J. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractNeurologically normal people tend to collide with objects on the right side more frequently than with objects located on the left side of space. This phenomenon could be attributable to pseudoneglect wherein individuals selectively attend to the left field. The current study investigated this effect using a virtual route-following task that was presented centrally, in the lower field, and in the upper field. Handedness was also examined. Fifty-two participants (four left handed) completed this task, and when presented in the lower field, more left-side collisions emerged. In the upper condition, this bias reversed direction to the expected rightward bias. In the central condition, there was no significant directional bias in collision behavior. An interaction between handedness and presentation condition indicated that left-handed participants experienced more right-side collisions in the central condition. Collectively, these results suggest that directional biases (i.e., left vs. right) in collision behavior are modulated by both location in the visual field (central, upper, or lower) and handedness. (JINS, 2009, 15, 225–230.)
The predictive value of measures of social cognition for community functioning in schizophrenia: Implications for neuropsychological assessment
Authors: PIJNENBORG G.H.M. , WITHAAR F.K. , EVANS J.J. , VAN DEN BOSCH R.J. , TIMMERMAN M.E. , BROUWER W.H. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe objective of this study was to examine the unique contribution of social cognition to the prediction of community functioning and to explore the relevance of social cognition for clinical practice. Forty-six schizophrenia patients and 53 healthy controls were assessed with tests of social cognition [emotion perception and Theory of Mind (ToM)], general cognition, and, within the patient sample, psychiatric symptoms. Community functioning was rated by nurses or family members. Social cognition was a better predictor of community functioning than general cognition or psychiatric symptoms. When the contributions of emotion perception and ToM were examined separately, only ToM contributed significantly to the prediction of community functioning. Independent living skills were poor in patients with impaired social cognition. In controls, social cognition was not related to community functioning. ToM was the best predictor of community functioning in schizophrenia. However, to fully understand a patient’s strengths and weaknesses, assessment of social cognition should always be combined with assessment of general cognition and psychiatric symptoms. (JINS, 2009, 15, 239–247).
Emotional valence and semantic relatedness differentially influence false recognition in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and healthy elderly
Authors: BRUECKNER KATJA , MORITZ STEFFEN 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis study examined whether patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who are at higher risk for later Alzheimer disease (AD) display deficits comparable to patients with diagnosed dementia. We assessed 27 patients with MCI, 36 patients with AD, and 20 healthy older adults with an emotional variant of the Deese–Roediger–McDermott-paradigm. Participants studied four lists that were semantically related to a nonpresented critical theme word. These theme words were either depression-related (i.e.,loneliness) or delusion-related (betrayal) or had a positive (holidays) or neutral (window) valence. Despite a normal overall emotional memory and a normal corrected overall false recognition, patients with MCI, as predicted, produced as many false memories as patients with AD. On closer examination, both patient groups showed enhanced false memories to unrelated stimuli and a significant bias to falsely remember stimuli with a positive valence. We conclude that although patients with MCI are not distinguishable from healthy older adults in terms of their overall emotional recognition, positively valenced memories and more specifically false positive memories may represent the signature of a breakdown of emotional memory along the continuum between normal aging and AD. (JINS, 2009,15, 268–276.)
Logical Algorithms meets CHR: A meta-complexity result for Constraint Handling Rules with rule priorities
Authors: DE KONINCK LESLIE 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis paper investigates the relationship between the Logical Algorithms (LA) language of Ganzinger and McAllester and Constraint Handling Rules (CHR). We present a translation schema from LA to CHRrp: CHR with rule priorities, and show that the meta-complexity theorem for LA can be applied to a subset of CHRrpvia inverse translation. Inspired by the high-level implementation proposal for Logical Algorithm by Ganzinger and McAllester and based on a new scheduling algorithm, we propose an alternative implementation for CHRrpthat gives strong complexity guarantees and results in a new and accurate meta-complexity theorem for CHRrp. It is furthermore shown that the translation from Logical Algorithms to CHRrpcombined with the new CHRrpimplementation satisfies the required complexity for the Logical Algorithms meta-complexity result to hold.
Identification and functional characterization of the Rad23 gene of the silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Xu He-ping , Xu Yu-song , Wang Hua-bing , He Da , Kawasaki Hideki 
Published: February 2009

Rad23 is an NER (nucleotide excision repair) protein and it plays an important role in the UPP (ubiquitin–proteasome pathway). In the present study, BmRad23 (a homologous gene of Rad23 from Bombyx mori) was cloned and designated as BmRad23. The ORF (open reading frame) of the BmRad23 cDNA encoded deduced 324 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 36.13 kDa and an estimated pI of 4.50. The deduced amino acid sequence of the BmRad23 cDNA revealed several indispensable domains for the function of the Rad23 protein family, such as one UbL (ubiquitin-like) region domain and two UBA (ubiquitin-associated) domains. UV irradiation and treatment with chemical DNA-damaging reagent increased the expression of BmRad23. The BmRad23 gene was expressed in all the examined organs, and elevated expression was observed in testis and ovary. Northern blot and immunoblot analyses showed enhanced expression of BmRad23 after day 3 of the wandering stage in the silk gland. From the present results it is suggested that BmRad23 functions in the UPP during the silkworm metamorphosis as well as participating in the NER when the genetic material is damaged by UV irradiation and other genotoxic stresses.
Molecular and Genetic Evidence for the Key Role of AtCaM3 in Heat-Shock Signal Transduction in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhou Ren-Gang , Gao Ying-Jie , Zheng Shu-Zhi , Xu Peng , Zhang Su-Qiao , Sun Da-Ye 
Published: February 2009

AbstractHeat shock (HS) is a common form of stress suffered by plants. It has been proposed that calmodulin (CaM) is involved in HS signal transduction, but direct evidence has been lacking. To investigate the potential regulatory function of CaM in the HS signal transduction pathway, T-DNA knockout mutants for AtCaM2, AtCaM3, and AtCaM4 were obtained and their thermotolerance tested. Of the three knockout mutant plants, there were no differences compared with wild-type plants under normal conditions. However, the AtCaM3 knockout mutant showed a clear reduction in thermotolerance after heat treatment at 45°C for 50 min. Overexpression of AtCaM3 in either the AtCaM3 knockout or wild-type background significantly rescued or increased the thermotolerance, respectively. Results from electrophoretic mobility-shift assays, real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and western-blot analyses revealed that, after HS, the DNA-binding activity of HS transcription factors, mRNA transcription of HS protein genes, and accumulation of HS protein were down-regulated in the AtCaM3 knockout mutant and up-regulated in the AtCaM3-overexpressing transgenic lines. Taken together, these results suggest that endogenous AtCaM3 is a key component in the Ca2+-CaM HS signal transduction pathway.
Are there predominant strains and toxins of Staphylococcus aureus in atopic dermatitis patients? Genotypic characterization and toxin determination of S. aureus isolated in adolescent and adult patients with atopic dermatitis
Authors: KIM Do‐Won , PARK Jee‐Young , PARK Kyung‐Duck , KIM Tae‐Hoon , LEE Weon‐Ju , LEE Seok‐Jong , KIM Jungmin 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTThe colonization of Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important aggravating factors of atopic dermatitis (AD). Until now, the importance of S. aureus in AD and a positive correlation between colonization with S. aureus and clinical severity/skin barrier function has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are certain clones of S. aureus which colonize the skin of AD patients. For this purpose, the genotype of S. aureus isolated from AD patients was examined by newly‐developed typing methods. With 36 strains of S. aureus isolated from 35 patients with AD, spa typing, multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST), and staphylococcal toxin gene assay by multiplex polymerase chain reaction, were performed. Clinical severity and skin barrier function were evaluated with eczema area and severity index (EASI) and with transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Among 36 strains of S. aureus, 14 sequence types (ST) and 20 spa types were identified, suggesting a very heterogeneous genetic composition of S. aureus and the absence of a prevailing genotype in S. aureus colonized with AD patients. Furthermore, there was no specific genotype of S. aureus which was associated with the clinical severity of AD or skin barrier dysfunction. A toxin gene assay, however, showed the predominance of S. aureus strains carrying sea and/or tsst‐1. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to show the genetic composition of S. aureus strains isolated from AD patients determined by sequence‐based typing methods.
A quantitative method for analyzing establishing‐efficiency of persistent viral infection
Authors: Ito Morihiro , Yamakawa Izumi , Nishio Machiko , Tsurudome Masato , Kawano Mitsuo , Komada Hiroshi , Ito Yasuhiko 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTA quantitative method for analyzing establishing‐efficiency of persistent infection was devised. The efficiency of hPIV2 CA and SV5 T1 strains was found to be high, that is, 0.1∼0.3 (an efficiency of 1.0 indicates that 100% of the virus‐infected cells became persistently infected). The efficiency of the SV5 WR strain was also high, approximately 0.1, though the virus had no ability to immediately establish a steady state of persistent infection in whole cell‐culture systems. At about 0.0007, the efficiency of SV41 was almost the same as that of the hPIV2 Toshiba strain. The establishing efficiencies of various rSeV were further analyzed in detail. The efficiencies of the rSeV(PA), rSeV(Ppi) and rSeV(HNpi) were below the limit of detection, while that of rSeV(Lpi) was nearly 1. Although the efficiency was around 0.001, the rSeV(Mpi) and the rSeV(Fpi) were unexpectedly found to be capable of forming persistently‐infected cells, indicating that both the Fpi and Mpi proteins contribute to the establishing efficiency of persistent infection of SeVpi.
Acute necrotizing encephalopathy: A comparison between influenza and non‐influenza cases
Authors: Okumura Akihisa , Abe Sinpei , Kidokoro Hiroyuki , Mizuguchi Masashi 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to clarify the difference between influenza and non‐influenza cases in clinical symptoms, laboratory and neuroimaging findings, and outcome in children with ANE. We retrospectively studied 22 children with ANE. Eleven of them had virological proof of influenza infection and the other 11 were judged as non‐influenza infection. There was no significant difference between influenza and non‐influenza cases in sex, antipyretics use and neurological symptoms. Although laboratory data were not different between the two groups, brainstem lesions were relatively more frequent in influenza cases than in non‐influenza cases. Outcome was not different between the two groups. The results of our study suggest that the pathogenesis of acute necrotizing encephalopathy will not be dependent on infectious agents.