bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Archive knowledge discovery by proxy cache
Authors: Yu Hsiang‐Fu , Chen Yi‐Ming , Tseng Li‐Ming
Published: March 2004

An archive is a file containing several related files. Many Internet resources, such as freeware, shareware and trail software, are often packaged into archives for easy installation and taking. Additionally, thousands of users search for archives and download them from different sources everyday. In this paper, previous research on archive downloading is extended via proxy cache to support archive searching. Internet proxy cache servers are used to gather a significant number of Web pages, detect those that contain archive links, and then use the obtained data to search archives by description or filename. Two schemes, iterative and backtracking, are proposed to obtain Web pages with archive links. The experimental results indicate that the precision that both of the schemes can achieve is about the same; however, the backtracking scheme reduces the number of checked pages by a factor of 26. Finally, a real system was implemented to demonstrate the proposed approaches.
Secure Internet examination system based on video monitoring
Authors: Ko C.C. , Cheng C.D.
Published: March 2004

The use of the Internet for Web‐based teaching and learning is fast becoming a reality. However, since it is difficult to verify the identity of the student through a simple user ID and password system on the client side, performance evaluation through test and examination through the Internet is still in its infancy. To overcome this main hurdle, a system has been designed and developed where a camera at the client computer is used to capture the student’s face and posture at random intervals during the test. The captured images are stored at the server and can be used to verify the identity of the person taking the test if the need arises. The system developed has been successfully used in a randomized multiple choice test in a course on analog and digital signals involving 450 students.
Do multinationals standardise or localise? The cross‐cultural dimensionality of product‐based Web sites
Authors: Okazaki Shintaro
Published: March 2004

Despite the growing use of the Internet as an effective marketing channel, there is a lack of comprehensive research regarding multinational corporations’ (MNCs’) Web sites for multiple cultures. In this paper, Japanese MNCs’ product‐based Web sites were content‐analysed, comparing the Web sites created by the same firms in domestic and external markets. In total, 150 product‐based Web sites were chosen from the Japanese, Spanish and US market samples. Three explanatory variables (information content, cultural values and creative strategies) were examined on the basis of cultural dimensions and contexts. The results revealed that Japanese MNCs are likely to localise their Web sites to meet the target market culture through tailoring content and creative strategies, but also that online product presentations do not reflect target‐market values. In closing, implications and future research directions are discussed.
Cost‐quality based consumer perception analysis of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) in India
Authors: Jaiswal M.P. , Raghav Bhoopesh
Published: March 2004

Telecom in developing countries faces a distinct challenge as compared to developed countries. The technology of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) would be a key enabler for growth and service delivery in the former case. VoIP, though reported not widely accepted in developed countries, would be acceptable in developing countries owing to its affordable quality and lower costs. This hypothesis was tested through a user survey conducted recently in India. Five different attributes of voice quality, telephone billing, VAS, reliability and responsiveness were analysed for testing the hypothesis, along with a few case studies from other developing countries.
Testing the statistical significance of real estate in an international mixed asset portfolio
Authors: Stevenson Simon
Published: March 2004

This study re‐examines the potential role that direct real estate can play in institutional mixed‐asset portfolios. The paper examines the statistical improvement in performance that can result from the inclusion of real estate in an international mixed asset portfolio, using both in‐sample and out‐of‐sample data. Using US real estate data the results provide evidence that in most cases real estate does not lead to a significant improvement in portfolio performance in sample. However, out‐of‐sample tests indicate that the asset does provide a valuable diversification asset, with significant improvements in performance relative to a base capital market only portfolio.
An analysis of the trends and cyclical behaviours of house prices in the Asian markets
Authors: Chen Ming‐Chi , Kawaguchi Yuichiro , Patel Kanak
Published: March 2004

This paper examines the time‐series behaviour of house prices for the four Asian markets, namely, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Taipei, by using structural time‐series methodology. The paper assumes two types of trend models to characterise and compare the long‐run movement of house prices. It also examines the cyclical pattern hidden in the series. The long‐run trend rate in these markets ranged between approximately 1.6 and 3.2 per cent per annum. Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei have relatively higher figures, which could be expected in light of the rapidly growing economies. Surprisingly, their cyclical patterns were fairly similar, although causes of the cycles differed. The markets were found to have stochastic cycles of around one year, two to four years and seven to ten years, which were consistent with previous findings on real business cycles commonly observed internationally in other macroeconomic time series. However, the found stochastic nature suggests all these markets are not in a steady state and is still changing.
Land value capture mechanisms in Hong Kong and Singapore
Authors: Chi‐Man Hui Eddie , Sze‐Mun Ho Vivian , Kim‐Hin Ho David
Published: March 2004

Hong Kong and Singapore are characterized by rapid economic development and a high population density of 6,250 and 6,055 per km2 land respectively. Land revenue is their major source of income to finance their public infrastructure and social services. Their design and collection of taxes on land, their value‐capture instruments and their allocation of revenue for public works are examined. The article finds that there are some similarities between the two cities in capturing land value, such as the collection of annual rates and stamp duty on property. The differences include the adoption of property tax surcharge and the development charge. In fact, each mechanism has its pros and cons. The method and the extent of each mechanism depend on the goals of the government in respect of the social and economic conditions.
A formalised model of the scientific publication process
Authors: Björk Bo‐Christer , Hedlund Turid
Published: March 2004

The scientific publishing process has during the past few years undergone considerable changes. The socio‐economic structures have, however, not changed much, and many academics and librarians view the current situation as highly unsatisfactory. This has triggered a number of initiatives to set up e‐print repositories and electronic peer reviewed journals, which usually offer the full text for free on the Web. Serious in‐depth research studying the way the scholarly communication system is affected by the Internet is needed. In this article a formal process model of the scientific publishing process is presented (the Scientific Publication Life‐Cycle Model). The model has been developed in particular to provide a basis for studying the cost implications of different business models. It describes the life‐cycle of the single publication, in particular the refereed journal article, from the research leading to it and writing it, to being read by other researchers years later or used as a catalyst for practical implementation. Conclusions are drawn about the usefulness of the modelling methodology for this particular purpose as well as of future uses of the model itself. In addition to providing a basis for cost studies the model could function as a road map for different types of open access initiatives.
Document retrieval from a citation database using conceptual clustering and co‐word analysis
Authors: Hui S.C. , Fong A.C.M.
Published: March 2004

Traditional document retrieval techniques are ineffective in finding relevant documents due to a lack of semantic understanding of relevance. In this article, two techniques are described – conceptual clustering and co‐word analysis – aimed at injecting intelligence into the retrieval of documents stored in a citation database. Performance analysis has revealed that these techniques are better than traditional lexical analysis in terms of retrieval speed and accuracy.
Finding bibliographic information about books on the WWW: an evaluation of available sources
Authors: Somers Maike , Nieuwenhuysen Paul
Published: March 2004

The World Wide Web offers different systems to retrieve information about published books in the form of online catalogues of libraries and popular online bookstores, and subscription‐based bibliographic databases. The paper determines the usefulness of bibliographic information offered by such systems. For the quantitative evaluation, random tests with titles of known books were executed. The quality of the resulting output was evaluated on the basis of a set of criteria.
Complementary and alternative medicine: a checklist of online resources
Authors: Stirling Dale
Published: March 2004

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) continually edges toward the mainstream of Western medicine. This is due in large part to the increasing trend of research and publication in peer‐reviewed journals of the medical mainstream and the establishment of government sponsored initiatives such as the US National Institute of Health’s National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This article reviews online sources of CAM information, including English language databases, print publications and CAM clearinghouses. It is not an exhaustive review, but examines CAM resources that are easily accessible in the online environment. Where appropriate, comments about efficacy, accuracy and applicability are included.
Natural language searching
Authors: Jacsó Péter
Published: March 2004

Many professional searchers and end‐users do not use the controlled vocabulary terms when formulating their queries, despite there being software solutions in various online information retrieval services to guide users to the most appropriate terms. Two search software packages (KnowledgeFinder and PubMed) have been developed to allow users natural language access to their queries. These are discussed and evaluated.
Line‐based modified iterated Hough transform for automatic registration of multi‐source imagery
Authors: Habib Ayman F. , Alruzouq Rami I.
Published: March 2004

Image registration aims at combining imagery from multiple sensors to achieve higher accuracy and derive more information than that obtained from a single sensor. The enormous increase in the volume of remotely sensed data that is being acquired by an ever‐growing number of earth observation satellites mandates the development of accurate, robust, and automated registration procedures. An effective automatic image registration has to deal with four issues: registration primitives, transformation function, similarity measure, and matching strategy. This paper introduces a new approach for automatic image registration using linear features as the registration primitives. Linear features have been chosen because they can be reliably extracted from imagery with significantly different geometric and radiometric properties. The modified iterated Hough transform (MIHT), which manipulates the registration primitives and similarity measure, is used as the matching strategy for automatically deriving an estimate of the parameters involved in the transformation function as well as the correspondence between conjugate primitives. The MIHT procedure follows an optimal sequence for parameter estimation that takes into account the contribution of linear features with different orientations at various locations within the imagery towards the estimation of the transformation parameters in question. Experimental results using real data proved the feasibility and robustness of the suggested approach.
Giving Up (on) Rights? The Future of Rights and the Project of Radical Democracy
Authors: Chambers Samuel A.
Published: March 2004

Debate over the theory of rights has recently reemerged, with a confrontation between postfoundational writings that challenge the very discourse of rights and Habermasians (and others) who insist on the foundational centrality of rights. This article will not enter such a debate directly, but rather will try to take seriously that challenge itself. The article asks what, exactly, is at stake in an argument for or against rights and queries whether this challenge to rights discourse entails giving up on rights as a tool of political leverage. In responding to such questions I indicate a future for rights and rights discourse, one found within the project of radical democracy. I not only insist that we cannot abandon the discourse of rights in contemporary theory and politics, but also go on to suggest that sustaining and reinvigorating the discourse of rights requires a significant displacement of that discourse from the dominant terms of liberalism and toward those of radical democracy.
Does Truth Lead to Reconciliation? Testing the Causal Assumptions of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Process
Authors: Gibson James L.
Published: March 2004

Throughout the world, truth commissions have been created under the assumption that getting people to understand the past will somehow contribute to reconciliation between those who were enemies under the ancien regime. In South Africa, the truth and reconciliation process is explicitly based on the hypothesis that knowledge of the past will lead to acceptance, tolerance, and reconciliation in the future. My purpose here is to test that hypothesis, based on data collected in a 2001 survey of over 3,700 South Africans. My most important finding is that those who accept the “truth” about the country's apartheid past are more likely to hold reconciled racial attitudes. Racial reconciliation also depends to a considerable degree on interracial contact, evidence that adds weight to the “contact hypothesis” investigated by western social scientists. Ultimately, these findings are hopeful for South Africa's democratic transition, since racial attitudes seem not to be intransigent.
A Decision Theoretic Model of Public Opinion: Guns, Butter, and European Common Defense
Authors: Carrubba Clifford J. , Singh Anand
Published: March 2004

Why do individuals support the public policies they do? We argue that individuals can have quite sophisticated policy preferences and that not correctly modeling those preferences can lead to critically misspecified empirical models. To substantiate this position we derive and test a decision‐theoretic model that relies upon three critical assumptions: (1) policies affect the provision of multiple goods about which individuals care; (2) individuals have diminishing returns to scale in those goods; and (3) preferences over at least some subset of those goods are correlated. Using this model, we demonstrate that arbitrarily small secondary policy effects can confound predictions over primary policy effects. Thus, not considering even arbitrarily small policy effects can cause one to conclude that evidence is consistent with one's theory when in fact it is inconsistent or vice versa. Testing this theory on support for forming a European common defense, we find evidence consistent with our model.
Oil Wealth and Regime Survival in the Developing World, 1960–1999
Authors: Smith Benjamin
Published: March 2004

This article examines contrasting claims made by scholars of oil and politics that oil wealth either tends (1) to undermine regime durability or (2) to enhance it. Using cross‐sectional time‐series data from 107 developing states between 1960 and 1999, I test the effects of oil wealth on regime failure, political protests, and civil war. I find that oil wealth is robustly associated with increased regime durability, even when controlling for repression, and with lower likelihoods of civil war and antistate protest. I also find that neither the boom nor bust periods exerted any significant effect on regime durability in the states most dependent on exports, even while those states saw more protests during the bust. In short, oil wealth has generally increased the durability of regimes, and repression does not account for this effect. Future research focused on the origins of robust coalitions in oil‐rich states is most likely to provide fruitful explanations to this puzzle.
Entering the Arena? Gender and the Decision to Run for Office
Authors: Fox Richard L. , Lawless Jennifer L.
Published: March 2004

A critical void in the research on women's underrepresentation in elective office is an analysis of the initial decision to run for office. Based on data from our Citizen Political Ambition Study, the first large‐scale national survey of potential candidates, we examine the process by which women and men emerge as candidates for public office. We find that women who share the same personal characteristics and professional credentials as men express significantly lower levels of political ambition to hold elective office. Two factors explain this gender gap: first, women are far less likely than men to be encouraged to run for office; second, women are significantly less likely than men to view themselves as qualified to run. Our findings call into question the leading theoretical explanations for women's numeric underrepresentation and indicate that, because of vestiges of traditional sex‐role socialization, prospects for gender parity in U.S. political institutions are less promising than conventional explanations suggest.
Race, Bureaucratic Discretion, and the Implementation of Welfare Reform
Authors: Keiser Lael R. , Mueser Peter R. , Choi Seung‐Whan
Published: March 2004

This article explores the impact of the race of individual clients and of the local racial context on the implementation of sanctions for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in a Midwestern state. We find that although nonwhites are sanctioned at lower rates than whites overall, nonwhites are sanctioned more compared to whites in each local area. This paradox occurs because nonwhites tend to live in areas with lower sanction rates. Consistent with the literature on race and policy, we find that sanction rates increase as the nonwhite population increases until a threshold is reached where nonwhites gain political power.
What Does Corruption Mean in a Democracy?
Authors: E. Warren Mark
Published: March 2004

Despite a growing interest in corruption, the topic has been absent from democratic theory. The reason is not a lack of normative issues, but rather missing links between the concepts of corruption and democracy. With few exceptions, political corruption has been conceived as departures by public officials from public rules, norms, and laws for the sake of private gain. Such a conception works well within bureaucratic contexts with well‐defined offices, purposes, and norms of conduct. But it inadequately identifies corruption in political contexts, that is, the processes of contestation through which common purposes, norms, and rules are created. Corruption in a democracy, I argue, involves duplicitous violations of the democratic norm of inclusion. Such a conception encompasses the standard conception while complementing it with attention to the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion within democratic politics. By distinguishing the meanings of inclusion and exclusion within the many institutions, spheres, and associations that constitute contemporary democracies, I provide a democratic conception of corruption with a number of implications. The most important of these is that corruption in a democracy usually indicates a deficit of democracy.
Bargaining and Learning While Fighting
Authors: Powell Robert
Published: March 2004

Much of the existing formal work on war models the decision to go to war as a game‐ending, costly lottery. This article relaxes this assumption by treating war as a costly process during which the states run the risk of military collapse. The model also allows for uncertainty over either the cost of fighting or the distribution of power. The analysis makes four contributions to the growing costly‐process literature: (i) the present model provides a more general treatment of the learning process that occurs when states are uncertain about the distribution of power, (ii) it explicitly compares the bargaining and learning processes for the two different sources of uncertainty, (iii) it suggests a way to empirically distinguish wars arising from these two sources, and (iv) it shows that the equilibrium dynamics of informational accounts of war may be quite sensitive to the underlying bargaining environment through which information is conveyed.
Politics and the New American Welfare States
Authors: Fellowes Matthew C. , Rowe Gretchen
Published: March 2004

Federal law allows states to create new welfare policies determining who can receive welfare, what types of clients are exempted from new welfare work requirements, and the value of cash benefits. This project tests nine different theoretical explanations of welfare policy to explain why states have reacted differently to this new authority. We test these explanations on Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) policies promulgated between 1997 and 2000. Our findings confirm the strong role of race in TANF politics thatSoss et al. (2001)recently reported, but we also find that other constituent characteristics, and institutions, paternalistic goals, and state resources have a consistent influence on welfare policy. These results indicate that different approaches to welfare are attributable to the unique, and very potent, combination of political characteristics in each state.
How much pilocarpine contaminates pilocarpine‐induced tick saliva?
Authors: Ribeiro J. M. C. , Zeidner N. S. , Ledin K. , Dolan M. C. , Mather T. N.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  Pilocarpine is often applied or injected into ticks to induce salivation, and the resulting saliva used to test for various pharmacological, biochemical and immunological activities. To measure the amount of pilocarpine in pilocarpine‐induced tick saliva, an HPLC‐MS/MS method, based on capillary strong cation exchange chromatography online with an ion trap mass spectrometer, was used to measure pilocarpine in the pg to ng range. Results indicate large concentrations of pilocarpine in Ixodes scapularis Say and Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus) (Acari: Ixodidae) saliva, ranging from 3 to 50 mm. Due to the known effects of pilocarpine on smooth muscle and immune cells, appropriate controls are proposed and discussed for proper interpretation of results using this saliva preparation.
Abundance of stable flies on heifers treated for control of horn flies with organophosphate impregnated ear tags
Authors: Guglielmone A. A. , Volpogni M. M. , Quaino O. R. , Anziani O. S. , Mangold A. J.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  Ear tags containing 40% organophosphate insecticides (diazinon or diazinon plus chlorpyrifos‐ethyl) were applied to control Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) in treated (TG01 and TG02) and untreated (UG01 and UG02) groups of Holstein heifers born in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Control and treated groups were assessed for the abundance of Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) from August 2001 to April 2002 and again from August 2002 to April 2003. The treatment had a high efficacy for control of horn flies (maximum median number per heifer of TG01 and TG02 = 5) but a low effect on the abundance of stable flies. The total numbers of S. calcitrans were 1251 (42.9% of the total) and 1668 (57.1%) for TG01 and UG01, and 1423 (48.8%) and 1494 (51.2%) in TG02 and UG02, respectively. No significant difference in stable fly burden was found in 55 of the 76 weeks evaluated. A unimodal peak of abundance in the spring was found during the first fly season, and a bimodal abundance, with peaks in the spring and autumn, during the second season. No strong associations between horn fly and stable fly burdens was found in individuals of the CG01 (correlation coefficient = 0.13, P > 0.05) or CG02 (correlation coefficient = 0.538, P < 0.05, determination coefficient = 0.289).
Assessing density dependence in the transmission of lymphatic filariasis: uptake and development of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae in the vector mosquitoes
Authors: Stolk W. A. , Van Oortmarssen G. J. , Subramanian S. , Das P. K. , Borsboom G. J. J. M. , Habbema J. D. F. , De Vlas S. J.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  Understanding density dependence in the transmission of lymphatic filariasis is essential for assessing the prospects of elimination. This study seeks to quantify the relationship between microfilaria (Mf) density in human blood and the number of third stage (L3) larvae developing in the mosquito vectors Aedes polynesiensis Marks and Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) after blood‐feeding. Two types of curves are fitted to previously published data. Fitting a linearized power curve through the data allows for correction for measurement error in human Mf counts. Ignoring measurement error leads to overestimation of the strength of density dependence; the degree of overestimation depends on the accuracy of measurement of Mf density. For use in mathematical models of transmission of lymphatic filariasis, a hyperbolic saturating function is preferable. This curve explicitly estimates the Mf uptake and development at lowest Mf densities and the average maximum number of L3 that can develop in mosquitoes. This maximum was estimated at 23 and 4 for Ae. polynesiensis and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively.
Sandflies of thePhlebotomus perniciosuscomplex: mitochondrial introgression and a new sibling species ofP. longicuspisin the Moroccan Rif
Authors: Pesson B. , Ready J. S. , Benabdennbi I. , Martín‐Sánchez J. , Esseghir S. , Cadi‐Soussi M. , Morillas‐Marquez F. , Ready P. D.
Published: March 2004

Abstract. The bloodsucking adult females ofPhlebotomus perniciosusNewstead andP. longicuspisNitzulescu (Diptera: Psychodidae) are important vectors of the protozoanLeishmania infantumNicolle (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) in western Mediterranean countries. The species status of the two phlebotomine sandflies was assessed, along with the epidemiological implications. Individual sandflies from three Moroccan Rif populations were characterized morphologically, isoenzymatically (by the isoelectrofocusing of alleles at the polymorphic enzyme loci of HK, GPI and PGM), and by comparative DNA sequence analysis of a fragment of mitochondrialCytochrome b(mtDNA). By reference to the character profiles of specimens from other locations, including southern Spain and the type‐locality countries, the Moroccan flies were placed in three lineages: first, the lineage ofP. perniciosus, which contained two mtDNA sublineages, one (pnt) widely distributed and associated with the morphology of the male types from Malta, and the other (pna) associated with aP. longicuspis‐like male morphology; second, the lineage ofP. longicuspis sensu stricto, including typical forms from Tunisia; and third, a new sibling species ofP. longicuspis. The mtDNA sublineage (pnt) of typicalP. perniciosuswas also found in someP. longicuspisfrom Morocco, indicating interspecific hybridization. The typical race ofP. perniciosusoccurs in Italy as well as in Malta, Tunisia and Morocco. It is replaced in southern Spain by the Iberian race (with the pni mtDNA sublineage). The discovery of interspecific gene introgression and a new sibling species mean that previous records of the two morphospecies do not necessarily reflect their true vectorial roles or geographical and ecological distributions.
Rising burden of immature sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus) on red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) chicks in the Scottish uplands
Authors: Kirby A. D. , Smith A. A. , Benton T. G. , Hudson P. J.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  The sheep tick Ixodes ricinus (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) is an ectoparasite of major economic and pathogenic importance in Scotland. Its distribution in the Scottish uplands is assumed to be governed by the abundance and distribution of its definitive hosts (deer and sheep) and climatic variables such as temperature and rainfall. As the numbers of its major host in Scotland, red deer, have increased dramatically and climatic conditions have become more favourable, the level of parasitism could have been expected to rise. We use data gathered from tick counts on over 4000 red grouse chicks Lagopus lagopus scoticus Latham (Galliformes: Tetraonidae) in various experiments over the past 19 years to ascertain whether the intensity and prevalence of parasitism has been increasing.

From 1985 to 2003 the average tick burden of a parasitized red grouse chick has grown from 2.60 ± 1.12 ticks per chick to 12.71 ± 1.44. Over this period the percentage of chicks of a given brood parasitized has also increased from 4 ± 2% to 92 ± 3%. The possible implications of this increase in parasitism for red grouse production are discussed.
The naturally derived insecticide spinosad is highly toxic to Aedes and Anopheles mosquito larvae
Authors: Bond J. G. , Marina C. F. , Williams T.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  Spinosad is a naturally derived biorational insecticide with an environmentally favourable toxicity profile, so we investigated its potency against mosquito larvae (Diptera: Culicidae). By laboratory bioassays of a suspension concentrate formulation of spinosad (Tracer®), the 24 h lethal concentration (LC50) against Aedes aegypti (L.) third and fourth instars was estimated at 0.025 p.p.m. following logit regression. The concentration–mortality response of third‐ and fourth‐instar Anopheles albimanus Weidemann did not conform to a logit model. The LC50 value of spinosad in Anopheles albimanus was 0.024 p.p.m. by quadratic linear regression. A field trial in southern Mexico demonstrated that spinosad 1 p.p.m. compared with the standard temephos (Abate®) 1% granules 100 g/m3 water prevented Ae. aegypti breeding in plastic containers of water for 8 weeks; at 10 p.p.m. spinosad prevented breeding for > 22 weeks. In another field trial, spinosad at 5 p.p.m. and temephos both completely eliminated reproduction of Ae. aegypti for 13 weeks. In contrast, the bacterial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti, Vectobac® AS) performed poorly with just 2 weeks of complete inhibition of Ae. aegypti breeding. Spinosad also effectively prevented breeding of Culex mosquitoes and chironomids in both trials to a degree similar to that of temephos. We conclude that spinosad merits evaluation as a replacement for organophosphate or Bti treatment of domestic water tanks in Mesoamerica. We also predict that spinosad is likely to be an effective larvicide for treatment of mosquito breeding sites.
Natural breeding places of phlebotomine sandflies
Authors: Feliciangeli M. D.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  Methods of finding larvae and pupae of phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are described and the known types of breeding sites used by sandflies are listed. Three ways of detecting sandfly breeding places are the use of emergence traps placed over potential sources to catch newly emerged adult sandflies; flotation of larvae and pupae from soil, etc., and desiccation of media to drive out the larvae. Even so, remarkably little information is available on the ecology of the developmental stages of sandflies, despite their importance as vectors of Leishmania, Bartonella and phleboviruses affecting humans and other vertebrates in warmers parts of the world. Regarding the proven or suspected vectors of leishmaniases, information on breeding sites is available for only 15 out of 29 species of sandflies involved in the Old World and 12 out of 44 species of sandflies involved in the Americas, representing ∼3% of the known species of Phlebotominae.

Ecotopes occupied by immature phlebotomines are usually organically rich moist soils, such as the rain forest floor (Lutzomyia intermedia, Lu. umbratilis, Lu. whitmani in the Amazon; Lu. gomezi, Lu. panamensis, Lu. trapidoi in Panama), or contaminated soil of animal shelters (Lu. longipalpis s.l. in South America, Phlebotomus argentipes in India; P. chinensis in China; P. ariasi, P. perfiliewi, P. perniciosus in Europe). Developmental stages of some species (P. langeroni and P. martini in Africa; P. papatasi in Eurasia; Lu. longipalpis s.l. in South America), have been found in a wide range of ecotopes, and many species of sandflies employ rodent burrows as breeding sites, although the importance of this niche is unclear. Larvae of some phlebotomines have been found in what appear to be specialized niches such as Lu. ovallesi on buttress roots of trees in Panama; P. celiae in termite hills in Kenya; P. longipes and P. pedifer in caves and among rocks in East Africa. Old World species found as immatures in the earthen floor of human habitations include P. argentipes, P. chinensis, P. martini and P. papatasi. Much more information on sandfly breeding sites is required to facilitate their control by source reduction.
Acarologic risk of exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi spirochaetes: long‐term evaluations in north‐western California, with implications for Lyme borreliosis risk‐assessment models
Authors: Eisen L. , Eisen R. J. , Chang C.‐C. , Mun J. , Lane R. S.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  Over a 5‐year period (1997–2001) the population densities of Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs infected with spirochaetes of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) were evaluated in areas of 2000 ha at two localities (CHR, nine sites; HREC, seven sites) 25 km apart in Mendocino County, north‐western California. The 5‐year median density of infected nymphs was significantly higher at CHR than at HREC (0.51 vs. 0.09 per 100 m2) and site‐specific yearly densities exceeding one infected nymph per 100 m2 were 10‐fold more likely to occur at CHR than at HREC. The importance of long‐term data in acarologic risk assessment was demonstrated by significantly higher median yearly densities of infected nymphs at CHR from 1997 to 1999, whereas both areas had similar densities during 2000–2001.

Overall, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis in North America, B. burgdorferi Johnson et al. sensu stricto (s.s.) accounted for 76% of 46 genetically characterized B. burgdorferi s.l. infections from I. pacificus nymphs. Tremendous variability in acarologic risk was recorded within both areas: yearly densities of infected nymphs varied 11–97‐fold between sites at CHR and 8–30‐fold at HREC. Part of this variation could be explained by environmental traits, most notably deer usage. However, correlations between environmental factors and density of infected nymphs (for CHR and HREC combined) did not necessarily apply when these areas were considered separately. Thus, a Lyme borreliosis ecology model developed in one of these areas needs testing in the other area.
Potential vectors of West Nile Virus following an equine disease outbreak in Italy
Authors: Romi R. , Pontuale G. , CIufolini M. G. , Fiorentini G. , Marchi A. , Nicoletti L. , Cocchi M. , Tamburro A.
Published: March 2004

Abstract.  In the late summer of 1998, an outbreak of equine encephalomyelitis due to West Nile virus (WNV) occurred in the Tuscany region of central Italy. The disease was detected in 14 race horses from nine localities in four Provinces: Firenze, Lucca, Pisa and Pistoia. The outbreak area included Fucecchio wetlands (1800 ha), the largest inland marsh in Italy, and the adjacent hilly Cerbaie woodlands with farms breeding horses. To detect potential vectors of WNV, entomological surveys of Fucecchio and Cerbaie were undertaken during 1999–2002 by collecting mosquito larvae from breeding sites and adult mosquitoes by several methods of sampling.

Among 6023 mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected, 11 species were identified: Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Ae. vexans (Meigen), Anopheles atroparvus Van Thiel, An. maculipennis Meigen s.s., An. plumbeus Stephens, Culex impudicus Ficalbi, Cx. pipiens L., Culiseta longiareolata Macquart), Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas), Oc. detritus (Haliday) and Oc. geniculatus (Olivier). In Fucecchio marshes, Cx. impudicus predominated with seasonal peak densities in spring and autumn: its greatest abundance during early spring coincides with arrival of migratory birds from Africa. In Cerbaie hills, Cx. pipiens predominated with peak population density in late summer. No viruses were isolated from 665 mosquitoes processed. These findings, plus other data on Italian mosquito bionomics, suggest a possible mode of WNV transmission involving the most abundant Culex in the Fucecchio‐Cerbaie areas. Culex impudicus, being partly ornithophilic, might transmit WNV from migratory to non‐migratory birds during springtime; Cx. pipiens, having a broader host range, would be more likely to transmit WNV from birds to horses and, perhaps, to humans by late summer.
Behavior patterns of patients with hebephrenic schizophrenia when they attempt academic study
Authors: TAKEDA TAKATSUNA , WATANABE YASUO , HASEGAWA KENICHI
Published: March 2004

Abstract  Direct assistance with academic study was given to 16 subjects who had hebephrenic schizophrenia (HS) and problems with school attendance, with the aim of helping the subjects to reaching their desired level of academic achievement. The subjects exhibited nine behavior patterns when they reached an impasse in their study: (i) difficulty understanding the degree of importance; (ii) difficulty integrating multiple concepts; (iii) difficulty understanding abstract concepts; (iv) difficulty developing an overview; (v) difficulty with applied problems; (vi) attempting to achieve complete understanding; (vii) becoming labile prior to exams; (viii) excess cramming leading to breakdown; and (ix) extreme reactions. These patterns were compared with those of 10 healthy junior high school students (normal group). In the HS group, patterns (i–v) were seen in at least a moderate degree in all subjects, but were significantly stronger than in the normal group and, even with study advice, improvement was temporary. Wide individual variations were seen in patterns (vi–ix) in the HS group, but again they were significantly stronger than in the normal group. The behavior patterns were influenced by the prospects of academic success, and were more prominent in subjects with higher expectations. Cognitive dysfunction was the root cause of these behavior patterns, with the additional involvement of psychological factors.
Efficacy and pharmacokinetics of fluvoxamine maleate in patients with mild depression undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: KAMO TOSHIKO , HORIKAWA NAOSHI , TSURUTA YUKIO , MIYASITA MISAKO , HATAKEYAMA HIROSHI , MAEBASHI YASUHIKO
Published: March 2004

Abstract  Seven Japanese patients on maintenance hemodialysis who were comorbid with mild depression were medicated with 50 mg/day fluvoxamine maleate for 28 days. Effectiveness was obtained in four out of seven patients (57%). The plasma fluvoxamine concentrations were examined in three patients. The plasma fuvoxamine concentration decreased by 22% by hemodialysis. There is a tendency for the dialyzed rate of fluvoxamine to become lower if the plasma albumin concentration is higher. The half‐life of fluvoxamine was possibly shortened more in the patient with hypoalbuminaemia. The plasma fluvoxamine concentration reached a steady state 8 days after the start of medication and thereafter. The time required to reach steady state was lengthened when compared with the results in normal Japanese volunteers.
Role of imaginary companion in promoting the psychotherapeutic process
Authors: SAWA TAKAKO , OAE HIROYUKI , ABIRU TAKESHI , OGAWA TOYOAKI , TAKAHASHI TOSHIHIKO
Published: March 2004

Abstract  An imaginary companion (IC) has been considered to be a transitory phenomenon sometimes seen in the normal developmental process of children. In recent years, however, it has been observed that ICs are related to various disorders, and their clinical significance is again attracting notice. Although an IC may in certain ways aggravate the patient's symptoms and regression, an IC may also serve to advance the therapy, for example by indicating the location of the patient's troubles, or acting as an intermediary between the therapist and patient. In cases of dissociative (conversion) disorders, it is generally difficult for patients to verbalize their troubles, but the present patients gained insight into themselves by closely examining their ICs. Imaginary companions are not simply entities incidental to the disorder, and by incorporating them into the therapeutic strategy as a presence supporting the patient's growth, it is possible that the psychotherapy may proceed more smoothly.
Catatonic features noted in patients with post‐partum mental illness
Authors: LAI JIUN‐YANG , HUANG TIAO‐LAI
Published: March 2004

Abstract  The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, distribution of psychiatric diagnoses, and treatment responses of patients with post‐partum mental illness at an emergency unit at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung in Taiwan. During a 1 year period a total of 636 Taiwanese women received psychiatric consultation on their visits to the emergency room. Fifteen of these were noted to have post‐partum mental illnesses. All subjects were followed up for a minimum of 3–6 months. The prevalence of patients with post‐partum mental illness at an emergency unit at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung was 2.4% (15/636). The distribution of psychiatric diagnoses according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn; DSM‐IV) criteria included eight cases of major depressive disorders (53.3%), three cases of bipolar I disorder (20%), three cases of schizophrenia (20%), and one case of psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition (6.7%). Four subjects manifested catatonic features. Of these four, three had complete remission in catatonic symptoms after receiving intramuscular injection of lorazepam. The fourth subject died of multiple medical diseases. The treatment results suggest that most of the clinical presentations in patients with post‐partum mental illness could be relieved by antipsychotics, mood stabilizers or antidepressants. In addition, it was found that intramuscular injection of lorazepam was also effective in patients with catatonic features and post‐partum depression or psychosis.
Open label study of the effect of amantadine on weight gain induced by olanzapine
Authors: BAHK WON‐MYONG , LEE KYOUNG‐UK , CHAE JEONG‐HO , PAE CHI‐UN , JUN TAEYOUN , KIM KWANG‐SOO
Published: March 2004

Abstract  The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the effects of the dopamine agonist amantadine in those patients with weight gain induced by olanzapine. An open trial was conducted in those patients who gained >3 kg in weight induced by olanzapine use. All subjects were evaluated by weight, body mass index (BMI), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS) before and after the use of amantadine in addition to olanzapine. Twenty‐five of 30 enrolled patients completed the present study. Mean bodyweight and BMI was increased by 6.44 ± 4.42 kg and 5.04 ± 3.47 kg/m2 significantly with olanzapine alone (P < 0.001). When amantadine and olanzapine were used together, the average weight and BMI decreased by 1.07 ± 3.19 kg and 0.84 ± 2.5 kg/m2, but did not have statistical significance. The average values of BPRS showed a significant decrease (P < 0.001). No significant changes were present in ESRS. Amantadine did not have an effect on weight gain induced by olanzapine. Randomized placebo‐controlled prospective studies are needed.
Correlation between scores on Continuous Performance Test and plasma concentration for schizophrenic patients on risperidone
Authors: CHEN PO SEE , YANG YEN KUANG , SU SHENG‐FANG , LIAO YI‐CHENG , CHANG JUNG‐WEI , YEH TZUNG LIEH
Published: March 2004

Abstract  The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate the relationship between plasma antipsychotics concentration and cognitive task performance. This may provide valuable information for rational dosage titration. Literature on the relationship between plasma risperidone (RIS) concentration and performance on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) remains scarce. Ten patients (four male, six female) were given RIS for more than 1 year. Steady‐state plasma concentrations of the parent drug RIS and its active metabolite, 9‐hydroxy‐risperidone (9‐OH‐RIS), were measured using specific liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry assay. Psychopathology, side‐effects of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and CPT were also assessed. A negative correlation was found between CPT performance and the plasma RIS, 9‐OH‐RIS and its active moiety (RIS + 9‐OH‐RIS) concentrations. Both RIS and 9‐OH‐RIS have an impact on the CPT performance of schizophrenic patients. Optimal active moiety plasma concentration for best cognitive performance needs further study.
Sleep characteristics of menopausal insomnia: A polysomnographic study
Authors: TERASHIMA KIYOJI , MIKAMI AKIRA , TACHIBANA NAOKO , KUMANO‐GO TAKAYUKI , TESHIMA YOSHIO , SUGITA YOSHIRO , TAKEDA MASATOSHI
Published: March 2004

Abstract  Although menopausal insomnia is of clinical significance, the essential features of this form of disrupted sleep are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to identify the sleep characteristics of menopausal insomnia by using overnight polysomnography (PSG). Twenty‐one subjects with menopausal insomnia (MI) and 13 sex‐ and age‐matched normal control (NC) subjects without sleep complaints took part in the present study. All MI and NC subjects underwent PSG on two consecutive nights. In comparison with NC, MI subjects had non‐specific findings such as significantly shorter total sleep time, longer sleep latency, higher wake time after sleep onset, and lower sleep efficiency. As for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep variables, MI subjects had significantly shorter total REM sleep time, fewer numbers of REM sleep periods, longer REM latency, and higher REM density than did the NC subjects. As for the time course of REM density, REM density during the first 3 h period of nocturnal sleep was significantly higher for MI than for NC subjects. Unlike NC subjects, REM density for MI subjects did not tend to rise progressively during nocturnal sleep. The MI subjects had objective evidence of disrupted sleep and the most striking characteristics of this dysfunction were observed in REM sleep variables. The sleep characteristics of MI subjects were found to differ in REM sleep variables from those of patients with major depression (except for REM density). Menopausal insomnia patients appear to be similar to patients with generalized anxiety disorder accompanied by severe sleep disruption. These data lend support to the clinical distinction between menopausal insomnia and insomnia associated with major psychiatric disorders.