Effects of victimization on the belief in a just world in four ex-Yugoslavian countries

Levels of support for just world beliefs among young adults (N = 598) from four ex-Yugoslavian countries-Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Slovenia-were compared, taking into account victimization experiences and the general belief in a just world. Being a victim affected an individual's belief in a just world in the two less economically favored contexts: Victims of exclusion in Macedonia and victims of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina were less likely to believe in a just world than non-victims. These victimization variables partly explained why the mean scores of these two countries were less than those of the two others. A deleterious effect of cumulative negative events on belief in a just world was identified, in parallel with a lower endorsement of the belief when the first victimization occurred more recently.

High elevation Plantago lanceolata plants are less resistant to herbivory than their low elevation conspecifics: is it just temperature?

Traits that mediate species interactions are evolutionarily shaped by biotic and abiotic drivers, yet we know relatively little about the relative importance of these factors. Herbivore pressure, along with resource availability and third-party' mutualists, are hypothesized to play a major role in the evolution of plant defence traits. Here, we used the model system Plantago lanceolata, which grows along steep elevation gradients in the Swiss Alps, to investigate the effect of elevation, herbivore pressure, mycorrhizal inoculation and temperature on plant resistance. Over a 1200 m elevation gradient, the levels of herbivory and iridoid glycosides (IGs) declined with increasing elevation. By planting seedlings at three different elevations, we further showed that both low-elevation growing conditions and mycorrhizal inoculation resulted in increased plant resistance to herbivores. Finally, using a temperature-controlled experiment comparing high- and low-elevation ecotypes, we showed that high-elevation ecotypes are less resistant to herbivory, and that lower temperatures impair IGs deployment after herbivore attack. We thus propose that both lower herbivore pressure, and colder temperatures relax the defense syndrome of high elevation plants.

Congenital tumors: imaging when life just begins.

BACKGROUND: The technical developments of imaging methods over the last 2 decades are changing our knowledge of perinatal oncology. Fetal ultrasound is usually the first imaging method used and thus constitutes the reference prenatal study, but MRI seems to be an excellent complementary method for evaluating the fetus. The widespread use of both techniques has increased the diagnosis rates of congenital tumors. During pregnancy and after birth, an accurate knowledge of the possibilities and limits of the different imaging techniques available would improve the information obtainable, thus helping the medical team to make the most appropriate decisions about therapy and to inform the family about the prognosis. CONCLUSION: In this review article, we describe the main congenital neoplasms, their prognosis and their imaging characteristics with the different pre- and postnatal imaging methods available.

The role of soil in vegetated gravelly river braid plains: more than just a passive response?

This paper reviews the role of alluvial soils in vegetated gravelly river braid plains. When considering decadal time scales of river evolution, we argue that it becomes vital to consider soil development as an emergent property of the developing ecosystem. Soil processes have been relatively overlooked in accounts of the interactions between braided river processes and vegetation, although soils have been observed on vegetated fluvial landforms. We hypothesise that soil development plays a major role in the transition (speed and pathway) from a fresh sediment deposit to a vegetated soil-covered landform. Disturbance (erosion and/or deposition), vertical sediment structure (process history), vegetation succession, biological activity and water table fluctuation are seen as the main controls on early alluvial soil evolution. Erosion and deposition processes may not only act as soil disturbing agents, but also as suppliers of ecosystem resources, because of their role in delivering and changing access (e.g. through avulsion) to fluxes of water, fine sediments and organic matter. In turn, the associated initial ecosystem may influence further fluvial landform development, such as through the trapping of fine-grained sediments (e.g. sand) by the engineering action of vegetation and the deposit stabilisation by the developing above and belowground biomass. This may create a strong feedback between geomorphological processes, vegetation succession and soil evolution which we summarise in a conceptual model. We illustrate this model by an example from the Allondon River (CH) and identify the research questions that follow.

The magmatic to hydrothermal evolution of the intrusive Mont Saint-Hilaire Complex: Insights into the late-stage evolution of peralkaline rocks

The Cretaceous Mont Saint-Hilaire complex (Quebec, Canada) comprises three major rock units that were emplaced in the following sequence: (I) gabbros; (II) diorites; (III) diverse partly agpaitic foid syenites. The major element compositions of the rock-forming minerals, age-corrected Nd and oxygen isotope data for mineral separates and trace element data of Fe-Mg silicates from the various lithologies imply a common source for all units. The distribution of the rare earth elements in clinopyroxene from the gabbros indicates an ocean island basalt type composition for the parental magma. Gabbros record temperatures of 1200 to 800 degrees C, variable silica activities between 0 center dot 7 and 0 center dot 3, and f(O2) values between -0 center dot 5 and +0 center dot 7 (log delta FMQ, where FMQ is fayalite-magnetite-quartz). The diorites crystallized under uniform a(SiO2) (a(SiO2) = 0 center dot 4-0 center dot 5) and more reduced f(O2) conditions (log delta FMQ similar to-1) between similar to 1100 and similar to 800 degrees C. Phase equilibria in various foid syenites indicate that silica activities decrease from 0 center dot 6-0 center dot 3 at similar to 1000 degrees C to < 0 center dot 3 at similar to 550 degrees C. Release of an aqueous fluid during the transition to the hydrothermal stage caused a(SiO2) to drop to very low values, which results from reduced SiO(2) solubilities in aqueous fluids compared with silicate melts. During the hydrothermal stage, high water activities stabilized zeolite-group minerals. Fluid inclusions record a complex post-magmatic history, which includes trapping of an aqueous fluid that unmixed from the restitic foid syenitic magma. Cogenetic aqueous and carbonic fluid inclusions reflect heterogeneous trapping of coexisting immiscible external fluids in the latest evolutionary stage. The O and C isotope characteristics of fluid-inclusion hosted CO(2) and late-stage carbonates imply that the surrounding limestones were the source of the external fluids. The mineral-rich syenitic rocks at Mont Saint-Hilaire evolved as follows: first, alkalis, high field strength and large ion lithophile elements were pre-enriched in the (late) magmatic and subsequent hydrothermal stages; second, percolation of external fluids in equilibrium with the carbonate host-rocks and mixing processes with internal fluids as well as fluid-rock interaction governed dissolution of pre-existing minerals, element transport and precipitation of mineral assemblages determined by locally variable parameters. It is this hydrothermal interplay between internal and external fluids that is responsible for the mineral wealth found at Mont Saint-Hilaire.

Molecular and isotopic characterization of organic samples from the wreck of the Saint-Etienne merchant ship (XVIIIth century): Identification of pitch, fat, hair and sulfur

The wreck U Pezzo, excavated within the Saint Florent Gulf in northern Corsica was identified as the pink, Saint Etienne, a merchant ship which sank on January 31, 1769. In order to determine the composition of organic materials used to coat the hull or to waterproof different parts of the pink, a study of several samples, using molecular biomarker and carbon isotopic analysis, was initiated. The results revealed that the remarkable yellow coat, covering the outside planks of the ship's bottom under the water line, is composed of sulfur, tallow (of ox and not of cetacean origin) and black pitch which corresponds to a mixture called ``couroi'' or ``stuff'. Onboard ropes had been submitted to a tarring treatment with pitch. Hairs mixed with pitch were identified in samples collected between the two layers of the hull or under the sheathing planking. The study also provides a key model for weathering of pitch, as different degrees of degradation were found between the surface and the heart of several samples. Accordingly, molecular parameters for alteration were proposed. Furthermore novel mixed esters between terpenic and diterpenic alcohols and the free major fatty acids (C(14:0), C(16:0), C(18:0)) were detected in the yellow coat. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids: More than just a rare disease.

Hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids (HDLS) is a progressive white matter disease with a wide range of clinical symptoms including dementia, behavioral changes, seizures, pyramidal signs, ataxia, and parkinsonism.(1-3) Affected individuals develop symptoms in their early 40s with an average survival time of 10 years. HDLS is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Recently, mutations in the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor gene (CSF-1R) were identified as the genetic cause of HDLS.(4) White matter lesions, easily demonstrated on MRI studies, involve predominantly the frontal lobes and corpus callosum with subsequent cortical atrophy. MRI abnormalities are present prior to symptom onset.(5,6) Histopathology shows widespread myelin and axon destruction with axonal dilations termed spheroids, as well as pigmented macrophages.

Le diabète de type 2 est-il uniquement une affaire d'hyperglycémie? Entre science, humanisme et economie [Type 2 diabetes, is it just a case of hyperglycemia? Confusion between the interests of science, humanity and the economy]

The recommendations for the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients are often centered on the glycemia. These clinical trials based on this approach show only a beneficial effects on the prevention of microangiopathy. The coronary artery disease which is the main cause of mortality among these patients, is not reduced. These data should be interpreted with a systemic prospect. The diabetes vascular complications have multifactorial causes and these clinical trials are motivated for the promotion of hypoglycemic agents. Fortunately, the STENO study offers another glance on the treatment of the diabetes, associating multirisk approach and patients' accompaniment. It obliges to have a critical glance on the research often moved by economic issues and gives to the center a humanistic approach based on the therapeutic relation.