bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deference, Degree and Selfhood
Authors: Clark Stephen R. L.
Published: May 2005

The world we lost, and now barely understand, was one where everyone knew her place, and her attendant duties. Civilized groups were the likeliest to insist on a diversity of rôle and rule. Primitive societies are ones where there are rather fewer such distinctions. Slaves and merchants offered a way of being outside the orders, and from the older point of view, the life of slaves and merchants is exactly what the ‘liberal’ ideal entails. No one can count on her connections; everything is up for sale; no one is dishonoured by the acts of friends or family; only animal passions keep us all together. Even in societies that profess egalitarian theories, castes and classes re-emerge. If there is another option it may lie in drawing, as the ancients did, a clear division between selfhood and nature: even in a traditionally hierarchical society it is possible to recall the mere selves that play their various parts. In a would-be egalitarian society that hopes for something more than the hedonic or agonistic bonds that may bind small-scale communities together, recalling, and reconstructing, that distinction may be even more important.
On Not Being Sorry About The Morally Bad
Authors: Smilansky Saul
Published: May 2005

Bad things often happen, and morally good people ought to be sorry that they happen. What could be more obvious to a good person than that one ought to be sorry about the occurrence of bad things? And even more so, it would seem, if the bad things occur in one's vicinity, or one is involved with them. I argue that sometimes it is morally permissible not to be sorry when bad things happen. Perhaps it is even permissible to be happy about it.
Reason and Violence: arguments from force
Authors: Evans J. D. G.
Published: May 2005

There are good grounds for seeing a deep opposition between reason and violence. Yet some forms of argument appear to link the two; and a prominent example is the argumentum ad baculum, where the premise contains a threat. Consideration of the connection between premise and conclusion in such an argument can, it seems, yield some cases where the status of the author of the threat renders the argument not only valid but also sound. Examples of such arguments cluster in the areas near Pascal's Wager and Rawls' argument for justice. However even these arguments fail to effect a reconciliation between reason and violence.
The Marriage Commitment—Reply to Landau
Authors: Moller Dan
Published: May 2005

A reply to Landau's objections to the author's earlier ‘An Argument against Marriage’ (Philosophy, 78, 2003, 79-91). In particular it is argued that ‘working’ at a relationship is valid only when there is a relationship to be worked at; it cannot, as Landau urges, be a reason for maintaining a relationship which has ceased.
Reduced volume of parietal and frontal association areas in patients with schizophrenia characterized by passivity delusions
Authors: MARUFF P. , WOOD S. J. , VELAKOULIS D. , SMITH D. J. , SOULSBY B. , SUCKLING J. , BULLMORE E. T. , PANTELIS C.
Published: May 2005

Background. In patients with schizophrenia, passivity delusions are characterized by a difficulty in determining the agency of purposive actions. Neuropsychological and functional neuroimaging data suggest that passivity delusions are associated with dysfunction of the parietal lobe association cortex.

Method. Cortical volume calculated from magnetic resonance imaging data in a group of 12 patients with schizophrenia characterized by motor passivity delusions was compared statistically with the cortical volume of 11 patients without passivity delusions.

Results. Reduced cortical volume was observed in parietal and frontal association cortices in the passivity group.

Conclusions. These data provide direct evidence for the involvement of the parietal lobe in the pathophysiology of passivity delusions in schizophrenia.
The longitudinal relationship between personality disorder dimensions and global functioning in a community-residing population
Authors: HONG JIN PYO , SAMUELS JACK , JOSEPH BIENVENU O. , HSU FANG-CHI , EATON WILLIAM W. , COSTA PAUL T. , NESTADT GERALD
Published: May 2005

Background. Little is known about the long-term outcome of personality disorder traits. The purpose of this study was to investigate, in a community-residing population, the longitudinal relationship between psychiatrist-assessed personality disorder scores and global functioning 13–18 years later.

Method. A stratified random sample of residents of east Baltimore were examined by psychiatrists in 1981 and asssessed for DSM-III personality disorders using a semi-structured instrument, the Standardized Psychiatric Examination. A total of 292 persons were re-examined by different psychiatrists during 1994–1999 using the Schedules for the Assessment of Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). After completion of the SCAN, the subjects' functional status was evaluated using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). The relationships between personality dimensions and follow-up GAF scores were evaluated using linear regression models.

Results. All of the personality disorder scales measured in 1981 were inversely related to functioning 13–18 years later, with the exception of narcissistic and compulsive scales. After controlling for Axis I disorders diagnosed contemporaneously with GAF assessment, schizoid, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and avoidant personality disorder scores significantly predicted GAF scores.

Conclusions. Most dimensions of DSM-III personality disorder traits were significantly associated with global functioning after an interval of 15 years. However, only schizoid, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and avoidant personality disorder traits had long-term effects on functioning when Axis I disorders at follow-up were controlled. This suggests that the functional effect of the other personality disorder traits may be mediated through their relationship with Axis I disorders. Future research is needed using more specific and sensitive outcome measures.
Work stress as a risk factor for major depressive episode(s)
Authors: WANG JIANLI
Published: May 2005

Background. Major depression is a prevalent mental disorder in the general population, with a multi-factorial etiology. However, work stress as a risk factor for major depression has not been well studied.

Method. Using a longitudinal study design, this analysis investigated the association between the levels of work stress and major depressive episode(s) in the Canadian working population, aged 18 to 64 years. Data from the longitudinal cohort of the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS) were used (n=6663). The NPHS participants who did not have major depressive episodes (MDE) at baseline (1994–1995 NPHS) were classified into four groups by the quartile values of the baseline work stress scores. The proportion of MDE of each group was calculated using the 1996–1997 NPHS data.

Results. The first three quartile groups had a similar risk of MDE. Those who had a work stress score above the 75th percentile had an elevated risk of MDE (7·1%). Using the 75th percentile as a cut-off, work stress was significantly associated with the risk of MDE in multivariate analysis (odds ratio=2·35, 95% confidence interval 1·54–3·77). Other factors associated with MDE in multivariate analysis included educational level, number of chronic medical illnesses and child and adulthood traumatic events. There was no evidence of effect modification between work stress and selected sociodemographic, clinical and psychosocial variables.

Conclusions. Work stress is an independent risk factor for the development of MDE in the working population. Strategies to improve working environment are needed to keep workers mentally healthy and productive.
Childhood abuse and familial violence and the risk of panic attacks and panic disorder in young adulthood
Authors: GOODWIN RENEE D. , FERGUSSON DAVID M. , JOHN HORWOOD L.
Published: May 2005

Background. The objectives of the study were to examine linkages between exposure to childhood abuse and interparental violence and the subsequent development of panic attacks and panic disorder using data gathered on a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand young people studied to the age of 21 years.

Method. Data on: (a) exposure to child abuse and interparental violence; (b) the development of panic attacks and panic disorder; and (c) other childhood and related factors were gathered over the course of a 21-year longitudinal study.

Results. After adjustment for childhood and related factors, exposure to childhood physical abuse was associated with a significantly increased risk of later panic attack (OR 2·3, 95% CI 1·1–4·9) and panic disorder (OR 3·0, 95% CI 1·1–7·9); childhood sexual abuse was associated with a significantly increased risk of panic attack (OR 4·1, 95% CI 2·3–7·2) and a marginally significant increase risk of panic disorder (OR 2·2; 95% CI 0·98–5·0). Exposure to interparental violence was unrelated to later panic attack or disorder after adjustment.

Conclusions. Exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse was associated with increased risks of later panic attack/disorder even after adjustment for prospectively assessed confounding factors. However, exposure to interparental violence during childhood was not related to increased risk of later panic attack/disorder after adjustment. These data suggest the need for clinicians to be aware that patients with histories of childhood physical and sexual abuse may be at increased risk for panic during young adulthood.
Positron emission tomographic imaging of neural correlates of a fear acquisition and extinction paradigm in women with childhood sexual-abuse-related post-traumatic stress disorder
Authors: BREMNER J. DOUGLAS , VERMETTEN ERIC , SCHMAHL CHRISTIAN , VACCARINO VIOLA , VYTHILINGAM MEENA , AFZAL NADEEM , GRILLON CHRISTIAN , CHARNEY DENNIS S.
Published: May 2005

Background. In the conditioned fear paradigm, repeated pairing of an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) (e.g. electric shock) with a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) (e.g. bright light) results in a conditioned fear response to the light alone. Animal studies have shown that the amygdala plays a critical role in acquisition of conditioned fear responses, while the medial prefrontal cortex (including anterior cingulate), through inhibition of amygdala responsiveness, has been hypothesized to play a role in extinction of fear responses. No studies have examined neural correlates of fear conditioning and extinction in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Method. Women with early childhood sexual-abuse-related PTSD (n=8) and women without abuse or PTSD (n=11) underwent measurement of psychophysiological (skin conductance) responding as well as positron emission tomographic (PET) measurement of cerebral blood flow during habituation, acquisition and extinction conditions. During habituation subjects were repeatedly exposed to a blue square on a screen. During acquisition, exposure to the blue square (CS) was paired with an electric shock to the forearm (US). With extinction, subjects were again exposed to the blue squares without shock. On a different day subjects went through the same procedure with electric shocks administered randomly in the absence of the blue square.

Results. Skin conductance responding to the CS was consistent with the development of conditioned responses with this paradigm. PTSD patients had increased left amygdala activation with fear acquisition, and decreased anterior cingulate function during extinction, relative to controls.

Conclusions. These findings implicate amygdala and anterior cingulate in the acquisition and extinction of fear responses, respectively, in PTSD.
Desire for amputation of a limb: paraphilia, psychosis, or a new type of identity disorder
Authors: FIRST MICHAEL B.
Published: May 2005

Background. The objective of this paper is to describe and conceptualize an unusual and probably rare condition: the intense longstanding desire to have an amputation.

Method. Structured interviews were conducted by telephone of 52 subjects (mean age: 48·6, range 23–77 years; 47 male, 4 female, 1 intersexed) self-identified as having had a desire to have an amputation.

Results. Seventeen per cent (n=9) had an arm or leg amputated with two-thirds using methods that put the subject at risk of death and one-third enlisting a surgeon to amputate their healthy limb. The most common reported reason for wanting an amputation was the subject's feeling that it would correct a mismatch between the person's anatomy and sense of his or her ‘true’ self (identity). None were delusional. For all but one subject age at onset was during childhood or early adolescence. For those who had psychotherapy or medication there was no change in the intensity of the desire for amputation. The six subjects who had an amputation at their desired site reported that following the amputation they felt better than they ever had and no longer had a desire for an amputation.

Conclusions. These preliminary results suggest the existence of an extremely unusual clinically distinct condition characterized by a lifelong desire to have an amputation of a particular limb. The condition is associated with serious negative consequences: amputation attempts, impairment and marked distress. Reflecting similarities between Gender Identity Disorder and this condition, the author suggests that it may be conceptualized as an unusual dysfunction in the development one's fundamental sense of anatomical (body) identity.
Suicide rates according to education with a particular focus on physicians in Norway 1960–2000
Authors: HEM ERLEND , HALDORSEN TOR , GJERLØW AASLAND OLAF , TYSSEN REIDAR , VAGLUM PER , EKEBERG ØIVIND
Published: May 2005

Background. Suicide rates are higher in certain educational groups. The highest rates are generally found in the medical and allied professions, but the empirical evidence for high suicide rates may be questionable. This study compares the rate of suicide among trained physicians, dentists, nurses, police officers and theologians with the rate among other university graduates and the general population according to sex, age and time period.

Method. Census data from 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990 relating to education were linked to suicide as cause of death data from Statistics Norway, and followed up for the period 1960–2000, comprising 46 and 49 million person-years among men and women respectively.

Results. Physicians still have a higher rate compared with other graduates and the general population, both among males [43·0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 35·3–52·5] and females (26·1, 95% CI 15·1–44·9). Suicide rates increased steeply by age among physicians and other graduates, whereas for non-graduates the rate was highest in the 40–60 years age group. The suicide rate among female nurses was also elevated, whereas police officers seemed to have an intermediate suicide risk. The rate among theologians was low (7·0, 95% CI 2·9–16·9). The suicide rates in the 1990s were significantly lower than in the 1980s.

Conclusions. The high suicide rates among physicians and elderly graduates are of concern. The reasons why graduates are more vulnerable than others when getting older and the low rate among theologians warrant further study.
Effectiveness of a two-phase cognitive rehabilitation intervention for severely impaired schizophrenia patients
Authors: SILVERSTEIN STEVEN M. , HATASHITA-WONG MICHI , SOLAK BETH ANNE , UHLHAAS PETER , LANDA YULIA , WILKNISS SANDRA M. , GOICOCHEA CLAUDIA , CARPINIELLO KELLY , SCHENKEL LINDSAY S. , SAVITZ ADAM , SMITH THOMAS E.
Published: May 2005

Background. Several small-N, uncontrolled reports have demonstrated that the behavioral technique of attention shaping has significantly increased attention span among severely ill schizophrenia patients.

Method. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of using an individually administered intervention for improving sustained attention, Attention Process Training (APT), followed by an attention-shaping procedure within the context of an ongoing skills training group. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either the APT and attention-shaping sequence (n=18) or equivalent hours of treatment in the same intensive behavioral rehabilitation program (n=13).

Results. Results indicated dramatic improvements in attentiveness in the cognitive rehabilitation condition compared with the control condition, which demonstrated essentially no change in attentiveness over the 12 weeks of treatment. The attention-shaping intervention appeared to account for the majority of the effect. In contrast to the observational data, performance on neuropsychological tests was unaffected by the cognitive interventions.

Conclusions. This two-phase intervention demonstrated effectiveness in promoting attentive behavior among chronic schizophrenia patients with severe attentional impairment.
Circulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor is decreased in women with anorexia and bulimia nervosa but not in women with binge-eating disorder: relationships to co-morbid depression, psychopathology and hormonal variables
Authors: MONTELEONE PALMIERO , FABRAZZO MICHELE , MARTIADIS VASSILIS , SERRITELLA CRISTINA , PANNUTO MARILENA , MAJ MARIO
Published: May 2005

Background. Several lines of evidence indicate a role of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the modulation of eating behaviour. Therefore, alterations in the physiology of this neurotrophin may be involved in the pathogenesis of eating disorders. In the present study, we investigated serum levels of BDNF in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED).

Method. Ninety-nine drug-free women (27 with AN, 24 with BN, 24 with BED and 24 healthy controls) underwent both a blood sample collection in the morning and diagnostic and psychopathological assessments by means of structured clinical interviews and ad-hoc rating scales. Serum levels of BDNF, 17β-oestradiol, FT3 and FT4 were measured.

Results. Compared to healthy controls, serum levels of BDNF were significantly reduced in underweight AN women and in normal weight BN women, but not in overweight BED women. Changes in circulating BDNF levels were not affected by the presence of co-morbid depressive disorders. No significant correlation emerged between neurotrophin concentrations and psychopathological, nutritional, demographic and hormonal variables.

Conclusions. These findings evidentiate alterations in serum BDNF levels in malnourished patients with AN or BN, but not in well-nourished individuals with BED. Since BDNF seems to exert a satiety effect, its reduction may represent an adaptive change to counteract the decreased calorie ingestion of AN and BN individuals.
Internal and external validity of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a population-based sample of adults
Authors: SANDRA KOOIJ J. J. , BUITELAAR JAN K. , van den OORD EDWIN J. , FURER JOHAN W. , TH. RIJNDERS CEES A. , HODIAMONT PAUL P. G.
Published: May 2005

Background. Follow-up studies of childhood ADHD have shown persistence of the disorder into adulthood, but no epidemiological data are yet available.

Method. ADHD DSM-IV symptoms were obtained by self-report in an adult population-based sample of 1813 adults (aged 18–75 years), that was drawn from an automated general practitioner system used in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The structure of ADHD symptoms was analysed by means of confirmatory factor analyses. Other data used in this report are the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), information about the presence of three core symptoms of ADHD in childhood, and about current psychosocial impairment.

Results. The three-factor model that allowed for cross-loadings provided the best fit in the entire sample. This result was replicated across gender and age subsamples. Inattentive and hyperactivity symptom scores were significantly associated with measures of impairment, even after controlling for the GHQ-28. Subjects with four or more inattentive or hyperactive–impulsive symptoms were significantly more impaired than subjects with two, one and no symptoms. The prevalence of ADHD in adults was 1·0% (95% CI 0·6–1·6) and 2·5% (1·9–3·4) using a cutoff of six and four current symptoms respectively, and requiring the presence of all three core symptoms in childhood.

Conclusions. These results support the internal and external validity of ADHD in adults between 18 and 75 years. ADHD is not merely a child psychiatric disorder that persists into young adulthood, but an important and unique manifestation of psychopathology across the lifespan.
Toward an understanding of risk factors for binge-eating disorder in black and white women: a community-based case-control study
Authors: STRIEGEL-MOORE RUTH H. , FAIRBURN CHRISTOPHER G. , WILFLEY DENISE E. , PIKE KATHLEEN M. , DOHM FAITH-ANNE , KRAEMER HELENA C.
Published: May 2005

Background. This study sought to identify in white women risk factors specific to binge-eating disorder (BED) and for psychiatric disorders in general, and to compare black and white women on risk factors for BED.

Method. A case-control design was used. Participants were recruited from the community and included 162 women who met DSM-IV criteria for BED and two comparison groups of women with no history of clinically significant eating disorder symptoms. The comparison women were matched to BED women on age, education and ethnicity and divided into a healthy comparison (HC) group, who had no current psychiatric disorder, and a psychiatric comparison (PC) group, who had a diagnosis of a DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric disorder. The study sample size was determined by the group with the least members (PC), including 107 women with BED and 214 matched comparison women. A broad range of risk factors was assessed with a Risk Factor Interview and the Parental Bonding Instrument.

Results. No significant effects for ethnicity by diagnostic group were found. BED women reported higher exposure to childhood obesity, family overeating or binge-eating, family discord, and high parental demands than PC women. The combined BED and PC group scored significantly higher than the HC group on measures of negative affect, parental mood and substance disorders, perfectionism, separation from parents, and maternal problems with parenting.

Conclusions. These findings indicate that childhood obesity and familial eating problems are reliable specific risk factors for BED. Ethnicity does not appear to moderate risk for BED.
Tests of executive functions in first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients: a meta-analysis
Authors: SZÖKE ANDREI , SCHÜRHOFF FRANCK , MATHIEU FLAVIE , MEARY ALEXANDRE , IONESCU SERBAN , LEBOYER MARION
Published: May 2005

Background. Executive dysfunctions in relatives of schizophrenic patients may be trait markers of genetic liability and thus help us to elucidate the aetiology of schizophrenia. As a large amount of data has been published, a synthesis through a meta-analysis was needed to demonstrate the existence of executive impairments in relatives of schizophrenic patients and to assess their magnitude.

Method. We conducted a meta-analysis of articles that compared performances of controls and relatives of schizophrenic patients on the four tests most frequently used to assess executive functions: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Stroop Test and the Verbal Fluency (VF) Test. When needed and possible, published data were supplemented with information from the authors. After assessing the homogeneity of the data, effect sizes were estimated and publication bias was tested by use of funnel plots.

Results. Relatives of schizophrenic patients performed less well than controls on all executive tests analysed. Effect estimates were in the small to moderate range (from 0·26 to 0·49) for Stroop, WCST and TMT, but were greater for the fluency tests (0·65 for phonological and 0·87 for semantic VF).

Conclusion. Relatives of schizophrenic patients appear to have wide, although not severe, executive dysfunctions. As the sensitivity of the different tests for impairments in relatives is not the same, the choice of test and method used should be carefully assessed.
Priority contribution. The rediscovery of Gurney's Pitta Pitta gurneyi in Myanmar and an estimate of its population size based on remaining forest cover
Authors: EAMES JONATHAN C. , HLA HTIN , LEIMGRUBER PETER , KELLY DANIEL S. , AUNG SEIN MYO , MOSES SAW , TIN U SAW NYUNT
Published: May 2005

A preliminary survey for Gurney's Pitta Pitta gurneyi was undertaken at five sites within the species' historical range in the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Division of Myanmar from 14 to 24 May 2003. During the surveys, Gurney's Pittas were heard and/or observed at four sites with a maximum of 10–12 pairs recorded at one site. Birds were encountered in logged primary and secondary forest below 100 m on flat ground, sometimes less than 10 m from forest edge. All encounters were within 2 km of the main trans-Tanintharyi highway. Landsat satellite imagery was used to map remaining lowland forests and Gurney's Pitta habitat in the Tanintharyi Division. Our analysis demonstrated that only 4,705 km2 of lowland forest remain with about 3,496 km2 in flat areas with slopes < 10°. On the basis of previously reported population densities, these habitats may support a population of 5,152–8,586 pairs. Much of the remaining habitat is restricted to small and fragmented patches < 1 km2 in area. The five largest patches have a total area of 1,431 km2 and range in size from 137 to 467 km2. This survey demonstrated that Gurney's Pitta still occurs within its historical range in Myanmar, although probably not at any of the historical collecting localities visited. The global population of Gurney's Pitta is at least 100% greater than the latest published estimate. This survey has also shown that the Gurney's Pitta population in southern Tanintharyi Division is under pressure from forest conversion to oil palm. Contrary to the situation in neighbouring Thailand, sufficient forest remains to establish landscape level protected areas covering a broad ecological continuum. Securing populations of Gurney's Pitta within either expanded or entirely new protected areas must be the best chance for the species and the Sundaic flora and fauna of which it is part.
The implications of selective logging and forest fragmentation for the conservation of avian diversity in evergreen forests of south-west Ghana
Authors: HOLBECH LARS H.
Published: May 2005

The urgent global objective of developing sustainable tropical forestry management practices, which also target biodiversity conservation, requires rapid comparative studies that address both biogeography and logging practices. This paper examines avifaunal implications (focusing on species diversity and composition) of forest fragmentation and selective logging, by comparing 15 selected reserved forests in south-west Ghana. The regeneration time since last logging varied from 0 (logging continuing) to 21 years, with one unlogged site as control. Extraction levels ranged between 0.20 and 3.75 trees per ha (mean 0.90). Bird sampling involved understorey mist-netting and standardized line-transect walks, which respectively accumulated 8,348 captures and 22,452 single records of 147 species. Mist-net data showed that understorey bird diversity was positively correlated with logging intensity up to c. 3 trees per ha, reflecting increased influx of open-land species and a persistence of forest obligates during the first 5 years after logging. The overall abundance of forest interior species tended to decrease 5–10 years after logging, but recovered fairly well thereafter. Canopy birds were generally more logging-resilient. Rare forest obligates with high conservation importance were found to be equally abundant in virgin and logged, large forests, whereas these birds were poorly represented in small heavily logged forests. The results are compared with findings from other regions, and conservation implications and constraints are discussed in a global perspective. Finally, recommendations on size-related sustainable extraction levels and regeneration time are presented for the Upper Guinea Forest.
Density and population estimates of Amani Sunbird Anthreptes pallidigaster in Kenya's Arabuko-Sokoke Forest
Authors: DAVIS JEFFREY A.
Published: May 2005

The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (ASF) is the largest area of coastal forest remaining in East Africa. However, encroachment and habitat degradation threaten the existence of many plant and animal species, including the East African endemic Amani Sunbird Anthreptes pallidigaster. The aim of this study was to arrive at an estimate of population size for Amani Sunbirds within the ASF. Forty transects were surveyed over 3 months in 1999. The total length of all transects was 63.572 km. In total, 103 Amani Sunbirds were detected at an estimated density of 36.6 birds/km2. Thus with a total area of 77 km2, the Brachystegia woodland of the ASF should hold about 2,818 Amani Sunbirds. This estimate is much lower than the 5,800–9,400 birds estimated by Britton and Britton (1978). While it is possible that their estimate was inaccurate, the apparent decline in the population could be due to natural population fluctuations. Habitat degradation is another possible cause, as illegal logging and tree-felling continue in and around the ASF. Since the majority of the local people around the ASF are farmers, there is little concern for the welfare of the forest, especially when they see few benefits stemming from conserving the resource. Future funding towards the conservation of the ASF should focus on (1) setting up a consistent monitoring programme that will provide further population estimates for endangered species such as Amani Sunbird, and (2) ensuring that local people get some benefit.
Status of pelicans and cormorants on the northern Black Sea
Authors: SCHOGOLEV I. , RUDENKO A. , CRIVELLI A.J.
Published: May 2005

The status of breeding pelicans and cormorants is assessed in the area from the Danube delta (Romania) to the northern part of the Crimean peninsula. Four breeding species occur in inland and coastal wetlands: Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus. Data on clutch size and breeding success are given. Historically, all four species were restricted to the Danube delta. Currently, with the exception of Dalmatian Pelican, they all breed successfully on the eastern Black Sea coast in the Ukraine. There are many conservation problems that will jeopardize the breeding of these species in the future if nothing is done.
Dynamics of extinction: population decline in the colonially nesting Tricolored Blackbird Agelaius tricolor
Authors: COOK LIZETTE F. , TOFT CATHERINE A.
Published: May 2005

Tricolored Blackbird Agelaius tricolor is a rapidly declining species largely endemic to California and forms larger breeding colonies than any other extant North American landbird following the extinction of Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius. We present information on its distribution, breeding habitat and changes in global population size using data collected since the 1930s. We also present data on reproductive success at 103 colonies between 1992 and 2003. While possibly once the most abundant bird throughout much of its range, it declined by over 50% between the 1930s and early 1990s, and by a further c. 56% between 1994 and 2000. The global population is now smaller than the historic size of some individual breeding colonies. Reproductive success was significantly higher in upland non-native vegetation (primarily Himalayan blackberry Rubus discolor) than in native emergent cattail Typha spp. and bulrush Scirpus spp. marshes, its likely predominant historic breeding habitat. Contemporary losses of important upland nesting substrate, combined with low reproductive success in native habitats and complete breeding failure in harvested agricultural fields, are the most likely causes of recent declines. Recovery of this species presents possible conflicts in conservation policy because successful reproduction now largely depends on invasive non-native plants and the willingness of farmers to delay harvest or to lose portions of their crops.
Species or subspecies? The dilemma of taxonomic ranking of some South-East Asian hawk-eagles (genus Spizaetus)
Authors: GAMAUF ANITA , GJERSHAUG JAN-OVE , RØV NILS , KVALØY KIRSTI , HARING ELISABETH
Published: May 2005

A molecular phylogeny of the Spizaetus cirrhatus complex is presented in this study, based on two sections of the mitochondrial genome: partial sequences of the cytochrome b gene and of the control region (CR). The topologies derived from the two sequences are in agreement. Within S. cirrhatus distances are rather low (0–1.5% in cytochrome b). Among the cirrhatus subspecies the island taxa floris, vanheurni and andamanensis form distinct haplogroups in the CR trees, conforming to the earlier subspecific divisions which were based on morphological characters. On the other hand, the most widespread subspecies, limnaeetus, does not represent a monophyletic group in the gene trees and its haplogroups do not cluster according to geographic affinities. An unambiguous resolution of relationships among haplotypes and haplogroups, respectively, was not achieved, suggesting a more recent radiation of this group of hawk-eagles in the course of the last ice ages. Concerning the outgroup taxa Spizaetus philippensis and Spizaetus lanceolatus, our data indicate a clear genetic distinction between the two subspecies S. p. philippensis and S. p. pinskeri, suggesting that they should be treated as distinct species. Yet the phylogenetic relationships of the three outgroup taxa with respect to S. cirrhatus are ambiguous in our trees. The taxonomic consequences of applying different species concepts (BSC, PSC) are discussed. The species concept chosen would result in different conservation strategies.
Ecoacoustic and shamanic technologies for multimedia composition and performance
Authors: BURTNER MATTHEW
Published: May 2005

The author's close connection to traditional Alaskan culture has inspired the creation and implementation of new multimedia instruments based on the use of ritual objects in shamanic cultures of the far north. Simultaneously, the musical processes articulated by this music are structurally tied to environmental systems in a technique discussed here as ‘ecoacoustics’. In this work, performer/composer interaction, musical composition theory, multimedia performance, and musical instrument design have been transformed in response to these influences.
eSaz: a non-Western instrument in the context of a live electronic performance system
Authors: GLUCK ROBERT J.
Published: May 2005

eSaz is a performance system for live electronic music centred around a classical Turkish lute fitted with electronic sensors and linked to a software interface designed in Max/MSP. Placement of sensors and the design of its digital signal processing build upon the physical characteristics, and expand upon the acoustical features, of this traditional instrument. Its design facilitates the integration of real-time recorded, as well as pre-recorded sounds, into an unfolding montage of sound. The system is discussed from both a technical point of view and from the perspective of a Western electronic musician addressing a non-Western acoustical instrument. Relevant questions about cross-cultural borrowing and the impact of electronics on the sounds and performance technique of a traditional instrument are discussed. The author addresses the role played by his Jewish identification, as a member of an ethno-religious group with a historical connection to Ottomon musical traditions, on the choices involved. Technical and aesthetic issues are detailed within the context of a description of the instrument and the author's interest in the development of gestural controllers.
The use of Brazilian folk instrument sounds in a concerto for computer and orchestra
Authors: DE SOUZA RODOLFO COELHO
Published: May 2005

Original and transformed samples of berimbau, cuica and zunidores sounds, instruments typical of Brazilian folk music, as well as synthesised sounds that emulate spectro-morphological variations of the sounds of these instruments, were assembled into the library of electronic sounds used in Coelho de Souza's Concerto for Computer and Orchestra. This approach had strong implications for the cultural identity of the piece and for the strategies of integration of the computer with the orchestra.
Synthesising Chinese flutes using Csound
Authors: AYERS LYDIA
Published: May 2005

This paper gives brief descriptions of five Chinese flutes: the paixiao, xun, koudi, xiao and dizi, and short musical excerpts with their notation, idiomatic phrasing and typical ornaments. The source material section describes their spectral characteristics. Following a brief description of the previous wavetable synthesis design, an expressive new Csound additive synthesis design used to model the instruments is described. Chinese notation is a convenient Csound pitch input method using Ling Lun's tuning. Finally, several excerpts from compositions illustrate applications of the designs.
Recent technology and the hybridisation of Western and Chinese musics
Authors: KEYES CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: May 2005

Although the hybridisation of Western and Chinese musics has been progressing for over a century, many early attempts tended to treat Chinese material in a rather superficial manner. This resulted in mere ‘Orientalist’ Western pieces and rather bland pentatonic/romantic ‘Chinese’ music that simply harmonised the basic outline of popular Chinese melodies with Western chord progressions. The use of recent technologies has greatly accelerated the pace and depth of this hybridisation and solved many of its artistic problems. Technological advances now make it possible and practical to incorporate the subtle but essential elements of traditional Chinese music, and of course other world musics, in works that seem satisfying for Western and non-Western audiences. This paper presents a brief historical overview of the hybridisation of Western and Chinese musical traditions, examines common pitfalls of many early attempts, and reviews how these issues are addressed compositionally and technically in the author's recent electroacoustic pieces, Li Jiang Etudes No. 1, 2 & 3.
Traditional New Zealand Mäori Instruments, Composition and Digital Technology: some recent collaborations and processes
Authors: WHALLEY IAN
Published: May 2005

This paper examines the integration of traditional New Zealand Mäori instruments with digital music technology, and the use of these instruments in making new works. The focus is on the work of performer/composers Hirini Melbourne and Richard Nunns, as well as recent collaborations that Richard Nunns has undertaken with some composers and musicians in genres other than Mäori music. Aesthetic, practical and cultural considerations in the composition process are explored.
Computer models and compositional applications of plastic corrugated tubes
Authors: SERAFIN STEFANIA , KOJS JURAJ
Published: May 2005

A flexible plastic corrugated tube known as the Hummer was a popular sonic toy in the early 1970s. It produces pleasing sonorities when whirled in the air. In this article, we propose a physically informed model of a singing corrugated tube. The model was used in the composition Garden of the Dragon, which is also described in this paper.
Atomic noise
Authors: JENSEN KRISTOFFER
Published: May 2005

Stochastic, unvoiced sounds are abundant in music and musical sounds. Without irregularities, the music and sounds become dull and lifeless. This paper presents work on unvoiced sounds that is believed to be useful in noise music. Several methods for obtaining a gradual change towards static white noise are presented. The random values (Dice), random events (Geiger) and random frequencies (Cymbal) noise types are shown to produce many useful sounds. Atomic noise encompasses all three noise types, while adding much more subtle variations and more life to the noise. Methods for obtaining a harmonic sound from the noise are introduced. These methods take advantage of the stochastic nature of the model, facilitating a gradual change from the stochastic sound to the noisy harmonic sound. In addition, the frozen noise repetitions are shown to produce unexpected pitch jumps with a potentially useful musical structure.
The genetic epidemiology of human primary osteoarthritis: current status
Authors: Loughlin John
Published: May 2005

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease characterised by the degeneration of the cartilage of synovial joints such as the hip and knee. In the past ten years a large number of twin-pair, sibling-risk and segregation studies have been conducted on the disease, and these have revealed a major genetic component that is transmitted in a nonmendelian manner. OA therefore fits best into the complex, multifactorial class of common diseases. With a genetic component established, genome-wide linkage scans were performed, and these uncovered several genomic intervals likely to harbour OA susceptibility. In the past few years these intervals have started to yield genes containing OA-associated variants. This is therefore a very exciting period in the molecular genetic analysis of this common disease. The genes that have so far been implicated in susceptibility include the interleukin 1 gene (IL1) cluster at chromosome 2q11.2-q13, the matrilin 3 gene (MATN3) at 2p24.1, the IL-4 receptor α-chain gene (IL4R) at 16p12.1, the secreted frizzled-related protein 3 gene (FRZB) at 2q32.1, the metalloproteinase gene ADAM12 at 10q26.2 and, most recently, the asporin gene (ASPN) at 9q22.31. The evidence for involvement of these genes in OA is more compelling for some than others, with the IL1 and ASPN associations being the most convincing to date. It is imperative that the veracity of each of the associations be tested by genotyping additional cohorts and that their global relevance be assessed by genotyping OA cohorts from different ethnic backgrounds. The gene products of IL1, IL4R, FRZB and ASPN regulate cartilage chondrocyte differentiation and survival, and their effects on the chondrocyte are potentially amenable to therapeutic intervention. The latest genetics is therefore providing new insights for the development of novel OA treatments.
Changes in the water surface profile of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, between 1923 and 2000
Authors: Magirl Christopher S. , Webb Robert H. , Griffiths Peter G.
Published: May 2005

In 1923, a U.S. Geological Survey expedition surveyed the water surface profile of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon with theodolite and stadia rod. In 2000, lidar overflights collected topographic data centered on the river corridor, allowing construction of a new water surface profile and detection of change in the profile since 1923. By registering the surveys with respect to each other on the basis of 11 locations that were independently determined to have been unchanged between 1923 and 2000, 80 rapids were directly compared for change between 1923 and 2000. The average change for all measured rapids was +0.26 m, indicating net aggradation of the coarse‐grained alluvium forming the rapids throughout Grand Canyon. In addition, comparison of the two water surface profiles showed enhanced pool‐and‐rapid morphology. While 50% of the total drop of the river occurred in just 9% of the river distance in 1923, that value increased to 66% by 2000.
Oscillatory modes of extended Nile River records (A.D. 622–1922)
Authors: Kondrashov D. , Feliks Y. , Ghil M.
Published: May 2005

The historical records of the low‐ and high‐water levels of the Nile River are among the longest climatic records that have near‐annual resolution. There are few gaps in the first part of the records (A.D. 622–1470) and larger gaps later (A.D. 1471–1922). We apply advanced spectral methods, Singular‐Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and the Multi‐Taper Method (MTM), to fill the gaps and to locate interannual and interdecadal periodicities. The gap filling uses a novel, iterative version of SSA. Our analysis reveals several statistically significant features of the records: a nonlinear, data‐adaptive trend that includes a 256‐year cycle, a quasi‐quadriennial (4.2‐year) and a quasi‐biennial (2.2‐year) mode, as well as additional periodicities of 64, 19, 12, and, most strikingly, 7 years. The quasi‐quadriennial and quasi‐biennial modes support the long‐established connection between the Nile River discharge and the El‐Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon in the Indo‐Pacific Ocean. The longest periods might be of astronomical origin. The 7‐year periodicity, possibly related to the biblical cycle of lean and fat years, seems to be due to North Atlantic influences.
Constraints on subducting plate strength within the Kermadec trench
Authors: Billen Magali I. , Gurnis Michael
Published: May 2005

Four specially designed surveys parallel to the Kermadec trench allow localized estimates of plate strength within the subducting Pacific plate to be made. The transfer function between topography and gravity is estimated for five trench‐parallel ship tracks at distances of 25–110 km from the trench axis. We find a clear reduction in the magnitude and peak wavelength of the transfer function from the outer rise to the trench axis. The change in the transfer function indicates a decrease in plate strength and is consistent with a reduction in flexural rigidity by 3–5 orders of magnitude or a decrease in effective elastic thickness by more than 15 km. Such a large‐magnitude decrease in the effective elastic strength suggests that the plate has little or no elastic strength within the trench and that viscous stresses play an important role in transferring slab‐pull forces to the subducting plate and regulating plate speeds in subduction zones.
Interannual variability of seasonal phytoplankton blooms in the north polar Atlantic in response to atmospheric forcing
Authors: Stramska Malgorzata
Published: May 2005

The year‐to‐year variability of timing, intensity, and spatial distribution of surface phytoplankton during spring‐summer seasons is examined in the north polar region of the Atlantic using satellite‐derived chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) over 7 years (1998–2004). Each year phytoplankton bloom differed in onset, temporal evolution, and intensity. This interannual variability is to a large degree controlled by local weather, as indicated by the analysis of coincident meteorological data. The atmospheric forcing was parameterized in terms of the generation rate of turbulent kinetic energy (TKERT) supplied from the atmosphere to the ocean. Timing of the bloom is delayed in years with high TKERT supplied to the ocean in March. In April, Chl (local and regionally averaged) and TKERT are inversely related to one another. The late winter and early spring atmospheric conditions influence the seasonal Chl patterns. The seasonal (April–August) Chl correlates well with net heat flux, wind energy, and TKERT in March and April, but the correlation can be negative or positive in different areas of the north polar Atlantic. The correlation between TKERT and seasonal Chl is positive in the Greenland Gyre (higher seasonal Chl corresponds to higher TKERT in March–April) and negative in the regions of East Greenland and North Atlantic/West Spitsbergen Currents. The most likely explanation for the positive correlation between TKERT and Chl within the Greenland Gyre is that higher TKERT in spring increases the seasonal supply of nutrients into surface waters.