bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When Action Turns into Words. Activation of Motor-Based Knowledge during Categorization of Manipulable Objects
Authors: Gerlach Christian , Law Ian , Paulson Olaf B.
Published: January 2003

Functional imaging studies have demonstrated that processing of man-made objects activate the left ventral premotor cortex, which is known to be concerned with motor function. This has led to the suggestion that the comprehension of man-made objects may rely on motor-based knowledge of object utilization (action knowledge). Here we show that the left ventral premotor cortex is activated during categorization of “both” fruit/vegetables and articles of clothing, relative to animals and nonmanipulable man-made objects. This observation suggests that action knowledge may not be important for the processing of man-made objects per se, but rather for the processing of manipulable objects in general, whether natural or man-made. These findings both support psycholinguistic theories suggesting that certain lexical categories may evolve from, and the act of categorization rely upon, motor-based knowledge of action equivalency, and have important implications for theories of category specificity. Thus, the finding that the processing of vegetables/fruit and articles of clothing give rise to similar activation is difficult to account for should knowledge representations in the brain be truly categorically organized. Instead, the data are compatible with the suggestion that categories differ in the weight they put on different types of knowledge.
Two Corticotectal Areas Facilitate Multisensory Orientation Behavior
Authors: Jiang Wan , Jiang Huai , Stein Barry E.
Published: January 2003

It had previously been shown that influences from two cortical areas, the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (AES) and the rostral lateral suprasylvian sulcus (rLS), play critical roles in rendering superior colliculus (SC) neurons capable of synthesizing their cross-modal inputs. The present studies examined the consequences of selectively eliminating these cortical influences on SC-mediated orientation responses to cross-modal stimuli. Cats were trained to orient to a low-intensity modality-specific cue (visual) in the presence or absence of a neutral cue from another modality (auditory). The visual target could appear at various locations within 45° of the midline, and the stimulus effectiveness was varied to yield an average of correct orientation responses of approximately 45%. Response enhancement and depression were observed when the auditory cue was coupled with the target stimulus: A substantially enhanced probability in correct responses was evident when the cross-modal stimuli were spatially coincident, and a substantially decreased response probability was obtained when the stimuli were spatially disparate. Cryogenic blockade of either AES or rLS disrupted these behavioral effects, thereby eliminating the enhanced performance in response to spatially coincident cross-modal cues and degrading the depressed performance in response to spatially disparate cross-modal cues. These disruptive effects on targets contralateral to the deactivated cortex were restricted to multisensory interactive processes. Orientation to modality-specific targets was unchanged. Furthermore, the pattern of orientation errors was unaffected by cortical deactivation. These data bear striking similarities to the effects of AES and rLS deactivation on multisensory integration at the level of individual SC neurons. Presumably, eliminating the critical influences from AES or rLS cortex disrupts SC multisensory synthesis that, in turn, disables SC-mediated multisensory orientation behaviors.
Notes on Bell-Sejnowski PDF-Matching Neuron
Authors: Fiori Simone
Published: January 2003

This article investigates the behavior of a single-input, single-unit neuron model of the Bell-Sejnowski class, which learn through the maximum-entropy principle, in order to understand its probability density function matching ability.
Associative Memory with Dynamic Synapses
Authors: Pantic Lovorka , Torres Joaquín J. , Kappen Hilbert J. , Gielen Stan C.A.M.
Published: January 2003

We have examined a role of dynamic synapses in the stochastic Hopfield-like network behavior. Our results demonstrate an appearance of a novel phase characterized by quick transitions from one memory state to another. The network is able to retrieve memorized patterns corresponding to classical ferromagnetic states but switches between memorized patterns with an intermittent type of behavior. This phenomenon might reflect the flexibility of real neural systems and their readiness to receive and respond to novel and changing external stimuli.
On Unique Representations of Certain Dynamical Systems Produced by Continuous-Time Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Kimura Masahiro
Published: January 2003

This article extends previous mathematical studies on elucidating the redundancy for describing functions by feedforward neural networks (FNNs) to the elucidation of redundancy for describing dynamical systems (DSs) by continuous-time recurrent neural networks (RNNs). In order to approximate a DS on Rn using an RNN with n visible units, an n—dimensional affine neural dynamical system (A-NDS) can be used as the DS actually produced by the above RNN under an affine map from its visible state-space Rn to its hidden state-space. Therefore, we consider the problem of clarifying the redundancy for describing A-NDSs by RNNs and affine maps. We clarify to what extent a pair of an RNN and an affine map is uniquely determined by its corresponding A-NDS and also give a nonredundant sufficient search set for the DS approximation problem based on A-NDS.
An Answerability of Memory: “Saving” Khmer Classical Dance
Authors: Hamera Judith
Published: January 2003

In the aftermath of the genocide wrought in the 1970s by the Khmer Rouge, some Cambodians told themselves that dance was the reason for their survival. Hamera investigates the fraught relations between history, trauma, and truth. At stake is the survival of a family—and of a culture.
A Chosen Diaspora in the Guts of the Monster
Authors: Barba Eugenio
Published: January 2003

A master practitioner-theorist, looking back at a lifetime of work, asks the question, “What is theatre?” He answers, “It is a particular way of moving”—an ethos, a behavior that reveals the incorporated knowledge of a craft, and at the same time, something we call values, our life's compass.
Navigating the Minefields of Utopia: A Conversation
Authors: Gómez-Peña Guillermo , Wolford Lisa
Published: January 2003

Learn about “Pocha Nostra,” the company founded by Gómez-Peña and Roberto Sifuentes, in a far-ranging conversation about how to make a performance group in the 21st century.
“We Still Have to Dance and Sing”: An Interview with Richard Foreman
Authors: Schechner Richard
Published: January 2003

How has September 11th affected us? Author-director Foreman considers this and a broad range of other matters in a conversation with TDR's editor, Richard Schechner.
Performance Studies: Interventions and Radical Research
Authors: Conquergood Dwight
Published: January 2003

“Only middle-class academics could blithely assume that all the world is a text,” writes one of performance studies' leading figures. Conquergood argues for a hybrid discipline that celebrates experience and commingles the analytic and the artistic.
Visual Homing Is Possible Without Landmarks: A Path Integration Study in Virtual Reality
Authors: Riecke Bernhard E. , Veen Henricus A. H. C. van , Bülthoff Heinrich H.
Published: January 2003

The literature often suggests that proprioceptive and especially vestibular cues are required for navigation and spatial orientation tasks involving rotations of the observer. To test this notion, we conducted a set of experiments in virtual environments in which only visual cues were provided. Participants had to execute turns, reproduce distances, or perform triangle completion tasks. Most experiments were performed in a simulated 3D field of blobs, thus restricting navigation strategies to path integration based on optic flow. For our experimental set-up (half-cylindrical 180 deg. projection screen), optic flow information alone proved to be sufficient for untrained participants to perform turns and reproduce distances with negligible systematic errors, irrespective of movement velocity. Path integration by optic flow was sufficient for homing by triangle completion, but homing distances were biased towards the mean response. Additional landmarks that were only temporarily available did not improve homing performance. However, navigation by stable, reliable landmarks led to almost perfect homing performance. Mental spatial ability test scores correlated positively with homing performance, especially for the more complex triangle completion tasks—suggesting that mental spatial abilities might be a determining factor for navigation performance. In summary, visual path integration without any vestibular or kinesthetic cues can be sufficient for elementary navigation tasks like rotations, translations, and triangle completion.
A Wavelet Synthesis Technique for Creating Realistic Virtual Environment Sounds
Authors: Miner Nadine E. , Caudell Thomas P.
Published: January 2003

This paper describes a new technique for synthesizing realistic sounds for virtual environments. The four-phase technique described uses wavelet analysis to create a sound model. Parameters are extracted from the model to provide dynamic sound synthesis control from a virtual environment simulation. Sounds can be synthesized in real time using the fast inverse wavelet transform. Perceptual experiment validation is an integral part of the model development process. This paper describes the four-phase process for creating the parameterized sound models. Several developed models and perceptual experiments for validating the sound synthesis veracity are described. The developed models and results demonstrate proof of the concept and illustrate the potential of this approach.
Perceptual Validation Experiments for Evaluating the Quality of Wavelet-Synthesized Sounds
Authors: Miner Nadine E. , Goldsmith Timothy E. , Caudell Thomas P.
Published: January 2003

This paper describes three psychoacoustic experiments that evaluated the perceptual quality of sounds generated from a new wavelet-based synthesis technique. The synthesis technique provides a method for modeling and synthesizing perceptually compelling sound. The experiments define a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of any synthesized sound. An identification task and a context-based rating task evaluated the perceptual quality of individual sounds. These experiments confirmed that the wavelet technique synthesizes a wide variety of compelling sounds from a small model set. The third experiment obtained sound similarity ratings. Psychological scaling methods were applied to the similarity ratings to generate both spatial and network models of the perceptual relations among the synthesized sounds. These analysis techniques helped to refine and extend the sound models. Overall, the studies provided a framework to validate synthesized sounds for a variety of applications including virtual reality and data sonification systems.
“It/I”: A Theater Play Featuring an Autonomous Computer Character
Authors: Pinhanez Claudio S. , Bobick Aaron F.
Published: January 2003

“It/I” is a two-character theater play in which the human character I (played by a real actor) is taunted and played with by an autonomous computer character It on a computer-controlled, camera-monitored stage. The play, performed before live audiences in November 1997, brought an automatic computer character to a theatrical stage for the first time ever. This paper reports the experience and examines important technical developments needed for the successful production of “It/I”. In particular we describe the interval script paradigm used to program the computer character and the ACTSCRIPT language for communication of actions and goals. Although our experiments have been restricted to physical interactive spaces, we believe that interval scripts and ACTSCRIPT can successfully address the control and management of any virtual environment with a complex temporal structure or a strong underlying narrative.
The Greening of a Pulp and Paper Mill: International Paper's Androscoggin Mill, Jay, Maine
Authors: Hill Marquita , Saviello Thomas , Groves Stephen
Published: January 2003

International Paper (IP), the world's largest forest products company, owns the Androscoggin Mill, a large pulp and paper mill in Jay, Maine, in the northeastern United States. This case study describes the transformation of the Androscoggin Mill from an object of public opprobrium and conflict to a show‐case for environmental management. In the late 1980s, an 18‐month strike had embittered workers and townspeople and left the mill's reputation in tatters. In response to mill environ‐mental violations, some of which were considered crimes by state regulators, the town of Jay passed its own environmental ordinance to control mill emissions. Early in the 1990s, new management, including two former corporate‐level employ‐ees, sought to change the mill's business approach and turn the Androscoggin Mill into IP's best environmental performer. The initial emphasis on establishing and maintaining compliance was expanded to include aggressive pollution prevention efforts that led to cooperative projects with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and stakeholder groups. The mill's ap‐proach in the 1990s evolved further to essentially follow prin‐ciples of industrial ecology. New approaches focused on “clos‐ing the loop” by finding beneficial uses for previously landfilled wastes, replacements for most hazardous chemicals, and re‐ductions in solid and hazardous waste generation. The mill also pursued the establishment of symbiotic relationships with a facility that began using a mill by‐product on‐site and an on‐site natural gas burning facility that provided part of the mill's steam demand. IP also established a public advisory committee in 1992 to advise management on operational and “big‐picture” issues, which later included the application of sustain‐ability criteria to the mill. IP has since formed community advisory committees at each of their integrated pulp and paper mills.
Books
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Jayanta , Ghosh Nilanjan
Published: January 2003

Book reviewed in this article:

Modelling Change in Integrated Economic and Environmental Systems, edited by S. Mahendrarajah, A. J. Jakeman, and M. McAleer.
Ecoviolence: Shrinking Pie, or Honey Pot?
Authors: Soysa Indra de
Published: January 2003

Some claim that the scarcity of natural resources, particularly renewable resources, is a “causal mechanism” behind civil war. Recent work in development studies and political science suggest that relative abundance of natural resources cause broad-based socio-economic and political problems, while some using microeconomic theories even blame abundance directly for motivating “loot-seeking” rebellion and allowing the finance of large-scale armed violence. Using a host of alternative measures of natural capital wealth, disaggregated as renewable and nonrenewable, this study finds that an abundance of renewable resources, not its scarcity, leads to violence and to lower economic, human, and institutional development. The abundance of mineral resources is consistently associated with higher levels of conflict and lower levels of human and institutional development. The results raise serious doubts about the concept of “ecoviolence” as theorized hither to. Future research should trace the processes through which the “honey pot” of abundant resources promotes bad governance, inequity, poverty, environmental degradation, and conflict. The good news is that human greed and folly, not mother nature, is still the problem for peace. The bad news is that mother nature will continue to suffer given difficulties associated with controlling human nature.
Structural Adjustment Program after Structural Adjustment Program, but Why Still No Development in the Philippines?
Authors: Lim Joseph Y. , Montes Manuel F.
Published: January 2003

Since the debt crisis of the 1980s, Philippine economic performance has been an outlier in East Asia, in spite of reform policies that generally have conformed to worldwide norms of trade liberalization and deregulation. In the 20-year period since 1980, the proportion of GDP attributed to manufacturing has declined from 24 to 22 percent. Dependence on commodity exports has declined, and the Philippines' export structure is now less diversified than it was 20 years ago. Market-oriented economic reforms are incomplete, as they are in many other countries, but the Philippines' poor economic performance is mostly a result of macroeconomic instability and low domestic savings, not inadequate reforms. Reform efforts have contributed to political instability, and macroeconomic instability has stifled investment. A model of macroeconomic shortages in domestic, external, and public savings is presented to illustrate the continuing constraints on Philippine economic growth and development.
AN EARLY RESPONSE TO SHĀFI'Ī: ĪSĀ B. ABĀN ON THE PROPHETIC REPORT (KHABAR)
Authors: Bedir Murteza
Published: January 2003

This is a study of an early Hanafī jurist, Īsā b. Aban (d. 221/836). After collecting historical information about his life, I explore his views, as preserved in a fourth-century text, al-Fusūl fī'l-Usūl by Abū Bakr al-Jassās. Īsā's views, as presented there, shed important light on the development of the Hanafī concept of prophetic reports. I refer to non-Hanafī texts in order to check any possible ideological reconstruction by Jassās. Finally I compare my findings with J. Schacht's observations on 'early schools of law' and find interesting parallels between them and Īsā's views, as presented by Jassās.
RECONSIDERATION OF LEGAL DEVICES (HIYAL) IN ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE: THE HANAFĪS AND THEIR "EXITS" (MAKHĀRIJ)
Authors: Horii Satoe
Published: January 2003

Hiyal (sg. hīla) are "legal devices" or tools used to achieve a certain objective, lawful or not, through lawful means. Although it is generally agreed that hiyal are not merely "evasions of the law," their exact nature and place within Islamic jurisprudence remains an open question. To date, there have been only a few studies devoted to the subject and these have focused almost exclusively upon the Hanafīs, who developed hiyal into a special branch of the law, called makhārij, i.e. "exits". I shall examine here the doctrine of the Hanafīs together with that of the Mālikī/Medinese jurists, who were early witnesses for and against hiyal as conceived by the Hanafīs. On the basis of their understanding of law in terms of utility, the Hanafīs employed makhārij to provide remedies for those who sought them. As a particular transmission of Hanafī doctrine, the genre of makhārij sought to confirm the standard doctrine by discovering "exits" suggested therein. The Hanafī concern for the subject was shared by the Mālikīs, albeit from a different point of view. The Mālikīs discussed hiyal as jurisprudential materials that convey the validity of their doctrine as prescribing appropriate solutions. Thus, I conclude that both the Hanafīs and Mālikīs regarded hiyal as solutions drawn from the materials of jurisprudence in accordance with the spirit of law as interpreted by the jurists of their respective schools.
THE TREATMENT OF THE FOUNDLING (AL-LAQĪT) ACCORDING TO THE HANAFĪS
Authors:   Sujimon
Published: January 2003

This essay examines the problems that arise for the foundling—in Arabic, the laqīt or manbūdh, terms that signify a child abandoned by its mother or its parents and found by others. There are only a few prophetic traditions on the subject, and most of the views expressed by Muslim jurists seem to be based on ijtihād.I focus here on the rules (ahkām, sg. hukm) governing the discovery of the foundling and the legal assumption regarding its freedom. I also discuss the religious and legal status of the foundling, doubt about its legitimacy, its maintenance and upbringing, and the application of the institution of the patronage (walā). In addition, I highlight the means by which a foundling may acquire a genealogical relationship (nasab) with the family of the person who looks after it.
MARGHĪNĀNĪ, HIS METHOD AND HIS LEGACY
Authors:   Meron
Published: January 2003

Marghīnānī represents the break between the classical and the post-classical periods in Hanafī law, a break that shaped the destiny of this law for at least seven centuries after him. Some of his innovations can be traced to religious motives, others to his pragmatic approach. Marghīnānī's legacy, echoes of which can by found in other systems of law, is the method in which he presents the legal material.
RELATIONS OF THE GEORGIAN MAMLUKS OF EGYPT WITH THEIR HOMELAND IN THE LAST DECADES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Authors: Crecelius Daniel , Djaparidze Gotcha
Published: January 2003

This study uncovers the close relations the Georgian mamluks of Egypt maintained with their homeland in the late eighteenth century. On the basis of a wide range of archival and published sources, including a series of four unique letters from Ibrahim Bey al-Kabir and important members of his household, the authors conclude that these Georgian mamluks retained their native language, were aware of the politics of the Caucasus region, received frequent visits from their parents or other relatives, and sent gifts to family members or gave money to build useful structures (a defensive tower, or even a church) in their native villages. Cette étude dévoile les étroites relations que les Mamelouks géorgiens en Egypte entretenaient avec leur pays natal à la fin du 18e siècle. Se fondant sur des sources variées d'archives et de documents publiés, dont une série de quatre lettres exceptionnelles d'Ibrahim Bey al-Kabir et d'importants membres de sa maison, les auteurs établissent que les Mamelouks géorgiens avaient conservé leur langue maternelle et étaient au courant de la politique dans la région du Caucase. Ils révèlent que leurs parents et d'autres membres de la famille leur rendaient souvent visite et qu'ils envoyaient des cadeaux à leurs familles ou des sommes d'argent pour édifier des bâtiments d'utilité publique (une tour de défense voire une église) dans leurs villages natals.
ON THE USE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY IN ISLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Authors: Lape Peter
Published: January 2003

This paper reviews the use of archaeological and documentary sources in the understanding of the past in Island Southeast Asia. The relationship between these two sources of data (and data sources that cross the boundaries of these categories) has varied over time, depending on the availability of data, changing interpretive strategies and scholarly trends and influences. The wealth of documentary sources relevant to Island Southeast Asia's past, and the increasing availability of detailed archaeological data have increased the potential to understand the past in this region from a variety of points of view. While this potential has not yet been fully realized, in part due to an unsophisticated use of these separate lines of evidence, recent scholarship has pushed the boundaries and revealed new information and insights into this history. Cet article passe en revue l'utilisation de sources documentaires et archéologiques dans la connaissance du passé des îles du Sud-Est asiatique. La relation entre ces deux sources d'information (et les sources qui dépassent les limites de ces deux catégories) a évolué au fil du temps en fonction de la disponibilité des données, des changements dans les stratégies d'interprétation et des tendances et influences académiques. La richesse des sources documentaires utiles dans l'étude du passé des îles du Sud-Est asiatique, et la disponibilité croissante de données archéologiques détaillées ont permis, à plusieurs niveaux, de faciliter la compréhension du passé de cette région. Bien que ce potentiel n'ait pas encore été complètement exploité, en partie à cause d'une utilisation peu raffinée de ces distinctes catégories de preuves, des études universitaires récentes ont repoussé ces limites et ont dévoilé de nouveaux indices, permettant ainsi de mieux pénétrer l'histoire des îles du Sud-Est asiatique.
The Time of Your Life: One Thousand Moons
Authors:   Hancock
Published: January 2003

The present work deals with four themes that relate to the problem of aging and time. They include questions of allometric scaling, the novelty of experience, the change in perception of time with age, and the certainty of death. Featured in each of these themes is the prominence of time and the manner in which poetic, scientific, and technologic facets of each theme are interwoven. The overall argument serves to dispel the chronometric dominance of time versus its behavioral reality.
EURIPIDES' HERAKLES AND THE PURSUIT OF IMMORTALITY
Authors:   Griffiths
Published: January 2003

The argument of this paper is that the child figures in Euripides' Herakles provide important clues to the fundamental 'meaning' of the play. A sustained configuration of motifs linking Herakles' children to the figure of Kerberos is discussed as a central structural feature, augmented by detailed use of specific vocabulary. By removing the dog from Hades, Herakles provided Hera with an excuse to cloak her attack in the language of legal procedure, invoking ideas of immortality and divine order. This connection of ideas is shown to have particular relevance to contemporary 5th-century concerns about the rise of individualism and the threats to the traditional oikos structure. The thematic structure of the play is also discussed in the context of other mythological stories which link the death of one's own children to attempts to secure power over the processes of life and death.
Alternative Theories of Southeast Asian Development: A Japanese Perspective
Authors: Yasuba Yasukichi
Published: January 2003

This paper examines the pronouncements of Japanese economists on Southeast Asia during the past 30 years in the belief that such a survey reveals the strengths and weaknesses of alternative theories of economic development as applied to Southeast Asia. It finds that Marxist, dependency, borrowed-technology, and ersatz capitalist theories have proved to be wrong, or at least inadequate. Moreover, the patrimonial theory which used to be adequate in the 1960s and 1970s has since lost its relevance. In contrast, neoclassical theories with special emphasis on the quality of human resources have proved to be right.
The Green Eyed Monster: Linguistic Influences on Concepts of Envy and Jealousy in Russian and English
Authors: Stepanova Olga , Coley John
Published: January 2003

The present study examined linguistic relativity in the domain of emotion terms. Exp. 1 showed that American English speakers use the word "jealous" to describe both situations involving envy and those involving jealousy, whereas Russian speakers describe emotions involved in the situations using the Russian terms revnuet and zaviduet in a mutually exclusive manner. Bilinguals performed according to the language they were tested in. In Experiment 2 we sought evidence for conceptual consequences of the difference in how emotion terms mapped onto situations for English and Russian speakers. In a non-linguistic triad sorting task, all subjects clearly distinguished jealousy situations from envy situations, but monolingual English speakers and bilinguals were more likely to see envy situations and jealousy situations as similar than Russian speakers. In a free sorting task, high agreement across all groups was shown in sorting jealousy, envy and control situations. However, native Russian speakers, in contrast to native English speakers, labeled the groups in a mutually-exclusive way. While providing some evidence for the weak view of linguistic relativity, overall the study shows that despite the difference in labeling the emotions of jealousy and envy, Russian speakers, English speakers and bilinguals are very similar in how they conceptualize emotionally-laden situations.
A Theory of Religious Modulation: Reconciling Religious Modes and Ritual Arrangements
Authors: Tremlin Todd
Published: January 2003

The modal theory of Harvey Whitehouse provides not only a provocative explanatory grid for the concatenation of variables that comprise religious behavior but also a fruitful theoretical framework for organizing a range of studies by scholars approaching religion via the cognitive sciences. One example is work on the cognitive underpinnings of ritual arrangements that marks the careers of E. Thomas Lawson and Robert N. McCauley. Despite offering mutually exclusive hypotheses concerning the relation of ritual action to memory, Lawson and McCauley's work fits within Whitehouse's overarching modal approach. Other research, too, can be drawn into this framework. One variable not yet addressed by the modal theory is the role of conceptual schemes in shaping religious systems. Within the operational dynamics of religion, conceptual schemes matter, particularly as their contents include superhuman agent concepts — the central feature of religious representations and the object of religious response. This article argues for serious investigation of superhuman agent concepts within the framework of Whitehouse's modal theory, and it hypothesizes that psychological responses to contrasting conceptualizations of superhuman agents is one of the more important cognitive variables driving shifts, or "modulations" from doctrinal to more imagistic forms of religiosity.
Effects of salinity on tadpoles of the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea)
Authors: Dickman Christopher , Christy Michelle
Published: January 2003

We investigated the effects of various salinities on larval growth, metamorphosis and survival in the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea). This large hylid was formerly common on the east coast of Australia, but now occurs in only a few scattered localities where rising salt is one of a number of potential threats. Tadpoles tolerated salinity up to 4% seawater (sw; 1.58‰) without apparent effect, but salinity of 5.5% sw (1.87‰) and above significantly decreased growth rates and increased mortality. Salinity of 10% sw (4.41‰) caused mortality of all individuals within 72 days, 20% sw within four days, and 25% sw within five hours. Salinities from 10-15% sw (4.41-6.73‰) were tolerated for short periods (up to 3 weeks) before significant weight loss and mortality resulted, indicating a detrimental cumulative effect with high salinity. Metamorphosis occurred frequently below 5.5% sw but did not occur above 5.5% sw. Although L. aurea tadpoles can tolerate moderate salinities, increased salinisation caused by substantial land clearing, urban run-off and accumulation of salt in some waterbodies may contribute to the reduction of populations.
A new species of Osteocephalus from Ecuador and a redescription of O. leprieurii (Duméril & Bibron, 1841) (Anura: Hylidae)
Authors: Hödl Walter , Jungfer Karl-Heinz
Published: January 2003

The South American spiny-backed treefrog, Osteocephalus leprieurii, as previously understood, is a composite of several species. We redescribe it morphologically on the basis of specimens from French Guiana and add other data on the biology of the species. We describe O. mutabor n. sp., previously confused with O. leprieurii, from the Amazon Basin of Ecuador. The two species differ in coloration, vocalizations and ontogenetic colour change. Osteocephalus leprieurii is remarkable for bearing nuptial excrescences not only on the thumb, but also under the fingers and on the chin. The vocal sac is semicircular expanding posterolaterally. Osteocephalus mutabor n. sp. is characterized by numerous dark transversal bars on the dorsum and a semicircular vocal sac. The amount of keratinized tips on the dorsal granules in males of both species is dependent on sexual activity. Bajo el nombre de la rana arborícola de espalda espinosa Osteocephalus leprieurii, de Sur America, como se ha entendido anteriormente, se confundieron diferentes especies. Se describe de nuevo la especie morfológicamente en base a especimenes de la Guayana Francesa y se añaden otros datos sobre su biología. Describimos O. mutabor n. sp. de la Cuenca Amazónica Ecuatoriana. Ambas especies se diferencian en coloración, vocalizaciones y cambio ontogenético de color. Osteocephalus leprieurii se caracteriza por poseer excrecencias nupciales no solo en el pulgar, sino también bajo los dedos y la barbilla. El saco vocal es semicircular con expansión posterolateral. Osteocephalus mutabor n. sp. se caracteriza por tener rayas oscuras transversales en el dorso y un saco vocal semicircular. La cantidad de puntas queratinizadas en los gránulos dorsales de los machos de ambas especies depende de la actividad sexual.
Relationships of Tarentola (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from the Cape Verde Islands estimated from DNA sequence data
Authors: Brehm António , Jesus José , Harris D. James
Published: January 2003

Thirteen specimens of Tarentola from the Cape Verde islands were sequenced for 695 base pairs of 12S rRNA and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes, and analysed with published sequences. Our results support many of the relationships previously proposed. We report the presence of Tarentola gigas Bocage, 1875 on São Nicolau and Tarentola caboverdiana nicolauensis Schleich, 1984 on São Vicente. This increases the number of genetically distinct forms on these islands; hence community structure appears to be more complex than previously understood. We also sequenced seven individuals for 375 base pairs of the nuclear gene, C-mos. Two sites were variable, much less than expected given the high levels of differentiation based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.
Morphological variability of Podarcis hispanica (Sauria: Lacertidae) in Portugal
Authors: Crespo Eduardo , Vicente Luís , Sá-Sousa Paulo
Published: January 2003

A total of 35 morphological characters (biometry, scalation, chromatic pattern) were studied through multivariate analyses on 10 populations sampled across the range of the Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanica) in Portugal. Biometry clearly splits the samples into two different types. Differences in scalation between the two types were not clear, but multiple correspondence analyses showed that different chromatic patterns fit each of the types: one presented dark dorsal patterns (e.g. reticulated, eyeled, striped) and whitish-pearly belly, while the other showed green or yellow-brown patterns and yellow-orange belly. These two morphotypes constitute different molecular lineages and have different ranges of distribution.
The ethmoidal region and cranial adaptations of the neotropical aquatic snake Helicops infrataeniatus Jan, 1865 (Serpentes, Colubridae)
Authors: Dos Santos-Costa Maria Cristina , Hofstadler-Deiques Clarice
Published: January 2003

The ethmoidal region of the snake Helicops infrataeniatus is described on the basis of serial sections. Cavernous tissue and a subnasal muscle circling the nasal vestibule were identified. These structures are related to the aquatic habit of this species, serving as a device for narrowing walls of the fenestra narina, which prevents the entry of water when the snake submerges. Observations related to behavior in captivity are also presented.
Effects of age, size and temperature on the advertisement calls of two Spanish populations of Pelodytes punctatus
Authors: Sánchez-Herráiz  , Barbadillo  , Esteban  , Castanet  , Márquez
Published: January 2003

Advertisement calls of males from two Spanish populations of parsley frogs (Pelodytes punctatus) were recorded. Body size (SVL, mass) and calling temperature were measured, and age was determined through skeletochronology of phalanges. Calling males were 2-7 years old in Valencia. In Burgos, males were 1-6 years old and the age structure was highly skewed with more than 50% of the sample of males being 1 year old. The range of body temperatures of calling males was similar in both sites (10-15.1°C in Valencia, and 10-17.5°C in Burgos). Males called with the typical two-note advertisement call A-B, although in Burgos it was common to hear A-only calls. In both populations repetition of the second note was rare. Calls of both populations showed a negative correlation between temporal parameters (note duration, inter-note interval, pulse rate) and body temperature. On the other hand, spectral parameters (dominant frequencies and dominant frequency ranges) were not correlated to temperature and correlation with body size (SVL, mass) was non-significant. Age was not significantly correlated with dominant frequency or with any other measured call parameter. Call frequency in Pelodytes is a poor predictor of male body size and does not convey information on age. Thus, any size-related mating trends could result from non-static calling parameters such as call intensity, or from mechanisms of malemale competition (e.g. chorus attendance).
Age determination of Daruma pond frog, Rana porosa brevipoda from Japan towards its conservation (Amphibia: Anura)
Authors: Misawa Yasuchika , Khonsue Wichase , Matsui Masafumi
Published: January 2003

The age of a vulnerable frog, Rana porosa brevipoda from Japan was estimated using the now classical technique of skeletochronology. The mean age did not differ between the sexes but males were smaller in body size than females. Sexual maturity was attained in the fall of the year of metamorphosis in males and in the breeding season of the next year in females, and both sexes began to breed in the next year of metamorphosis. Both sexes similarly had minimum longevity of four years. The population age composition showed a rapid decrease in number of frogs with the increase of age. Growth parameters differed between sexes and males grew more rapidly and sexually matured at a smaller size than females. We comment on the peculiar pattern of postmetamorphic survival curves in R. porosa brevipoda as a threatened species. We also discuss the reason of decline in this species and suggest a measure of conservation.
Female reproductive cycle of the water frog Rana epeirotica in northwestern Greece
Authors: Tsiora  , Kyriakopoulou-Sklavounou
Published: January 2003

The reproductive cycle of female Rana epeirotica in Lake Ioannina, northwestern Greece was studied from 1998 to 1999. Young females reached sexual maturity at a weight of 26.3 g and a length of 67.2 mm. The annual cyclic changes in weight and histological composition of the ovaries showed that R. epeirotica has a single reproductive period each year. Weight changes of the oviducts followed those shown by the ovaries. A continuous change in the percentage and diameter size of the ovarian follicles through the annual cycle was found. Clutch size ranged from 600 to 2900 ova of 1.3 to 1.6 mm egg diameter. Ovarian weight, clutch size and ovum size were positively correlated to body weight. The weights of fat body and liver had a peak in August and November respectively and they both were reduced considerably during hibernation.
Mating pattern and hatching success in a population of the Andean frog Hyla labialis
Authors: Lüddecke Horst , Gutiérrez Gloria
Published: January 2003

To identify behavioural mechanisms and determine their influence on the mating pattern in a population of Hyla labialis, we integrated sampling results from the field with results from manipulated laboratory observations. We found no support for a large-male mating advantage based on male-male competition in shaping mating pattern. Members of naturally occurring mated pairs had body sizes representative of the entire population, and revealed a size-assortative mating pattern. This trend also appeared in the laboratory, when a gravid female had the opportunity to choose among two males of different body sizes. Larger females laid larger egg clutches, but larger males did not fertilise more eggs. However, the clutches of females clasped by proportionately larger males led to a higher percentage of hatchlings, suggesting that size-assortative mating improves fertilisation rate through cloacal apposition during spawning. Despite a significant negative correlation between male body size and dominant frequency of the advertisement calls, providing acoustic cues for females to discriminate among males, it seems that female mate choice leading to size-assortative mating is based only partially on call characteristics.
Genetic evidence of natural hybridization between Podarcis sicula and Podarcis tiliguerta (Reptilia: Lacertidae)
Authors: Capula Massimo
Published: January 2003

An allozyme survey revealed instances of natural hybridization between Podarcis sicula and P. tiliguerta from a locality of southern Sardinia. Pure specimens of both species together with some F1 hybrids were found, but no evidence of backcrossing was detected. The hybrid specimens appeared morphologically intermediate between the parent species. The absence of backcrossed individuals indicate that free interbreeding between the two species is unlikely. Hybrids were found in areas of habitat disturbance only.
The role of the midland water snake, Nerodia sipedon (Serpentes: Colubridae), as a predator: foraging behavior, kin recognition, and the response of prey
Authors: Himes John
Published: January 2003

The midland water snake, Nerodia sipedon, is very abundant in portions of the southeastern U.S.A., where it may play an important role as a predator in freshwater communities. I examined whether foraging mode in naïve neonatal snakes was phenotypically plastic or canalized and I compared handling times and capture efficiencies for different prey types (juvenile fishes and frogs) between neonatal and adult snakes. I also tested for kin recognition by mother snakes by comparing their consumption of unrelated (non-kin) and related (kin) neonates according to time and the availability of alternative prey (fish). In addition, the response of prey in the presence and in the absence of snakes was tested by comparing the amount of time that juvenile fishes utilized areas containing different microhabitat complexities and by comparing the amount of time that fishes were actively moving. Overall, foraging mode was phenotypically plastic, handling times and capture efficiencies differed by prey type and snake size class, kin recognition was confirmed, and fishes did not alter their habitat selection or activity patterns in the presence of snakes.
Interaction of intrinsic and extrinsic chemical cues in the behaviour of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Aphelenchida: Aphelenchoididae) in relation to its beetle vectors
Authors: Linit Marc , Stamps W. Terrell
Published: January 2003

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, its host trees and beetle vectors represent an unusual ecological system. The fourth stage, dispersal juvenile (JIV) of B. xylophilus is a specialised life stage that must alter its response to a variety of chemical cues over time to properly enter and exit its beetle vector. Neutral storage (NS) lipid content is proposed as a modifier of nematode response to beetleand tree-produced volatiles. The chemotactic response of JIV to a variety of chemicals was tested and the lipid contents of JIV attracted to particular chemicals were quantified. Nematodes with the lowest NS lipid content were attracted to β-myrcene, a pine volatile, while nematodes with the highest NS lipid content were attracted to toluene, a beetle cuticular hydrocarbon. A rolling fulcrum model of the integration of intrinsic (NS lipid) and extrinsic (volatiles) cues is proposed to explain the behavioural ontogeny of JIV in relation to the beetle vector.
Additional notes on the morphology of Meloidogyne spartinae (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae)
Authors: Hirschmann Hedwig , Eisenback Jonathan
Published: January 2003

Females, males and second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne spartinae were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of M. spartinae is very typical of the genus for most characters in general. However, as expected, some minor differences occur, particularly in the shape of the head, stylet and tail, and morphometrics of several characters. It is not clear at present how the karyotype of seven chromosomes in M. spartinae is related to the 13-18 chromosomes of other apparently related Meloidogyne species. The M. spartinae karyotype may represent an ancestral form from which the other species have evolved, possibly as polyploid-aneuploids. More studies are needed to clarify this point. However, M. spartinae is remarkably similar in morphology to other species and is justly placed within the genus Meloidogyne.
Descriptions of Prodesmodora zullinii n. sp., P.nigra n. sp. and Chiloplectus loricatus Andrássy, 1985 (Nematoda) from Spanish fir woodlands
Authors: Abolafia Joaquin , Abebe Eyualem , Ocaña Amelia
Published: January 2003

Three species of nematodes from the nematofauna found in Spanish fir woodlands (pinsapo forests) are described: Prodesmodora zullinii n. sp., Prodesmodora nigra n. sp. and Chiloplectus loricatus Andrássy, 1985. P. zullinii n. sp. is a relatively small species of this genus, has a variable body length (0.25-0.41 mm), only two denticles on the stoma wall, amphid diam. 25-40% of the corresponding body diam., located at 12.1± 1.2 μm of the anterior end, vulva-anus distance 2-2.3 times the tail length, vaginal wall lightly sclerotised and tail tip pointed. P.nigra n. sp., also a relatively small species (0.53-0.55 mm), is characterised by three denticles on the stoma wall, amphid diam. 30-34% of the corresponding body diam. situated at 17.6 ± 0.9 μm of the anterior end, and vulva-anus distance 2.7-2.9 times the tail length, vaginal sclerotisation wall prominent and tail tip pointed. Two additional differential characters for C. loricatus are the seven to ten rows of denticles of the pharynx valve and two small projections on both sides of the spinneret base. Data are presented on some ecological features of the habitat where these three species were found, as well as taxonomic data comparing the different species of Prodesmodora smaller than 0.55 mm.
Utriculimermis microcaudata n. gen., n. sp., a new genus and species of Mermithidae (Nematoda) of the rivers Lafnitz and Teigitsch in the southeastern Austrian Alps
Authors: Deixelberger Peter , Kaiser Helmut
Published: January 2003

Utriculimermis microcaudata n. gen., n. sp. (Nematoda: Mermithidae) is described from the hyporheic biotope of two running waters in southeastern Austria. The mermithids were sampled by pumping and with a modified 'Hess'-sampler. The characteristics of this new genus are: long body length, a very long pharynx which attains about 95% of the body length, six head papillae, mouth opening terminal, six hypodermal chords at midbody level, excretory pore present near the nerve ring, small cupshaped amphids, cuticula lacking cross fibres under light microscope, males with long slightly curved spiculum, very large number of genital papillae, vulva slightly curved to barrel-shaped with vulval flap, postparasitic juveniles with very short tail appendage often only present as a button-like nipple.