Economic analysis of water temperature reduction practices in a large river floodplain: an exploratory study of the Willamette River,Oregon

This paper examines ecosystem restoration practices that focus on water temperature reductions in the upper mainstem Willamette River, Oregon, for the benefit of endangered salmonids and other native cold‐water species. The analysis integrates hydrologic, natural science and economic models to determine the cost‐effectiveness of alternative water temperature reduction strategies. A temperature model is used to simulate the effects of combinations of upstream riparian shading and flow augmentations on downstream water temperatures. Costs associated with these strategies are estimated and consist of the opportunity costs of lost agricultural production and recreation opportunities due to flow releases from an up‐stream reservoir. Temperature reductions from another strategy, hyporheic flow enhancement, are also examined. Restoration strategies associated with enhanced hyporheic cooling consist of removal/reconnection of current obstacles to the creation of dynamic river channel complexity. The observed reduction of summer water temperatures associated with enhanced channel complexity indicates that restoring hyporheic flow processes is more likely to achieve cost‐effective temperature reductions and meet the total maximum daily load (TMDL) target than conventional approaches that rely on increased riparian shading or/and combinations of flow augmentation. Although the costs associated with the hyporheic flow enhancement approach are substantial, the effects of such a long‐term ecological improvement of the floodplain are expected to assist the recovery of salmonid populations and provide ancillary benefits to society. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stress and dominance in a social fish

Many aspects of reproductive physiology are subject to regulation by social interactions. These include changes in neural and physiological substrates of reproduction. How can social behavior produce such changes? In experiments reported here, we manipulated the social settings of teleost fish and measured the effect (1) on stress response as reflected in cortisol production, (2) on reproductive potential as measured in production of the signaling peptide, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and (3) on reproductive function measured in gonad size. Our results reveal that the level of the stress hormone cortisol depends critically on both the social and reproductive status of an individual fish and on the stability of its social situation. Moreover, the reproductive capacity of an individual fish depends on these same variables. These results show that social encounters within particular social contexts have a profound effect on the stress levels as well as on reproductive competence. Social behavior may lead to changes in reproductive state through integration of cortisol changes in time. Thus, information available from the stress pathway may provide socially relevant signals to produce neural change.     

Outcome effects of receiving a preferred, randomly assigned, or nonpreferred therapy.

32 snake-fearing undergraduates viewed a videotape of 4 therapists who described and illustrated their techniques for treating fear of snakes. The therapies were systematic desensitization, encounter, rational emotive, and a combination of modeling and behavioral rehearsal. After describing their liking or disliking of each of the therapies, 16 Ss were assigned a preferred therapy, and the other 16 were given a nonpreferred therapy. 16 control Ss who had not seen the videotape or indicated their therapy preferences were randomly assigned to the different therapies. Posttherapy measures indicated that the preferred therapy produced significantly (p     

Expanded intonation contours in mothers' speech to newborns.

Examined the prosodic characteristics of "motherese" in the speech of 24 German mothers to their newborns. Each S was recorded in 3 observational conditions, while addressing (1) her 3–5 day old baby (MB speech), (2) the absent infant as if present (simulated MB speech), and (3) the adult interviewer (MA speech). For each S, 2-min speech samples from each condition were acoustically analyzed. It was found that in MB speech, Ss spoke with higher pitch, wider pitch excursions, longer pauses, shorter utterances, and more prosodic repetition than in MA speech. 77% of the utterances in the MB speech sample conformed to a limited set of prosodic patterns that occurred only rarely in adult-directed speech (i.e., they consisted of characteristic expanded intonation contours, or they were whispered). The prosody of mothers' speech is discussed in terms of its immediate influence within the context of mother–infant interaction, as well as its potential long-range contribution to perceptual, social, and linguistic development. The exaggerated, rhythmic vocalizations of mothers' speech to newborns may serve to regulate infant attention and responsiveness and later contribute to prelinguistic skills. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Actions speak louder…: Effects of diagnostic labels and child behavior on perceptions of children.

It is widely believed that diagnostic labels have deleterious effects, but empirical literature indicates that both negative and beneficial effects can occur with labeling. The present research was designed to untangle these mixed results and to test the hypotheses that, (1) in the absence of other information about the child, a diagnostic label will elicit relatively negative attitudes from others, and (2) when the child displays behavior that is deviant, labels will have relatively positive effects. In 3 experiments, 214 undergraduates were presented with no videotapes, videotapes of deviant child behavior, or videotapes of nondeviant child behavior, and the child was either labeled or not labeled. Results provide only minimal support for the 2 labeling hypotheses, but it was clearly demonstrated that the child's actions on the videotape had a powerful influence on Ss' ratings. The finding that behavior is a more potent determiner of person perception than is the presence or absence of a diagnostic label has both practical clinical and theoretical implications with regard to labels, stereotypes, and the self-fulfilling prophecy. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparing psychology graduate students for the professoriate.

Two interrelated stories are presented, the first about the author's struggles to become an effective teacher, the second about the University of New Hampshire's graduate program in psychology with its emphasis on research and teaching. The author's development as a teacher is described in the context of works by Skinner and Rogers. The program's 2-semester Seminar and Practicum in the Teaching of Psychology is detailed in relation to 5 instructional principles: readiness, structure, discovery, excitement, and individuality. Data pertaining to the success of the program are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Androgen regulation of hypothalamic neurons containing gonadotropin-releasing hormone in a cichlid fish: integration with social cues

Reproduction in vertebrates is regulated by internal signals such as hormone levels and by external signals such as social interactions. In an African cichlid fish, Haplochromis burtoni, the effect of social interactions is evident in the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis of males. Territorial males, characterized by aggressive and reproductive activity, have significantly larger hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-containing neurons and larger testes than nonterritorial males. Furthermore, a switch in the social status of an adult male causes a corresponding change in GnRH neuron size and testis size. Here we show that the GnRH-containing neurons in the hypothalamus of adult territorial males are also influenced by gonadal hormones. Castration of territorial males caused GnRH neurons to increase in size. This neuronal hypertrophy in castrated animals was prevented either by testosterone (T) or 11-ketotestosterone (KT) treatment. Estradiol (E2) treatment did not reduce GnRH cell size in castrated animals. These results suggest that androgens reduce the size of GnRH cells through negative feedback. Since E2 had no effect, androgen influence on GnRH cell size appears to be independent of aromatization. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the setpoint for hypothalamic GnRH cell size is determined by social cues and that this setpoint is maintained by negative feedback from gonadal androgens.     

Aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents. Part I: A review of the effects of child and family characteristics

Interpersonal violence is a major public health concern throughout the West Indies, particularly in Jamaica. Many factors contribute to a youth's violent or aggressive behaviour, ranging from individual temperament, to family structure, to large sociocultural influences. In Part I, we review the incidence and severity of violence, and discuss the effects of individual characteristics, and of family structure and discipline. In Part II, the reported effects of school structure, peer relationships and interaction, corporal punishment and the media on violent behaviour in children and adolescents are reviewed, and potential policy implications are discussed.     

Laboratory experience versus subject pool.

Describes a program which integrates the "subject pool" needs of university investigators with the educational objectives of the introductory psychology course. As part of the course requirements students participate as Ss in a number of hours of "laboratory experience," which consists of an experiment plus an educational session related to the experiment. To increase the students' involvement and demonstrate their understanding of the research the students write laboratory reports. The present system has been operating for 3 yrs and handles about 5,000 experimental hours and reports each year. An evaluation is presented to demonstrate the success of the program from the students' points of view. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)