bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is oscillometric ankle pressure reliable in leg vascular disease?
Authors: Jönsson B. , Lindberg L.–G. , Skau T. , Thulesius O.
Published: March 2003

The objective of the study was to evaluate the validity of oscillometric systolic ankle pressure in symptomatic leg arterial occlusive disease. Ankle pressure measurements using oscillometric curves obtained using a standard 12‐cm cuff with a specially designed device for signal processing were validated against the continuous wave (CW) Doppler technique. Thirty‐four subjects without signs or symptoms of peripheral vascular disease (68 legs) and 47 patients with leg ischaemia (85 legs) varying from moderate claudication to critical ischaemia were examined. The oscillometric curves were analysed using several algorithms reported in the literature, based on the assumption that maximum oscillations are recorded near mean arterial pressure. In normals, reasonable agreement between CW Doppler and oscillometric methods was seen. When an algorithm that determined the lowest cuff pressure at which maximum oscillations occurred, and a characteristic ratio for systolic pressure of 0·52 was used, the mean difference between CW Doppler and oscillometry was 1·7 mmHg [range −19 to +27, limits of agreement (2 SD) 21·1 mmHg]. In ischaemic legs, oscillometry overestimated systolic ankle pressure by a mean of 28·8 mmHg [range –126 to +65, limits of agreement 82·8 mmHg]. The difference was more pronounced among patients with critical ischaemia compared with claudicants, and also more evident among diabetics. The error of oscillometric pressure determination in subjects with leg arterial disease inversely increased with CW Doppler ankle pressure. In 39% of the recordings in legs with a CW Doppler systolic pressure below 100 mmHg, the oscillometric mean arterial pressure was higher than the recorded CW Doppler systolic pressure. In conclusion, the oscillometric method to determine systolic ankle pressure, based on the concept of maximum cuff oscillations occurring near mean arterial pressure, is not reliable in leg arterial disease, usually overestimating ankle pressure.
Assessing thoracoabdominal asynchrony
Authors: Black A. M. S. , Millard R. K.
Published: March 2003

The traditional method of derivation of phase difference between ribcage and abdomen breathing movements from a Lissajous plot is shown to be unsatisfactory for assessing the degree of asynchrony. The signal processing technique of cross‐correlation is introduced as a better, statistically based approach. Even so, examination of the latent structure of a Lissajous figure leads to the concept of movement sum and difference components along its principal axes. This more general form of analysis is used for indicating relative changes in tidal volume during postoperative monitoring of Cheyne–Stokes breathing with obstructive apnoea, as well as tracking the degree of asynchrony. The theoretical and practical limitations of inductive plethysmography calibrations are such that the proposed methods of uncalibrated non‐invasive respiratory monitoring are also preferable as research tools.
The mode of left ventricular pumping: is there an outer contour change in addition to the atrioventricular plane displacement?
Authors: Emilsson Kent , Brudin Lars , Wandt Birger
Published: March 2003

The outer contour of the heart has in some studies been shown to be constant during the heart cycle and the epicardial apex almost stationary whilst the base of the ventricles moves towards apex during systole. The base of the left ventricle has been regarded as a cylinder with constant cross‐sectional area with changes in height during the heart cycle, the latter corresponding to the amplitude of mitral annulus motion (MAM). In this echocardiographic study, including 20 healthy adults, the stroke volume calculated by the cylinder model was significantly lower than by a reference method (modified Simpson’s rule). MAM explained 82% of the stroke volume and 18% must, therefore, be explained by an inward motion of the outer left ventricular wall. A mean outer diameter shortening of about 3% (about 2 mm) was calculated.
Spectral analysis of heart rate variability and respiration during sleep in cocaine‐exposed neonates
Authors: Regalado Michael G. , Schechtman Vicki L. , Khoo Michael C. K. , Bean Xylina D.
Published: March 2003

This study’s objective was to examine the autonomic control of heart rate and respiration during the neonatal period in human infants with prenatal exposure to cocaine. Four‐hour daytime recordings of the electrocardiogram (ECG) were obtained from 15 cocaine‐exposed and 13 non‐exposed full‐term neonates at 2 weeks of age during quiet sleep (QS) and active sleep (AS). For each 1‐min epoch of sleep, the power spectrum of the R‐R intervals was computed from the ECG to obtain the total power (0–2 Hz), and spectral power in the high‐frequency (HFP, 0·3–2 Hz), mid‐frequency (MFP, 0·1–0·2 Hz), and low‐frequency (LFP, 0·03–0·1 Hz) bands. Respiration was also monitored and processed using similar spectral analysis procedures. Cocaine‐exposed neonates showed enhanced heart rate variability reflected by an increase in spectral power across all frequency bands. Spectral power in LFP and MFP was higher in cocaine‐exposed neonates during both sleep states, but only in HFP during QS. There were no respiratory patterning differences between the groups to account for these findings. The index of sympathovagal balance (LFP + MFP)/HFP, showed no differences between the groups. We conclude that infants exposed to cocaine in utero show differences in the modulation of heart rate reflecting an increase in both vagal and sympathetic influences.
Atrioventricular plane displacement correlates closely to circulatory dimensions but not to ejection fraction in normal young subjects
Authors: Carlhäll C.‐J. , Lindström L. , Wranne B. , Nylander E.
Published: March 2003

Aims Mitral atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD) provides information about left ventricular systolic function. M‐mode of systolic annulus amplitude or tissue Doppler imaging of systolic annulus velocity are the current methods of evaluating AVPD. A correlation to ejection fraction (EF) has been demonstrated in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Our aim was (i) to investigate the mitral AVPD of normal subjects with different physical work capacities and (ii) to further evaluate AVPD as an index of left ventricular systolic function.

Methods and results Twenty‐eight healthy men mean age 28 years (20–39) were included: endurance trained (ET) (n=10), strength trained (ST) (n=9) and untrained (UT) (n=9). The systolic AVPD was recorded at four sites, septal, lateral, anterior and posterior, using M‐mode. Left ventricular volumes were calculated according to Simpson’s rule. Systolic AVPD was higher in endurance trained, 16·9 ± 1·5 mm, as compared with both strength trained, 13 ± 1·6 (P<0·001) and untrained, 14 ± 1·6 (P<0·001). Left ventricular systolic AVPD correlated strongly with end‐diastolic volume (r=0·82), stroke volume (r=0·80) and maximal oxygen consumption per body weight (r=0·72). The correlation between AVPD and EF was poor (r=0·22).

Conclusion In the subjects studied, with a range of normal cardiac dimensions, AVPD correlated to stroke volume, end‐diastolic volume and maximal oxygen consumption per body weight, but not to EF. On theoretical grounds, it also seems reasonable that a dimension like AVPD is related to other cardiac dimensions and volumes, rather than to a fraction, like EF. AVPD is one parameter that is useful for evaluation of left ventricular systolic function but is not interchangeable with other measurements such as EF.
High‐frequency components in ECG analysed in guinea‐pig Langendorf preparations
Authors: Bennhagen Rolf G. , Sörnmo Leif , Pesonen Erkki , Wohlfart Björn
Published: March 2003

High‐frequency components in ECG during global ischaemia were studied in isolated guinea‐pig hearts perfused ad modum Langendorf. Electrocardiograph recordings were carried out from the epicardial surface both in normo‐ and low‐flow perfusion. After bandpass filtering (5–500 Hz), signal‐averaging, was undertaken. The high‐frequency components either increased or decreased after low‐flow perfusion was instituted. Root‐mean‐square voltage (RMS) of the depolarization signal correlated poorly with the signal amplitude, but highly with the first and second derivative, i.e. the velocity and the acceleration of the signal. It is concluded that high‐frequency components are not pathological phenomena per se, but reflect the shape of the original electrocardiographic signal.
Surface diaphragmatic electromyogram changes after laparotomy
Authors: Berdah Stéphane V. , Picaud Robert , Jammes Yves
Published: March 2003

The aim of this human study was to objective diaphragmatic electromyogram (EMG) changes after supraombilical laparotomy. The surface diaphragmatic EMG was recorded in patients (before and after laparotomy), and in healthy volunteers, during standardized inspiratory efforts sustained at –30 cmH2O (Müller manoeuvres). The quantitative EMG analysis showed significant postoperative modifications: the root mean square (RMS) increased and the median frequency (MF) decreased. These modifications are compatible with an altered diaphragmatic excitability and/or a reduced central drive to the diaphragm.
The accuracy of endometrial cytology in the diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma
Authors: TAJIMA  , INAMURA  , NAKAMURA  , SUDO  , YAMAGISHI
Published: March 2003

tajima m., inamura m., nakamura m., sudo y. and yamagishi k. (1998) Cytopathology9, 369–380

The accuracy of endometrial cytology in the diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma

We have examined 62 234 cytological samples of endometrium to establish the accuracy and false‐positive rate for the diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma. The patients were either attending the gynaecological out‐patients clinic with symptoms or were asymptomatic women attending for routine population screening as part of our cancer detection programme, the numbers from these two sources being equal. Out of 138 cases identified as endometrial adenocarcinoma by cytology 126 (91.3%) were confirmed histologically in our hospital. Twelve cases (8.7%) were shown to be false‐positives. Re‐examination of these led to the same false‐positive diagnosis in all 12 cases. This was attributable to similarities of nucleo–cytoplasmic ratio, irregular arrangement of nuclei, variation in nuclear shape and in the numbers of nucleoli in repair cells and hyperplastic cells compared with the carcinoma cases. Most of the false‐negative reports were due to insufficient material, pale staining in malignant cells or diagnostic error. Refraction measurement of the density of nuclei of cancer cells using equipment for which the patent is pending enabled objective measurement of nuclear density which indicated that the nuclei were not stained darkly enough in false‐negative cases.
Assessment of cell proliferation by Ki‐67 staining and flow cytometry in fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of reactive lymphadenitis and non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas
Authors: Schmitt F. , Tani E. , Tribukait B. , Skoog L.
Published: March 2003

Assessment of cell proliferation by Ki‐67 staining and flow cytometry in fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of reactive lymphadenitis and non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas

This study was undertaken to assess cell proliferation in FNAs from a series of 57 non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) and 11 cases of reactive lymphadenitis using Ki‐67 staining and flow cytometry (FCM). The results were compared and correlated to the cytomorphological subgrouping according to Kiel classification. The mean percentages of Ki‐67 positivity were 16.6% and 61.1% for low and high grade lymphomas, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean S‐phase fraction (SPF) determined by FCM was 4.6% for low grade and 12.9% for high grade lymphomas (P < 0.001). The figures for Ki‐67 positivity and S‐phase fraction in reactive lymphadenitis were 16.8% and 4%, respectively. We observed a strong correlation in low grade lymphomas between Ki‐67 and SPF. A good correlation was also found in reactive lymphadenitis. In high grade lymphomas, however, with highly scattered Ki‐67 and S‐phase values, this correlation was lost. In some cases this discrepancy can be explained by a rich admixture of non‐neoplastic, non‐proliferating cells in aspirates from diploid tumours. In addition, the existence of a minor aneuploid tumour cell population of high proliferation such as that in Ki‐1 lymphomas will not be accurately analysed by FCM but is easily assessed by Ki‐67 staining. However, the main reason seems to be a high variability between the fraction of cells in S‐phase and the total number of cells in G1, S and G2 in individual tumours.
Diagnosis of fibromatosis colli by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology
Authors: Pereira S. , Tani E. , Skoog L.
Published: March 2003

Diagnosis of fibromatosis colli by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology

This study presents eight cases of fibromatosis colli accurately diagnosed by FNA cytology. Fibromatosis colli is a rare fibroblastic lesion that manifests in the sternocleidomastoid muscle during the first to second months after birth. The tumours varied in size from 1 to 3 cm and engaged the lower, middle as well as the upper part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The FNA cytology smears showed mostly mature fibroblasts in a background of pink granular material and fragments of striated muscle fibres with degeneration. The cytological presentation together with the typical clinical setting will allow a definitive and accurate diagnosis, avoiding surgery.
Fluorescence microscopy of mycobacteria in pleural effusions
Authors: Küpper TH. , Gore C. , Gore R. , Wehle K. , Marzahn S. , Pfitzer P.
Published: March 2003

Fluorescence microscopy of mycobacteria in pleural effusions

The diagnostic advantage of fluorescence microscopy (FM) of Papanicolaou‐stained cytological specimens obtained by bronchoscopy has been described previously. This study was designed to evaluate the method's diagnostic benefit in cytological pre‐ parations of pleural effusions in cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis. In contrast to bronchial material there is no advantage in cytological evaluation of pleural effusions by FM.
Evaluation of histochemical methods for the detection of intracytoplasmic mucin in serous effusions
Authors: Yu G. H. , DE Frias D. V. S. , Horcher A. M.
Published: March 2003

Evaluation of histochemical methods for the detection of intracytoplasmic mucin in serous effusions

We have studied 25 serous effusions containing definitive morphologic evidence of adenocarcinoma to evaluate the ability of two mucin stains (Mayer's mucicarmine, D‐PAS) to detect intracytoplasmic mucin in both cytologic (cytospin) and corresponding histological (cell block) preparations. Mucicarmine stain was positive in six of 25 (24%) cytospins and 13 of 25 (52%) cell blocks. D‐PAS was positive in 19 of 25 (76%) cytospins and 20 of 25 (80%) cell blocks. Eight cases were identified which showed mucicarmine positivity in the cell block but not the corresponding cytospin; prolonging incubation time resulted in a positive mucicarmine in cytospin preparations for seven of these cases. We conclude that: (i) D‐PAS is a more sensitive stain for the detection of intracytoplasmic mucin in all preparations; (ii) mucicarmine shows preferential staining for cell blocks; (iii) alterations in the staining protocol may permit mucin detection by mucicarmine staining in cytologic preparations in a significant number of cases.
Carcinoma arising in a tailgut cyst diagnosed on fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology
Authors: Umar T. , Mikel J. J. , Poller D. N.
Published: March 2003

Introduction
Cervical screening in England and Wales: its effect has been underestimated
Authors: Herbert A.
Published: March 2003

Opinions about cervical screening in the UK tend to follow one of two negative lines of thought. The first is that cervical cancer is a rare disease, and too much time and effort are spent on screening. The second is that it has been relatively ineffective, since incidence of invasive carcinoma did not fall until the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) was introduced in 1988, although it fell by 40% since then. This paper presents publicly available data to demonstrate that neither of these views is true. Registrations of invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix and carcinoma in situ in England and Wales between 1971 and 1996 show that a substantially increased risk of disease in women born since 1940 has been reversed, almost certainly by greatly improved screening. Cervical carcinoma is now a rare disease because most cases are prevented before they become invasive, mostly by screening young women, aged 20–40, before the decade of life when symptomatic cervical carcinoma most frequently presents.
The utility of transbronchial (Wang) fine needle aspiration in lung cancer diagnosis
Authors: Siddiqui M. T. , Saboorian M. H. , Gokaslan S. T. , Lindberg G. , Ashfaq R.
Published: March 2003

The utility of transbronchial (Wang) fine needle aspiration in lung cancer diagnosis

We evaluated our experience with transbronchial fine needle aspiration (TBNA) in cancer diagnosis over a period of 1 year. A total of 51 aspirates were performed by specialist chest physicians in the presence of a cytopathologist who made on spot evaluation of Diff‐Quik smears for adequacy and guided the aspirator for additional sampling if necessary. Two clusters of at least 10 malignant cells were required on the Diff‐Quik smears to render an on the spot positive diagnosis of malignancy. Aspirates showing atypical cells or few malignant cells not fulfilling the above criteria were placed in a suspicious category and additional material was requested. The TBNA results were correlated with the transbronchial biopsy when available.
Is there a better way to assess performance in breast cytology?
Authors: Robinson I. A. , Blackham R. B.
Published: March 2003

Is there a better way to assess performance in breast cytology?

Results generated from a series of breast fine needle aspirates (BrFNA) are semi‐qualitative and therefore sensitivity, specificity and accuracy are not necessarily the best measures of effectiveness. This paper considers the likelihood ratio of cancer (LR +), which can provide the probabilities for cancer being present or absent for cancer across the range of diagnostic categories used in the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP), i.e. C1 to C5. Using LR +, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves can be generated and used to compare performance between pathologists, laboratories or years. These are illustrated using test results from 1997 to 1999 for the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. LR + and ROC are meaningful measures. They could replace the 12 calculations currently used for the evaluation of effectiveness of BrFNA in the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) and for validation of pathologists’ performance.
Conjunctival impression cytology in contact lens wearers
Authors: Anshu  , Munshi M. M. , Sathe V. , Ganar A.
Published: March 2003

Conjunctival impression cytology in contact lens wearers

The upper tarsal conjunctiva is in constant friction with the surface of the contact lens. The conjunctival surfaces of 80 soft and gas‐permeable contact lens wearers (40 each) and 20 controls were studied using biomicroscopy and impression cytology. A filter dissolution technique was used to process the conjunctival imprints. Biomicroscopic and cytologic grading of the conjunctivae was performed using four‐tier grading systems. Impression cytology is a non‐invasive, painless procedure. The altered technique of processing yielded better cellularity and excellent cellular detail. On biomicroscopy and cytology, all controls showed Grade 1 appearances. Soft lens wearers who were symptomatic were found to have a significant increase in both biomicroscopic and cytologic grades, when compared with their asymptomatic counterparts. No correlation was found between duration of lens use and biomicroscopic or cytologic grades. All changes were found to be more severe in soft lens wearers.
Comparative study: conventional cervical and ThinPrep® Pap tests in a routine clinical setting
Authors: Grace A. , McBrearty P. , Troost S. , Thornhill M. , Kay E. , Leader M.
Published: March 2003

The conventional Papanicolaou smear is associated with variable false positive and false negative rates, difficulties with interpretation and high unsatisfactory and suboptimal rates. Newer fluid‐based methods such as the ThinPrep® 2000 system (Cytyc Corp., Boxborough, MA) are said to overcome these difficulties. The aim of this study was to compare the conventional smear with the ThinPrep® method in a busy, routine cytology screening laboratory setting. One thousand split samples were evaluated. Using ThinPrep®, the results showed an increased sensitivity and a dramatic improvement in specimen adequacy, with a combined 17.2% reduction in ‘unsatisfactory’ and ‘suboptimal’ reports. Screening time per slide was also reduced to 3–4 min. In conclusion, we report an increase in sensitivity, a reduction in screening time and a dramatic improvement in specimen adequacy with the ThinPrep® method.
Reducing predation of orb‐web spiders by controlling common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) in a New Zealand beech forest
Authors: TOFT RICHARD J. , REES JOANNA S.
Published: March 2003

1. Introduced common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) reach high densities in the beech forests (Nothofagus spp.) of the northern South Island, New Zealand, and may be having a severe impact on populations of native invertebrates. An experimental approach was used to test whether reducing the abundance of common wasps increases the probability of native invertebrates surviving. Garden orb‐web spiders (Eriophora pustulosa) were used because they were easy to collect and could be trained to build webs on a standard frame. Thirty orb‐web spiders were placed out on web‐frames in each of four study sites in beech forest during periods of low, medium and high wasp abundance, and their rate of removal was measured over a 4‐h period. Wasp numbers were reduced by poisoning in two study sites. Using wasp‐abundance data from weekly Malaise trap samples in the poisoned and non‐poisoned sites, the probability of spider survival over the entire wasp season was modelled and the level of wasp control necessary to protect natural populations of orb‐web spiders was estimated.

2. Wasp abundance and the probability of spider survival were negatively correlated, and smaller spiders were likely to survive longer than larger spiders. At the peak of the wasp season, significantly more spiders survived in the poisoned areas than in the non‐poisoned areas.

3. The probability of a spider surviving to the end of the wasp season was virtually nil in the non‐poisoned sites (5.08 × 10–18), but was also very unlikely in the poisoned areas (3.47 × 10–5).

4. The survival model predicts that wasp abundance would need to be reduced by 80–89.5% over the entire wasp season to protect populations of orb‐web spiders.

5. Extrapolation from the model predicts that the invertebrate taxa most vulnerable to wasp predation may have already been removed from the beech forest ecosystem during the 40 years of wasp occupation.
Behavioural fever in the Senegalese grasshopper, Oedaleus senegalensis, and its implications for biological control using pathogens
Authors: BLANFORD SIMON , THOMAS MATTHEW B. , LANGEWALD JÜRGEN
Published: March 2003

1. Thermoregulatory behaviour of the Senegalese grasshopper, Oedaleus senegalensis (Krauss), was investigated in the field following a spray application of an oil‐based formulation of Metarhizium flavoviride Gams and Rozsypal in Niger, West Africa.

2. Measurements of environmental temperature, wind speed and solar radiation were made in conjunction with measurements of internal body temperatures of grasshoppers from a control (unsprayed) and treated plot using microthermocouples and hand‐held thermometers. Grasshoppers were monitored for 4 days from the third day after application.

3. Oedaleus senegalensis utilized a range of thermoregulatory behaviours to maximize body temperatures during periods of low insolation and ambient temperature, and to minimize excessive heat loading during the hottest periods. Preferred body temperature of uninfected grasshoppers was 39 °C, with a range from 24 °C in the early morning to a high of 46 °C during periods of high insolation and ambient temperature.

4. Infected grasshoppers altered their thermoregulatory behaviour and showed a behavioural fever response to the pathogen. Preferred body temperatures of infected individuals were raised to a new set point of ≈ 42 °C. This is believed to be the first evidence for a behavioural fever in response to a microbial infection for any natural population. In the present study, its effects appeared to provide little therapeutic advantage to hosts infected following application. Preliminary evidence from other studies, however, indicates that modifications to host thermoregulation could be a significant constraint to the pathogen and may limit its impact under certain conditions.
Population dynamics of the white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi, infesting jack pine, Pinus banksiana, in Ontario, Canada
Authors: NEALIS V. G.
Published: March 2003

1. Eight generations of white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Peck) , infesting the terminal shoots of young jack pine trees, were sampled as larvae, pupae, and adults between 1988 and 1995.

2. The density of adult weevils increased rapidly for the first 3 years of the study, then declined in the next 4 years. Between‐generation rates of change in density of weevils were related to mean number of weevils produced per terminal shoot of the host tree. Net increases in population density followed years in which a relatively high number of weevils emerged per terminal shoot and vice versa.

3. The mean number of weevils emerging per terminal shoot was determined by survival of weevils between the end of the larval stage and the successful emergence of adult weevils.

4. There was no clear relationship between survival of the post‐feeding stages of the weevil and rates of parasitism or bird predation on these same stages. There was, however, a strong negative relationship between survival of weevils within the terminal shoot and the abundance of the facultative dipteran predator Lonchaea corticis Taylor.

5. The relationship among generational rates of change in populations, survival, and predation was evident irrespective of the age of the trees infested, suggesting that population dynamics of the weevil may be influenced as much by local predation pressure as by physical and biotic changes associated with growth of the young host trees.
Spatial and temporal variation in species composition of dung beetle assemblages in southern Ireland
Authors: Finn JohN. A. , Gittings ToM. , Giller PauL. S.
Published: March 2003

Abstract. 1. This study attempts to identify the main community characteristics that contribute to variability in dung beetle assemblage composition and structure across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

2. Dung beetle assemblages (Aphodius, Sphaeridium, and Geotrupes species) were monitored by dung‐baited pitfall trapping at 10‐day intervals during the seasonally active period at eleven sites in southern Ireland. Three of the sites were monitored over at least 2 years between 1991 and 1996.

3. Although the species composition of the above taxonomic groups was comparable among sites and years, relative abundances of component species varied considerably. Detrended correspondence analysis ordinations indicated a similar level of variability in dung beetle assemblage structure among years, and among sites ≈1–180 km apart.

4. Processes that may contribute to spatio‐temporal variability in dung beetle assemblages are discussed, and strategies for future research are suggested.
Temperature‐dependent reproduction of the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus, and analysis of the potential population growth
Authors: Wermelinger BeaT. , Seifert MarC.
Published: March 2003

1. The spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) is one of the most important forest pests in Central Europe, but despite this the effects of temperature on life history and population growth are largely unknown. This study examines the effects of temperature on reproduction and intrinsic demographic statistics.

2. Laboratory experiments on oviposition were carried out at six temperatures in the range 12–33 °C, using the so‐called sandwich rearing technique for bark beetles.

3. A linear relationship between oviposition rates and temperatures in the range 15–25 °C was used to estimate the lower temperature threshold for oviposition as 11.4 °C. With a nonlinear model fitted to the data across the whole range of experimental temperatures, the lower and upper limiting temperatures and optimum temperature were found to be 7.9, 33.7, and 28.9 °C, respectively. A model for daily oviposition rate was fitted, which describes the pattern of oviposition over the entire oviposition period.

4. The analysis of life tables, combining developmental rates, reproduction, mortality, and sex ratio, suggests maximum population growth (rm) at near 30 °C.

5. After generating a first brood, spruce bark beetles often re‐emerge from the tree and produce other sister broods. The effects of temperature and number of sister broods on demography were evaluated using age‐specific life‐table analyses. It is hypothesized that sister broods play an important role in regions where I. typographus is monovoltine, but have only moderate significance where this species has more than one generation per season.
Crab spider hunting performance is temperature insensitive
Authors: Schmalhofer Victoria R. , Casey Timothy M.
Published: March 2003

1. Laboratory and field experiments showed that the hunting performance of two flower‐dwelling crab spiders, Misumenops asperatus and Misumenoides formosipes, was thermally insensitive over a broad range of temperatures normally experienced by these spiders.

2. In the laboratory, HP, a behavioural metric of spider hunting performance, was similar for spiders of a given species over an ≈ 30 °C temperature range.

3. Spiders in the field captured predominantly hymenopterans and dipterans, and field hunting performance, measured as the number of prey captured per spider per day, also proved to be unaffected by temperature.

4. These findings counter the general rule that physiological/ecological performance in terrestrial arthropods is temperature dependent.

5. Freedom from temperature constraints on the capacity of crab spiders to capture prey may be due to the use of venom and/or to muscle physiological adaptations for anaerobic metabolism.

6. Wide thermal performance breadth increases the spectrum of prey available to M. asperatus and M. formosipes by allowing spiders to hunt prey active during cooler periods of the day as well as those active during warmer periods.

7. Wide thermal performance breadth also benefits M. asperatus and M. formosipes due to adult phenology; both species experience a seasonal temperature shift during the adult phase.
Metal content in insects associated with ultramafic and non‐ultramafic sites in the Scottish Highlands
Authors: Davison Gemma , Lambie Claire L. , James Wendy M. , Skene Marion E. , Skene Keith R.
Published: March 2003

1. Concentrations of magnesium, manganese, chromium, and cadmium were measured in Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera captured at ultramafic and non‐ultramafic sites in the Highlands of Scotland.

2. The Hemiptera showed the greatest concentration differences between the ultramafic and non‐ultramafic sites in manganese, magnesium, and chromium, with greatly increased levels in ultramafic sites.

3. The Coleoptera and Hymenoptera had lower levels of manganese, magnesium, and chromium at the ultramafic site than at the non‐ultramafic sites. The Diptera had increased levels of manganese and magnesium at the ultramafic site, but showed no difference in chromium levels from any site.

4. Cadmium occurred at lower levels in all insect orders at the ultramafic site.
Inter‐strain competition and dispersal in aphids: evidence from a greenhouse study
Authors: Rochat Jacques , Vanlerberghe‐Masutti Flavie , Chavigny Pascal , Boll Roger , Lapchin Laurent
Published: March 2003

1. Crops are often colonised by aphids having different life‐history traits, and the aphids and their offspring compete for the shared resource. The intraspecific competition and dispersal characteristics of two strains (A and B) of the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii on cucumber were examined in a greenhouse study. Strain A normally feeds on cucumber, whereas strain B originated from melon but develops on cucumber. Both strains reproduce exclusively via parthenogenesis and can be discriminated using molecular markers.

2. The strains were released at the same time on different plants in a greenhouse. Total density and their dispersion within and between plants were recorded through time, and the frequency of each strain was assessed using DNA fingerprinting. The Lotka–Volterra competition model was used to test for inter‐strain competition and to estimate its intensity.

3. Strain A had the highest rate of increase and carrying capacity, and became the most frequent strain, nearly displacing strain B. Strain B was the most common only on the plants it infested first. The competition was unbalanced as strain B was affected strongly by strain A, but strain A was only affected minimally by strain B. This asymmetrical relationship for strain B was not due only to competition for the shared resource.

4. Such competition may in part explain the reduction of genetic polymorphism observed by others in the field where colonising strains coming from different hosts compete and some are eliminated. Polymorphism in A. gossypii populations in nature is thought to be maintained by heterogeneous patches of hosts differentially favourable for different clones.
Does a single meal affect female reproductive output in the sexually cannibalistic praying mantid Iris oratoria?
Authors: Maxwell Michael R.
Published: March 2003

1. One explanation of the evolution of sexual cannibalism, the female’s consumption of a male during or following courtship or copulation, is that this behaviour increases the female’s fitness. This study tests the assumption that a single meal increases female reproductive output significantly in the sexually cannibalistic praying mantid Iris oratoria L.

2. In 38 mating trials, seven of the females cannibalised the males. In order to augment the number of females that fed, an additional nine females were each fed one cricket nymph at the end of the mating trial.

3. Three measures of female reproductive output – the occurrence of oviposition, the mass of the first ootheca, and the number of eggs in the first ootheca – increased significantly with female feeding condition, which was a reflection of food consumed before the mating trial. Females that copulated later in the season tended to lay lighter oothecae.

4. The females’ consumption of a meal during the mating trial, either a conspecific male or a cricket, did not influence any measure of reproductive output significantly, although possible effects upon subsequent oothecae cannot be ruled out.

5. If, as the present study suggests, a single meal provides a negligible or delayed benefit to female reproductive output, the evolution of sexual cannibalism might lie in alternative explanations, which include possible fitness benefits to cannibalistic females in the nymphal stage or possible paternity benefits to the cannibalised males.
Parasitoid and inquiline attack in the galls of four alien, cynipid gall wasps: host switches and the effect on parasitoid sex ratios
Authors: Schönrogge K. , Walker P. , Crawley M. J.
Published: March 2003

1. Four alien cynipid gall wasps of the genus Andricus are established and still spreading in the British Isles. The order, according to the northerliness of their distribution boundary, is: A. corruptrix→A. quercuscalicis→A. lignicola→A. kollari. All four aliens have a sexual generation in spring on Quercus cerris (introduced to Britain) and an agamic generation in autumn on native oak species.

2. For 2 years 1994 and 1995, galls of both generations of the four alien species were sampled at eight sites from the south of England to the north of Scotland to determine the parasitoid and inquiline species that attack the new galls. The spring generations of the invading species shared a parasitoid complex of four pteromalid species. Five species of inquilines and 11 species of parasitoids emerged from the autumn galls.

3. Two colonisation events were recorded for A. lignicola and A. corruptrix. On both occasions, the spring generations were found first at the new sites, indicating that the agamic generation provides the colonisers for these invading species. After colonisation, the galls of both species were attacked by parasitoids in their first season.

4. In spring, the invading species were among the most abundant cynipids at all eight sites. By sampling the whole local community of cynipid galls, it was found that the parasitoid species attacking the spring galls of the invaders seemed to have shifted their attack to the new hosts.

5. The secondary sex ratios of the parasitoid species emerging from the sexual galls of A. quercuscalicis (the smallest of the four) showed a strong and significant male bias at all sites and in both years. Parasitoid emergence from the galls of the sexual generations of the other three species (all about equal in size) was between 60 and 70% male, and variable among sites and between years.
Mating frequency, genetic structure, and sex ratio in the intermorphic female producing ant speciesMyrmecina nipponica
Authors: Murakami T. , Wang L. , Higashi S.
Published: March 2003

1.Myrmecina nipponicahas two types of colonies: a queen colony type, in which the reproductive females are queens and new colonies are made by independent founding, and an intermorphic female colony type, in which reproductive females belong to a wingless intermediate morphology between queen and worker, and where colonies multiply through colonial budding.

2. The mating frequencies of reproductive females in both types indicate monoandry. The relatedness among nestmates in both types was almost 0.75, however relatedness between mother and daughter in intermorphic female colonies was slightly higher than that of queen colonies.

3. The sex ratio (corrected investment female ratio) was 0.70 at the population level, suggesting that the sex ratio is controlled by workers in this species, however the ratio differed greatly between the two types of colonies. Queen colonies (n = 37) had a female‐biased sex ratio of 0.77 while intermorphic female colonies (n = 33) had a ratio of 0.56.

4. Each reproductive intermorphic female was accompanied by an average of 2.9 workers (including virgin intermorphic females) in the colonial budding, and when the investment to those workers was added to the female investment, the sex ratio reached 0.81.

5. The frequency distribution of sex ratio was bimodal, with many colonies producing exclusively males or females, however mean estimated relatedness within colonies was almost 0.75. These data are inconsistent with the genetic variation hypothesis, which is one of the predominant hypotheses accounting for the between‐colony variation in sex ratio.
Diversity patterns of eucalypt canopy arthropods in eastern and western Australia
Authors: Majer J. D. , Recher H. F. , Ganesh S.
Published: March 2003

1. As part of a larger study on canopy arthropods and birds, a 1‐year chemical knockdown study was carried out in one Western Australian forest, where jarrah Eucalyptus marginata and marri E. (Corymbia) calophylla were sampled, and one eastern Australian (New South Wales) forest, where narrow‐leaved ironbark E. crebra and grey box E. moluccana were sampled.

2. Ten trees of each species were sampled during each of the four seasons and the arthropods were sorted to morphospecies level. This paper documents the foliage‐associated component of arboreal arthropod communities and compares arthropod species richness within orders and families, between tree species, and between the two forest types.

3. Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Araneae were the richest in species. Nine hundred and seventy‐six species in 173 families were found in the eastern Australian forest, while 687 species in 176 families were found in the western Australian forest. Only 53% of families were common to both forests, but almost half the families recorded were represented by fewer than five species. Species overlap between tree species in each region was 40–53%.

4. Analysis using nonparametric bootstrapping procedures showed that sampling of foliage was comprehensive and that only 4–9% more species would be expected with more intensive sampling of the canopy. Absolute richness, as well as differences between tree species and regions, therefore appear to be real and not the result of sampling errors. As a consequence, arthropod species richness in Australian eucalypt forests is shown to be substantially greater than previous estimates.
Host‐specificity constrains evolutionary host change in the psyllid Prosopidopsylla flava
Authors: Van Klinken Rieks Dekker
Published: March 2003

1. At the higher taxonomic levels Psylloidea have largely co‐evolved with their host plants, and the colonisations of new plant lineages have been relatively few. The mechanisms that have constrained the evolution of host relationships throughout the history of this superfamily are not understood. The host relationships of Prosopidopsylla flava were studied in order to identify possible genetic or ecological constraints to macroevolutionary change in host range, using methodology developed for the host specificity testing of potential biological control agents.

2. The five Prosopis taxa (Leguminosae) tested appeared to be indistinguishable as hosts. Adult feeding required for survival, and for the initiation and continuation of egg production, was specific to Prosopis species. Oviposition occurred on 57 of the 58 non‐Prosopis plant species tested within the Leguminosae and Rosaceae, and was highest on plant species that belonged to the same subfamily. Eggs were inserted into plant tissue by their peduncle but hatched independently of host species. Complete development was restricted to Prosopis, although some early nymphal development was observed on species within the same subfamily as Prosopis (Mimosoideae).

3. Multiple phylogenetic constraints restrict host selection and utilisation by P. flava to Prosopis species, implying a long association between insect and host. Specificity of adult feeding was of special significance, being required for survival, oogenesis, and probably indirectly determining the oviposition host. This supports the hypothesis that genetically set limits in particular aspects of life history are responsible for the inability of some psyllids to readily colonise new plant lineages, rather than stabilising selection.
Local versus regional species richness in tropical insects: one lowland site compared with the island of New Guinea
Authors: Novotny Vojtech , Missa Olivier
Published: March 2003

1. The overlap in species composition of Cercopoidea (Aphrophoridae, Cercopidae, and Machaerotidae), Flatidae, and Ricaniidae between two data sets, an almost exhaustive census from 13 Ficus species and a sample from diverse vegetation in the same area, led to the estimate for local species richness of 111 (SE 11.5) species (45 species of Cercopoidea, 36 species of Flatidae, and 30 species of Ricaniidae) at a lowland rainforest site in New Guinea.

2. Samples restricted to 13 species of Ficus contained 66 species, i.e. 59% of the estimated local species richness. This high proportion probably results from the high proportion of polyphagous and tourist (transient) species in the Cercopoidea, Flatidae, and Ricaniidae.

3. The two largest museum collections of New Guinean insects contained 327 species of Cercopoidea from New Guinea, including 23 of the 34 species collected in the field samples. This overlap led to the estimate of 483 (SE 97.2) species of Cercopoidea present in New Guinea.

4. The species found in the field samples were also 2.6 times more likely to be found in the museum collection than other species. This sampling bias can be due to a positive correlation between species local abundance and geographic distribution and/or similar patterns of species abundance at different sites.

5. The estimate of species richness of Cercopoidea in New Guinea increased to 1222 species when corrected for this sampling bias. Thus, only 4% of the New Guinean species were present locally, in the study area. Such high beta diversity is probably a consequence of the exceptional habitat and vegetation diversity in New Guinea, as well as its complex geological history.
Habitat segregation based on soil texture and body size in the seed‐harvester ants Pogonomyrmex rugosus and P. barbatus
Authors: Johnson Robert A.
Published: March 2003

1. The seed‐harvester ants Pogonomyrmex rugosus and P. barbatus are ecologically equivalent sister species that have broadly overlapping distributions in the south‐western U.S.A.; however the two species are only sympatric in localised contact zones.

2. Soil regimes at 25–50 cm below the surface were quantified across contact zones to assess abiotic habitat factors related to distribution pattern. Physiological parameters related to foundress survival were also measured in order to test for a correlation between these parameters and distribution pattern.

3. The two species segregated among microhabitats based on soil texture; P. barbatus occurred alone in soils with a higher clay content and/or higher moisture retention. In areas of sympatry, soil texture was similar for both species but was intermediate to that in areas where the two species occurred allopatrically. The pattern of microhabitat segregation was similar across three sites that encompassed a broad range of soil regimes.

4. The only measure of foundress survival correlated with microhabitat differences was an ≈ 8% greater dry mass for alate females of P. rugosus. This resulted in their surviving significantly longer than did alate females of P. barbatus under desiccating conditions.

5. This microdistribution pattern may be caused indirectly by soil texture affecting plant species distribution and hence the seeds available to ants. A companion laboratory experiment demonstrated, however, that soils could also cause this distribution pattern of both ant species directly via effects on foundress wet mass.