bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High survival rate and site fidelity in the Siberian Tit Parus cinctus, a focal species of the taiga
Authors: ORELL MARKKU , LAHTI KIMMO , MATERO JUKKA
Published: April 2008

The Siberian Tit Parus cinctus population of Finland, and probably of the whole of Fennoscandia, has declined dramatically during this century. Understanding its population dynamics is essential for its conservation. We studied annual survival rate and dispersal distance of both breeding and fledgling Siberian Tits during 1989‐97 in a moderately managed forest habitat near the southern border of its range in Kuusamo, northeastern Finland. Breeding density was low, averaging 0.51 pairs/km in a nestbox area of about 42 km2. This was probably an underestimate, because we did not search for nests in natural holes. However, following its population decline, overall densities at the southern border of the range are low. The study area was, however, suitable breeding habitat as reflected by their high nesting success. Brood size at fledging averaged 7.45 young, and reproductive output was 6.16 young per breeding pair, including failed nests. Clutch size adjustment was successful among pairs producing fledglings because, on average, 92.6% of the eggs laid produced young in successful broods. Median distance between consecutive breeding attempts was 100 m for both males and females (range 0–2500 m and 0–6000 m, respectively). Natal dispersal distance was significantly longer in females than in males. We applied Cormack‐Jolly‐Seber modelling to estimate survival and recapture probabilities separately. Survival of breeding birds was not sex‐related, averaging 0.69 annually. Some of the ringed fledglings (3.0%) were later captured as breeders in the area. This is an underestimate of local survival rate due to incomplete recapturing of breeding birds. The implications of these results with respect to the conservation status of the species are discussed.
Sexual dimorphism in the North Island Kaka Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis: selection for enhanced male provisioning ability?
Authors: Moorhouse Ron J. , Sibley Mick J. , Lloyd Brian D. , Greene Terry C.
Published: April 2008

The North Island Kaka Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis, an endemic New Zealand parrot, displays a disproportionate degree of sexual dimorphism in bill‐size, males being 13.6% and 12.4% larger than females in culmen‐length and ‐depth respectively, but only 2.0% and 4.2% larger in tarsus‐length and cube root of body‐mass. Culmen‐length provides a reliable means of sexing Kakas if the age‐class of each bird is known; all adult and subadult males had exposed culmens ≥ 47 mm long, while those of females were less than this value. Juveniles with culmen‐lengths in excess of 44 mm were male. Similar sexual dimorphism in the Kea N. notabilis, the sole extant congener of the Kaka, suggests a phylogenetic basis for this condition. The monogamous mating system of the Kaka and Kea, together with the prolonged provisioning of females and young by males in both species, suggests that selection for enhanced male provisioning ability, rather than sexual selection, could be maintaining sexual bill dimorphism in these species.
Audubon's Shearwaters Puffinus Iherminieri on Réunion Island, Indian Ocean: behaviour, census, distribution, biometrics and breeding biology
Authors: BRETAGNOLLE VINCENT , ATTIÉ CAROLE , MOUGEOT FRANÇOIS
Published: April 2008

Audubon's Shearwater Puffinus Iherminieri is a little known species of petrel. The recent descriptions of a possibly new species (P. atrodorsalis) and a new subspecies (P. l. colstoni) have suggested that the population breeding on Réunion Island, P. l. bailloni, may represent a key taxon for understanding the phylogeography of this group in the Indian Ocean. We provide the first detailed information on distribution, abundance, habitat characteristics and breeding biology of the species on Réunion, and assess relationships between the Indian Ocean taxa based on biometrics, coloration characters and patterns of breeding phenology. We also studied the behaviour of the birds on Réunion, paying particular attention to vocalizations. Analysing the parameters that affect calling rate, such as moonlight, season and time, we show that calling activity can be used to estimate colony size. Using this method, we sampled more than half of Réunion Island habitats suitable for Audubon's Shearwater, and estimate that the breeding population there is between 3000 and 5000 pairs in at least 235 colonies. Compared to other Indian Ocean populations (n= 136 specimens), the analysis of biometrics and coloration characters suggests that three main populations exist (Comoro, Réunion and Seychelles), with birds of Maldives and Amirantes being biometrically inseparable from those of Seychelles, and birds from Aldabra being intermediate between Seychelles and Réunion. The proposed new species, atrodorsalis, also falls in the overlap between Seychelles and Réunion birds, which argues against a full species taxonomic status.
Distribution of Xantus' Murrelet Synthliboramphus hypoleucus at sea in the Southern California Bight, 1995–97
Authors: WHITWORTH DARRELL L. , TAKEKAWA JOHN Y. , CARTER HARRY R. , NEWMAN SCOTT H. , KEENEY THOMAS W. , KELLY PAUL R.
Published: April 2008

We radiomarked 153 Xantus' Murrelets Synthliboramphus hypoleucus captured at sea near Santa Barbara Island (SBI), the largest murrelet colony in the California Channel Islands, USA. We tracked these radiomarked murrelets in the Southern California Bight (SCB) off coastal southern California during the 1995‐97 breeding seasons. In 1995 during mild El Niño conditions, the murrelets were distributed in non‐upwelling areas. In 1996‐97, they were distributed in dense patches, aggregating in cool upwelled waters near the northern Channel Islands or south of San Nicolas Island. Murrelets flew longer distances from SBI to foraging areas in 1997 (x̄= 111 ± 44 km) than in 1996 (x̄= 62 ± 25 km), but the distances they travelled did not differ between months (Apr and May) within years. Mean foraging distances from SBI were similar for ‘incubating’ murrelets (determined on the basis of repeated visits to SBI) and ‘non‐incubating’ murrelets during the colony attendance period. We attributed the low return rate of radiomarked murrelets to SBI to the capture and marking of a large proportion of birds that were not actively incubating rather than to any adverse effects of radio attachment. We believe changes in murrelet foraging patterns between the 1970s and 1990s are associated with changes in prey resources in the SCB. Flexibility in the foraging strategies of these murrelets may be related to the highly variable marine environment at the southern end of the California Current Up welling System.
Conspecific nest parasitism in the Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
Authors: HÖTKER HERMANN
Published: April 2008

Evidence for the occurrence of conspecific nest parasitism (CNP) in Pied Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta is presented. Clutches of more than four eggs had obviously been produced by more than one female but were incubated by only one pair each. Minimum estimates for the frequencies of parasitized clutches and parasitic eggs were 3.3% and 1.3% respectively. CNP increased in frequency in colonies with higher nest densities. The frequency of CNP was unaffected by the rate of nest failures early in the season. On average, parasitic eggs were laid earlier in the season than the majority of non‐parasitic eggs. Parasitic Avocets usually deposited their eggs during the laying period of host nests. Parasitized nests had significantly longer incubation periods than unparasitized nests. Hatching success in supernormal clutches was insignificantly reduced compared with four‐egg clutches. The annual breeding success of individuals with parasitized clutches was considerably (but not significantly) higher than those of non‐parasitized individuals. This was probably due to the fact that parasites chose to deposit their eggs in dense colonies whose members had significantly higher breeding success than the individuals in loose colonies. In colonies with a high rate of CNP, the frequency of clutches of more than five eggs increased. These clutches had little chance of survival.
Territoriality and the significance of calling in the Lanyu Scops Owl Otus elegans botelensis
Authors: SEVERINGHAUS LUCIA LIU
Published: April 2008

Territories of Lanyu Scops Owls Otus elegans botelensis overlap in both breeding and non‐breeding seasons. Results of radiotelemetry showed that neighbouring owls do not use the shared areas of their territories at the same time. Frequent countersinging apparently permitted individuals to avoid potentially costly encounters with neighbours. Non‐territorial owls can forage and rest in occupied territories. Experiments using decoys and playbacks showed that intruding owls were tolerated within either core or peripheral territories in all seasons if they remained silent, while calling intruders almost always incited threats or attacks even in autumn. Tolerating silent owls that are not competitors for mates or for nest sites appears to be an energy‐saving territorial strategy.
Associations among Antarctic seabirds in mixed‐species feeding flocks
Authors: SILVERMAN EMILY D. , VEIT RICHARD R.
Published: April 2008

We studied ten mixed‐species feeding flocks of seabirds and seals off South Georgia (55d̀S, 35d̀W) to assess the factors that influenced the species composition of the flocks. The ten flocks were distributed between two oceanographic regions; four flocks were observed off the northwestern end of South Georgia, and six off the island's southeastern end. The flocks differed dramatically in size and species composition. The northwestern flocks were ten to 20 times larger and contained more seals and penguins. We tested whether these differences were a consequence of location, because the two regions were populated by different assemblages of species, and determined that this was not the case. Differences in flock size and species composition reflected differences in the depth distribution of the birds' and seals' prey. The northwestern flocks were associated with deep swarms of Antarctic krill Euphausia superba with a significant quantity of krill also present at the surface. We also tested for differential flock participation by the species found in the surrounding waters and classified species by their proclivity to participate in the flocks. Our results indicate that Black‐browed Albatross Diomedea melanophris have a strong tendency to join, and diving‐petrels Pelecanoides spp. to avoid, mixed‐species feeding flocks. We postulate that Black‐browed Albatrosses serve as visual cues to the presence of food for one another and for other species, and that diving‐petrels avoid mixed‐species flocks in part because of the risk of predation.
Diagnosing the environmental causes of the decline in Grey Partridge Perdix perdix survival in France
Authors: BRO ELISABETH , REITZ FRANÇOIS , CLOBERT JEAN , MIGOT PIERRE , MASSOT MANUEL
Published: April 2008

We studied Grey Partridge Perdix perdix mortality during breeding to identify the environmental causes of a long‐term decline in adult survival. We radiotagged and monitored daily from mid‐March to mid‐September 1009 females on ten contrasting study sites in 1995‐97. Simultaneously, we recorded habitat features and estimated the abundance of Hen and Marsh Harriers Circus cyaneus and C. aeruginosus Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and mustelids. We experimentally tested whether scavenging could have biased predation rates. We also examined, through the necropsy of 80 carcasses of Grey Partridge, whether disease, parasites or poisoning could have been ultimate causes of high predation rates. The survival rate of radiotagged females during spring and summer ranged from 0.25 to 0.65 across study areas. Mortality peaked in May, June and July when females were laying and incubating. The direct negative impact of farming practices was low (6%). Predation was the main proximate cause of female mortality during breeding (73%) and determined the survival rate, suggesting no compensation by other causes of mortality. Ground carnivores were responsible for 64% of predation cases, and raptors for 29%, but this proportion varied across study sites. Disease and poisoning did not appear to favour predation, and scavenging was not likely to have substantially overestimated predation rates. The predation rate on breeding females was positively correlated with the abundance of Hen and Marsh Harriers, suggesting an additional mortality in areas where harriers were abundant. The proportion of raptor predation was linearly related to harrier abundance. The predation rate was not correlated with the abundance of the Red Fox and mustelids. A potential density‐dependent effect on the predation rate was confounded by the abundance of harriers. We found no convincing relationship between the predation rate and habitat features, but we observed a positive relationship between the abundance of Hen and Marsh Harriers and the mean field size. This suggested that habitat characteristics may contribute to high predation rates through predator abundance or habitat‐dependent predation.
Do fledgling and pre‐breeding Common Swifts Apus apus take part in aerial roosting? An answer from a radiotracking experiment
Authors: TARBURTON MICHAEL K. , KAISER ERICH
Published: April 2008

This study has shown that fledgling Common Swifts Apus apus spend the first post‐fledging night of their life on the wing and that pre‐breeders also spend the full night on the wing. Even though this work was conducted during an unusually cold, wet period, the results show that fledglings do not return to their natal colony in the week after fledging. It also demonstrates that yearlings are only slightly more likely than fledglings to spend any time at a particular colony, but are more likely to move from colony to colony. Older pre‐breeders are more likely to spend more time at and revisit a particular colony more often than yearlings. It is our observation that only right at the end of the breeding duties will the parents participate in an evening ascent, and even then many of them return to their nest for the evening. Breeding adults displayed the greatest devotion to a particular colony. But even among such adults we detected some that ceased caring for their young a few days prior to their fledging. Adults roost in their nestbox if they meet with bad weather.
Foraging behaviour and feeding locations of Rock Shags Phalacrocorax magellanicus from a colony in Patagonia, Argentina
Authors: QUINTANA FLAVIO
Published: April 2008

During 1996 and 1997, foraging Rock Shags Phalacrocorax magellanicus were studied at Punta Loma, Argentina using radio‐transmitters deployed on ten adult shags during the chick‐rearing period. Rock Shags undertook 2.6 ± 0.6 sd trips per day. The mean duration of a feeding trip was 2.6 ± 0.7 hours. A bird spent 36% of daylight hours away from the colony on feeding trips, diving for 92% of the foraging trip, and made a mean of 106 dives per foraging trip. Foraging trip duration was strongly correlated with the total number of dives made in one foraging trip. Rock Shags fed mainly in water less than 10m deep with a gravelly sand bottom and within 5 km of shore. Mean foraging range was 3.8 ± 2.6 km and 2.6 ± 2.3 km for 1996 and 1997, respectively. These results suggest a high foraging effort (diving time per foraging trip) for Rock Shags, presumably associated with poor food conditions close to the colony. Comparison is made with other Phalacrocorax species.
Juvenile sex ratio in relation to breeding success in Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus and Black Grouse T. tetrix
Authors: HÖRNFELDT BIRGER , HIPKISS TIM , EKLUND ULF
Published: April 2008

We examined the relationship between breeding success and juvenile sex ratio in two gamebirds with differing degrees of sexual size dimorphism. We used breeding success as an indicator of the level of environmental stress the birds had experienced. Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus and Black Grouse T. tetrix wing samples were collected from hunters in northern Sweden during 1977‐86. In both species, annual juvenile sex ratio (percentage of males) increased with annual breeding success, i.e. with reduced environmental stress. We attribute this to the higher energy requirements during growth, vulnerability to environmental stress, and mortality of juvenile males compared with females, especially under adverse conditions. Moreover, the relationship between breeding success and juvenile sex ratio was stronger in Capercaillie than in Black Grouse. This reflects the higher degree of sexual size dimorphism in Capercaillie, and consequent larger mortality difference between juvenile males and females.
Nest‐site habitat selected by Short‐toed EaglesCircaetus gallicusin Dadia Forest (northeastern Greece)
Authors: BAKALOUDIS DIMITRIS E. , VLACHOS CHRISTOS , PAPAGEORGIOU NIKOLAOS , HOLLOWAY GRAHAM J.
Published: April 2008

Data concerning habitat characteristics and general physiographic characteristics at 29 Short‐toed EagleCircaetus gallicusnest‐sites (circular plot of 0.4 ha centred on the nest tree) were collected and compared with the same number of paired randomly selected plots in Dadia‐Lefkimi‐Soufli forest complex, northeast Greece. Short‐toed Eagles used southern slopes for nesting and nest‐sites were often located on the upper third of each slope. Nest trees were found significantly closer to rain water gullies, to the boundary of a different habitat type, and to the nearest forest opening greater than 0.5 ha than the randomly selected nest trees. Nest‐sites had a significantly lower mean score of human disturbance than random sites and were found in mature pine forest associations, dominated by Calabrian PinePinus brutiaor Black PineP. nigra.The total tree density of Short‐toed Eagle nest‐sites was lower than random sites. Canopy cover in the dominant and intermediate tree layer at nest‐sites was lower than at random sites. Short‐toed Eagles tended to select sites for nesting that provided a combination of easy access and maximum shelter of the nest content from predators and inclement weather. The preservation of open structure of mature pine stands on south facing slopes near clearings may be critical for the continued conservation of the Short‐toed Eagle in actively managed forests, such as the Dadia‐Lefkimi‐Soufli forest complex.
Foraging behaviour and time allocation of chick‐rearing Razorbills Alca torda at Græsholmen, central Baltic Sea
Authors: BENVENUTI SILVANO , DALL'ANTONIA LUIGI , LYNGS PETER
Published: April 2008

A new type of bird‐borne data logger, which stores data from flight and depth sensors at pre‐set intervals, was used to investigate the foraging pattern and diving behaviour of chick‐rearing Razorbills Alca torda breeding on the islet of Græsholmen (central Baltic Sea, Denmark). The instruments recorded all relevant events in the 35 foraging trips accomplished by six different individual birds; a seventh bird, equipped with a direction recorder, provided information on directional preferences exhibited on seven different trips. A foraging trip usually consisted of a number of flights interrupted by a small number of dives probably performed to explore the site for prey availability. True foraging occurred during the last stops in the outbound trip, after which the bird returned to the nest with a single flight or a sequence of a few flights. The duration of nocturnal trips was significantly longer than diurnal trips, possibly due to a preference for the familiar marine environment shown by birds when they are not ‘on duty’ in the nest. The majority of dives consisted of V‐shaped dives in which birds descend to a maximum depth and then start ascending. A clear diurnal variation of the dive depth, which never exceeded 43 m, was recorded. Our results show that the new types of recording devices can be used to answer basic questions about the foraging strategies of marine birds.
Between Revolutions: Re‐Appraising the Restoration in Britain
Authors: De Krey Gary S.
Published: March 2008

A renewal of historical interest in the politics and religion of the Restoration began in the late 1980s and has changed how we look at the period. This article seeks to explain the origins of the recent wave of Restoration scholarship, provides an overview of the field, and offers suggestions about critical interpretive issues. The article adopts a British approach, seeking to find common patterns in the reigns of Charles II and James II in Scotland, Ireland, and England. It traces the instability of the Restoration settlements to their coercive treatment of Protestant dissenters, and it offers suggestions for developing a three‐kingdom framework for the treatment of Protestant divisions from the 1640s through the Glorious Revolution. It endorses the proposal that the crisis of 1679–81 was a multi‐faceted Restoration Crisis, rather than an exclusion crisis; and it suggests also that, in England, the competition of Whigs and Tories marked a turning point in the development of more modern structures for political debate and discussion. It examines the question of whether Charles and James turned towards absolutism thereafter in the broader context of the emerging state. In conclusion, the article considers the Restoration as a transitional era between the ‘long Reformation’ and the ‘long eighteenth century’.
Evaluation of a Thoracoscopic Technique Using Ligating Loops to Obtain Large Lung Biopsies in Standing Healthy and Heaves‐Affected Horses
Authors: RELAVE FABIEN , DAVID FLORENT , LECLÈRE MATHILDE , ALEXANDER KATE , BUSSIÈRES GENEVIÈVE , LAVOIE JEAN PIERRE , MARCOUX MARCEL
Published: April 2008

Objective—To evaluate use of pre‐tied ligating loop to perform thoracoscopic, large lung biopsy in normal and heaves‐affected horses.

Study Design—Prospective clinical study.

Animals—Normal (n=5) and heaves‐affected (n=6) horses.

Methods—Lung biopsies, 1 from each hemithorax, were collected thoracoscopically using a pre‐tied ligating loop. Horses were either normal (C) or heaves‐affected with the latter being in remission (Ha) for the initial biopsy and in exacerbation (Hs) for the 2nd biopsy. Clinical variables, PaO2, and PaCO2were used to determine the effect of surgical biopsy. Postoperative pneumothorax was monitored by serial thoracic radiographic examinations.

Results—Thoracoscopic lung biopsy (n=29, 22 procedures) was well tolerated by all horses. Complication rate was 31%, including 8 ligature slippage and 1 pulmonary hemorrhage. Intranasal oxygen was administered intraoperatively to 6 horses (2 C, 1 Ha, 3 Hs) with severe hypoxemia or labored breathing. There was a significant decrease in PaO2during surgery in horses not supplemented with oxygen. Postoperative pneumothorax (21/22 procedures) detected radiographically resolved within 3 weeks.

Conclusion—Thoracoscopic lung biopsy using pre‐tied ligating loops was minimally invasive, relatively inexpensive, and fairly efficient. Heaves‐affected horses tolerated the surgery well, even when in exacerbation; however, the technique was associated with non life‐threatening complications in 31% of the biopsies, most of which required correction with additional ligating loops or more sophisticated instrumentation.

Clinical Relevance—Using laparoscopic pre‐tied ligating loop for thoracoscopically‐assisted lung biopsy can be considered in horses with normal and impaired lung function but alternative instrumentation and access to intranasal oxygen must be available to the surgeon in case of complications.
Relationship Between Objective and Subjective Assessment of Limb Function in Normal Dogs with an Experimentally Induced Lameness
Authors: WAXMAN ANDREW S. , ROBINSON DUANE A. , EVANS RICHARD B. , HULSE DONALD A. , INNES JOHN F. , CONZEMIUS MICHAEL G.
Published: April 2008

Objective—To evaluate the relationship between previously used subjective and objective measures of limb function in normal dogs that had an induced lameness.

Study Design—Prospective, blinded, and induced animal model trial.

Animals—Normal, adult, and mixed‐breed dogs (n=24) weighing 25–35 kg.

Methods—Force platform gait analysis was collected in all dogs before and after induction of lameness. All gait trials were videotaped; 60 video trials were evaluated by 3 surgeons with practice limited to small animal orthopedics and 3 first year veterinary students in an effort to establish the relationship between subjective and objective measures of lameness. Evaluators were unaware of the force platform data.

Results—Concordance coefficients were low for all observers and were similar between students and surgeons. These values were further decreased when normal and non‐weight bearing trials were removed. Agreement with the force platform data was low even when observers only had to be within ±10% of the ground reaction forces. When repeat trials were evaluated surgeons had a much higher repeatability compared with students.

Conclusions—Subjective evaluation of the lameness in this study varied greatly between observers and agreed poorly with objective measures of limb function.

Clinical Relevance—Subjective evaluation of gait should be interpreted cautiously as an outcome measure whether performed from a single or from multiple observers.
In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of Locking Compression Plate Fixation and Limited‐Contact Dynamic Compression Plate Fixation of Osteotomized Equine Third Metacarpal Bones
Authors: SOD GARY A. , MITCHELL COLIN F. , HUBERT JEREMY D. , MARTIN GEORGE S. , GILL MARJORIE S.
Published: April 2008

Objective— To compare monotonic biomechanical properties and fatigue life of a broad locking compression plate (LCP) fixation with a broad limited contact dynamic compression plate (LC‐DCP) fixation to repair osteotomized equine third metacarpal (MC3) bones.

Study Design— In vitro biomechanical testing of paired cadaveric equine MC3 with a mid‐diaphyseal osteotomy, stabilized by 1 of 2 methods for fracture fixation.

Animal Population— Cadaveric adult equine MC3 bones (n=12 pairs).

Methods— MC3 were divided into 3 groups (4 pairs each) for: (1) 4‐point bending single cycle to failure testing; (2) 4‐point bending cyclic fatigue testing; and (3) torsional single cycle to failure testing. The 8‐hole, 4.5 mm LCP was applied to the dorsal surface of 1 randomly selected bone from each pair. One 8‐hole, 4.5 mm LC‐DCP) was applied dorsally to the contralateral bone from each pair. All plates and screws were applied using standard ASIF techniques. All MC3 bones had mid‐diaphyseal osteotomies. Mean test variable values for each method were compared using a paired t‐test within each group. Significance was set at P<.05.

Results— Mean yield load, yield bending moment, composite rigidity, failure load and failure bending moment, under 4‐point bending, single cycle to failure, of the LCP fixation were significantly greater than those of the LC‐DCP fixation. Mean cycles to failure for 4‐point bending was significantly greater for the LCP fixation compared with LC‐DCP fixation. Mean yield load, mean composite rigidity, and mean failure load under torsional testing, single cycle to failure was significantly greater for the broad LCP fixation compared with the LC‐DCP fixation.

Conclusion— The 4.5 mm LCP was superior to the 4.5 mm LC‐DCP in resisting the static overload forces (palmarodorsal 4‐point bending and torsional) and in resisting cyclic fatigue under palmarodorsal 4‐point bending.

Clinical Relevance— The results of this in vitro study may provide information to aid in the selection of a biological plate for the repair of equine long bone fractures.
Self‐reported violence amongst adolescents in Denmark: is alcohol a serious risk factor?
Authors: Frederiksen Marie Louise , Helweg‐Larsen Karin , Larsen Helmer Bøving
Published: April 2008

Aim: To describe the prevalence of adolescents' exposure to different types of violence (at home and outside the home) and associations between severe violence and alcohol consumption, taking account of gender and the influence of other factors.

Methods: A multimedia computer‐based survey amongst a nationally representative sample of 9th grade pupils included comprehensive data on exposure to physical violence, use of alcohol and additional socio‐demographic and behavioural factors. Analyses included gender disaggregated cross tabulations and logistic regressions.

Results: Around 9.3% of girls and 12.3% of boys reported being victims of physical violence within the last 12 months. Also, 2.7% of girls and 3.5% of boys reported severe violence. Gender differences existed in place of occurrence; girls were more frequently assaulted at home, boys outside the home. Alcohol was only associated with violence exposure outside the home for boys, not girls.

Conclusions: About one‐tenth of adolescents in Denmark reported exposure to any physical violence and 3% to severe violence during the last year. Alcohol consumption was not a risk factor for girls and only a risk factor for boys regarding violence occurring outside the home.
The evolution of paediatrics from archaeological times to the mid‐nineteenth century and the historical influence on present day practice
Authors: Rangroo Vinita
Published: April 2008

The history of childcare dates back to the beginning of time. This article critically analyses the history of paediatrics from its roots to mid‐nineteenth century with the view to examine its evolution and influence on today's practice. Paediatrics as a sub‐speciality of medicine only began in the fifteenth century when the Four Incunabula were published in the West. This was the first attempt at producing a comprehensive and accessible reference paediatric text. However, long before the Incunabula, early traces of childcare are found in different cultures like Egyptian, Indian and Chinese. Modern paediatrics is a highly advanced field of medicine that relies on many recent technological innovations. In spite of these, this paper concludes that paediatrics today is very much based on concepts, such as observation and clinical skills, introduced many centuries ago. The basic approach used in everyday clinical practice owes more to century‐old ideas of scientists.
Learning, memory and executive functions in children with hydrocephalus
Authors: Lindquist Barbro , Persson Eva‐Karin , Uvebrant Paul , Carlsson Göran
Published: April 2008

Aims: To explore learning, memory and executive abilities in children with hydrocephalus without learning disabilities, and to find out whether children with an isolated hydrocephalus differed from those with hydrocephalus in combination with myelomeningocele (MMC).

Methods: Thirty‐six children with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of ≥70 from a population of all the 107 children with hydrocephalus born in western Sweden in 1989–1993 were examined and compared with age‐ and gender‐matched controls. The neuropsychological assessment of the school‐aged child (NIMES) test battery was used.

Results: The children with hydrocephalus differed significantly from controls in all functions apart from registration skills and recognition. Learning, memory and executive functions were all impaired. Twenty children with infantile hydrocephalus did not differ from those with hydrocephalus associated with MMC. Also, children with an IQ of >84 performed significantly worse than controls.

Conclusions: Despite an IQ of ≥70, children with hydrocephalus had significantly impaired learning, memory and executive functions. When major brain lesions resulting in learning disability had been excluded, the hydrocephalus, rather than the underlying aetiology, was most important for the development of cognitive functions.
Troubled Conversions: The Difference Gender Makes in The Sultan of Babylon
Authors: Houlik‐Ritchey Emily
Published: March 2008

This essay won the 2007

Literature Compass

Graduate Essay Prize, Medieval Section.

The Middle English romance The Sultan of Babylon narrates several conversion sequences in which Saracen individuals cross (or attempt to cross) the religious boundary into Christianity. Exhibiting varying degrees of resistance and eagerness to exchange their religious identity, these potential converts in turn encounter varying degrees of acceptance from the Christian community. Through a close examination of repetition and language details, this essay examines the conversion of the Saracen prince Ferumbras. His masculine gender impedes his integration into the community of Christian knights, troubling idealized Christian identity and serving as a more threatening challenge to the maintenance of difference than the conversions of various ‘Others’ in the poem, such as Ferumbras's sister and the baby giants. The ‘unconscious’ anxieties the text manifests about Ferumbras's conversion reveal the way in which the text constructs and maintains Christian identity through the recognition of difference, and the function gender serves as alternately a stabilizing and destabilizing force.
English Renaissance Drama: The Imprints of Performance
Authors: Paul J. Gavin
Published: April 2008

This essay won the 2007Literature CompassGraduate Essay Prize, Renaissance Section, co‐sponsored by the Society for Renaissance Studies.

This article considers formulations of performance in printed playtexts of the English Renaissance. Before professional theatres are established, printed plays such asGorboduc(1565) tend to resort to fragmentary narrative descriptions in order to communicate performance practice to readers. The rise of professional theatres contributes to the modification of printed drama, as writers, printers and readers slowly work out a system for encoding the relevant narrative and theatrical information in abbreviated forms (lists ofdramatis personae, speech prefixes, stage directions, scene locations); accordingly, early printed editions ofTamburlaine(1590),The White Devil(1612) andSejanus(1605 and 1616) are examined, with particular attention paid to para‐texts such as title‐pages, dedications, printers’ prefaces and letters to readers. This ancillary material, usually rooted in the laudatory language of advertisement, encourages particular reading and imaginative strategies through its constructions of a play's performance history and theatre audiences. This article contends that early modern formulations of page and stage are more dynamic, more synergistic, than a binary that opposes ‘literary’ and ‘theatrical’ logic will support.
Order within a mosaic distribution of mitochondrial c‐type cytochrome biogenesis systems?
Authors: Allen James W. A. , Jackson Andrew P. , Rigden Daniel J. , Willis Antony C. , Ferguson Stuart J. , Ginger Michael L.
Published: April 2008

Mitochondrial cytochromes c and c1 are present in all eukaryotes that use oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor in the respiratory chain. Maturation of c‐type cytochromes requires covalent attachment of the heme cofactor to the protein, and there are at least five distinct biogenesis systems that catalyze this post‐translational modification in different organisms and organelles. In this study, we use biochemical data, comparative genomic and structural bioinformatics investigations to provide a holistic view of mitochondrial c‐type cytochrome biogenesis and its evolution. There are three pathways for mitochondrial c‐type cytochrome maturation, only one of which is present in prokaryotes. We analyze the evolutionary distribution of these biogenesis systems, which include the Ccm system (System I) and the enzyme heme lyase (System III). We conclude that heme lyase evolved once and, in many lineages, replaced the multicomponent Ccm system (present in the proto‐mitochondrial endosymbiont), probably as a consequence of lateral gene transfer. We find no evidence of a System III precursor in prokaryotes, and argue that System III is incompatible with multi‐heme cytochromes common to bacteria, but absent from eukaryotes. The evolution of the eukaryotic‐specific protein heme lyase is strikingly unusual, given that this protein provides a function (thioether bond formation) that is also ubiquitous in prokaryotes. The absence of any known c‐type cytochrome biogenesis system from the sequenced genomes of various trypanosome species indicates the presence of a third distinct mitochondrial pathway. Interestingly, this system attaches heme to mitochondrial cytochromes c that contain only one cysteine residue, rather than the usual two, within the heme‐binding motif. The isolation of single‐cysteine‐containing mitochondrial cytochromes c from free‐living kinetoplastids, Euglena and the marine flagellate Diplonema papillatum suggests that this unique form of heme attachment is restricted to, but conserved throughout, the protist phylum Euglenozoa.
Aerosol distribution and efficacy in a commercial food warehouse
Authors: Arthur Frank H.
Published: April 2008

A series of field trials were conducted in a commercial food storage facility to evaluate exposure of stored‐product insects to aerosol formulations of synergized pyrethrins and the insect growth regulator methoprene. When adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), the red flour beetle, and Tribolium confusum (Jacqueline DuVal), the confused flour beetle were exposed with and without a food source to synergized pyrethrin aerosol, there was no difference in adult mortality with respect to availability of food at either 7 or 14 days after exposure (P≥ 0.05). However, mortality was lower in T. confusum (40.4% and 79.3% with flour at 7 and 14 days, 38.9% and 84.8% without flour at 7 and 14 days) compared to T. castaneum (96.5% and 99.8% with flour at 7 and 14 days, 91.0% and 98.7% without flour at 7 and 14 days). Few late‐stage larvae and pupae of either species exposed to the pyrethrin aerosol emerged as adults. In tests with methoprene aerosol, adult emergence of exposed 3‐and 4‐week‐old larvae of T. confusum was less than 2%. Only 0.3% of 4‐week‐old larvae of T. castaneum exposed in open and obstructed areas emerged as adults. Emergence of adults from eggs of Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), the Indianmeal moth, embedded in culture media and exposed to the methoprene aerosol was 13.2%± 3.5%. Results show that the aerosols evaluated in our study could give effective control of some of the major stored‐product insect pests in commercial food storage facilities, and may offer an alternative to fumigation.
Comprehensive Characterization of Genomic Aberrations in Gangliogliomas by CGH, Array‐based CGH and Interphase FISH
Authors: Hoischen Alexander , Ehrler Marion , Fassunke Jana , Simon Matthias , Baudis Michael , Landwehr Christina , Radlwimmer Bernhard , Lichter Peter , Schramm Johannes , Becker Albert J. , Weber Ruthild G.
Published: March 2008

Gangliogliomas are generally benign neuroepithelial tumors composed of dysplastic neuronal and neoplastic glial elements. We screened 61 gangliogliomas [World Health Organization (WHO) grade I] for genomic alterations by chromosomal and array‐based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). Aberrations were detected in 66% of gangliogliomas (mean ± SEM = 2.5 ± 0.5 alterations/tumor). Frequent gains were on chromosomes 7 (21%), 5 (16%), 8 (13%), 12 (12%); frequent losses on 22q (16%), 9 (10%), 10 (8%). Recurrent partial imbalances comprised the minimal overlapping regions dim(10)(q25) and enh(12)(q13.3–q14.1). Unsupervised cluster analysis of genomic profiles detected two major subgroups (group I: complete gain of 7 and additional gains of 5, 8 or 12; group II: no major recurring imbalances, mainly losses). A comparison with low‐grade gliomas (astrocytomas WHO grade II) showed chromosome 5 gain to be significantly more frequent in gangliogliomas. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) identified the aberrations to be contained in a subpopulation of glial but not in neuronal cells. Two gangliogliomas and their anaplastic recurrences (WHO grade III) were analyzed. Losses of CDKN2A/B and DMBT1 or a gain/amplification of CDK4 found in the anaplastic tumors were already present in the respective gangliogliomas by array CGH and interphase FISH. In summary, genomic profiling in a large series of gangliogliomas could distinguish genetic subgroups even in this low‐grade tumor.
Myonuclear Degeneration in LMNA Null Mice
Authors: Mittelbronn Michel , Sullivan Teresa , Stewart Colin L. , Bornemann Antje
Published: March 2008

Lamins A/C, the major constituent of the nuclear lamina, confer mechanical stability to nuclei. We examined the myonuclei of LMNA null mice at the myotendinous junctions (MTJ), the site of longitudinal force transmission from contractile proteins to extracellular proteins. The right soleus and rectus femoris muscles of five null mutants aged 5–7 weeks and two wild‐type animals aged 5 weeks and 6 months were examined by electron microscopy. The myofibers merging into the tendons were assessed for nuclear disintegration and cytoplasmic degeneration. The myofibers of the wild‐type rectus femoris and soleus muscles revealed 19–27 nuclei/50 myofibers and 5–8/20, respectively, with no signs of degeneration. The rectus femoris muscle fibers of the null mice contained 75–117 myonuclei/50 myofibers, the soleus muscle, 13–36 nuclei/20 myofibers. Eleven to twenty‐one per 50 myonuclei of the rectus femoris myonuclei showed chromatin clumping, nuclear fragmentation, nuclear inclusions and invaginations, and intranuclear filaments. The values were 12–19/50 for the soleus myonuclei. Moreover, 5–12/50 rectus femoris myofibers and 5–14/20, of the soleus myofibers showed cytoplasmic degeneration. None of these changes was found distal to the MTJ. These results favor the notion that myonuclei lacking a functional lamina are susceptible to mechanical stress in vivo. These alterations may contribute to the development of early joint contractures, a feature of ADEDMD.
Three‐Layered Structure Shared Between Lewy Bodies and Lewy Neurites—Three‐Dimensional Reconstruction of Triple‐Labeled Sections
Authors: Kanazawa Toshiro , Uchihara Toshiki , Takahashi Atsushi , Nakamura Ayako , Orimo Satoshi , Mizusawa Hidehiro
Published: April 2008

Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs) are the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although LBs and LNs, frequently coexistent, share some histological properties, their appearances are quite different under conventional two‐dimensional observation. In order to clarify how these apparently different structures (LBs and LNs) are related during their formation, we performed three‐dimensional observation on post‐mortem brainstem tissues with PD. Sixty‐µm thick floating sections were multi‐immunofluorolabeled for α‐synuclein (αS), ubiquitin (Ub) and neurofilament (NF). Serial confocal images were reconstructed with software. External three‐dimensional configuration of LBs, double‐labeled for αS and NF, exhibited frequent continuity with LNs (70%). Internally, αS and Ub formed the three‐dimensional concentric inner layers and NF rimmed these inner layers. This layered structure was shared among spherical LBs, rod‐shaped LNs and even convoluted forms of LBs/LNs. Furthermore, each layer exhibited continuity without interruption even in the convoluted form and around its junction to spherical LBs. This three‐layered structure shared among various Lewy pathologies and their layered continuity on three‐dimensional basis favor the hypothesis that LNs evolve into LBs. Besides progression from pale bodies to LBs, structural evolution from LNs into LBs may provide an alternative explanation for the variability of αS deposits and their interrelation.
Neonatal Rat Hypoxia‐Ischemia: Long‐Term Rescue of Striatal Neurons and Motor Skills by Combined Antioxidant‐Hypothermia Treatment
Authors: Hobbs Catherine E. , Oorschot Dorothy E.
Published: March 2008

Perinatal hypoxia‐ischemia can cause long‐term neurological and behavioral disability. Recent multicenter clinical trials suggest that moderate hypothermia, within 6 h of birth, offers significant yet incomplete protection. We investigated the effect of combined treatment with the antioxidant N‐tert‐butyl‐(2‐sulfophenyl)‐nitrone (S‐PBN) and moderate hypothermia on long‐term neuronal injury and behavioral disability. S‐PBN or its diluent was administered 12‐hourly to rats from postnatal day (PN) 7 to 10. On PN8, hypoxia‐ischemia was induced. Immediately post‐hypoxia, additional S‐PBN and 6 h of moderate hypothermia or additional diluent and 6 h of normothermia were administered. At 1 week, and at 11 weeks, after hypoxia‐ischemia, the absolute number of surviving medium‐spiny neurons was measured in the coded right striatum. In a separate experiment, skilled forepaw ability was investigated in coded 9‐ to 11‐week‐old rats. Normal, uninjured animals were also tested for motor skills at 9‐ to 11‐weeks‐of‐age. The combination of S‐PBN and moderate hypothermia provided statistically significant short‐ and long‐term protection of the striatal medium‐spiny neurons to normal control levels. This combinatorial treatment also preserved fine motor skills to normal control levels. The impressive histological and functional preservation suggests that S‐PBN and moderate hypothermia is a safe and attractive combination therapy for perinatal hypoxia‐ischemia.
Staging of Neurofibrillary Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease: A Study of the BrainNet Europe Consortium
Authors: Alafuzoff Irina , Arzberger Thomas , Al‐Sarraj Safa , Bodi Istvan , Bogdanovic Nenad , Braak Heiko , Bugiani Orso , Del‐Tredici Kelly , Ferrer Isidro , Gelpi Ellen , Giaccone Giorgio , Graeber Manuel B. , Ince Paul , Kamphorst Wouter , King Andrew , Korkolopoulou Penelope , Kovács Gábor G. , Larionov Sergey , Meyronet David , Monoranu Camelia , Parchi Piero , Patsouris Efstratios , Roggendorf Wolfgang , Seilhean Danielle , Tagliavini Fabrizio , Stadelmann Christine , Streichenberger Nathalie , Thal Dietmar R. , Wharton Stephen B , Kretzschmar Hans
Published: March 2008

It has been recognized that molecular classifications will form the basis for neuropathological diagnostic work in the future. Consequently, in order to reach a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau (HP‐tau) and β‐amyloid protein in brain tissue must be unequivocal. In addition, the stepwise progression of pathology needs to be assessed. This paper deals exclusively with the regional assessment of AD‐related HP‐tau pathology. The objective was to provide straightforward instructions to aid in the assessment of AD‐related immunohistochemically (IHC) detected HP‐tau pathology and to test the concordance of assessments made by 25 independent evaluators. The assessment of progression in 7‐µm‐thick sections was based on assessment of IHC labeled HP‐tau immunoreactive neuropil threads (NTs). Our results indicate that good agreement can be reached when the lesions are substantial, i.e., the lesions have reached isocortical structures (stage V–VI absolute agreement 91%), whereas when only mild subtle lesions were present the agreement was poorer (I–II absolute agreement 50%). Thus, in a research setting when the extent of lesions is mild, it is strongly recommended that the assessment of lesions should be carried out by at least two independent observers.
Self‐Esteem: A Human Solution to the Problem of Death
Authors: Schimel Jeff , Landau Mark , Hayes Joseph
Published: April 2008

Terror management theory (TMT) posits that the need for self‐esteem develops out of the socialization process in which children learn to abide by parental and, eventually, societal standards of ‘goodness’ to feel securely embedded in a cultural belief system. According to TMT, feeling safely immersed in a meaningful conception of reality (i.e., the cultural worldview) ultimately functions to protect people from anxiety due to the uniquely human capacity to be cognizant of their eventual death. After presenting the basic tenets of this perspective, we review several lines of research supporting it and then address some common questions and criticisms of the theory such as how is a TMT view of anxiety consistent with evolutionary principles, why do people commit suicide, and how is self‐esteem pursued in non‐Western, self‐effacing cultures? Finally, we discuss some implications of TMT for understanding social problems and for pursuing meaning and self‐esteem in healthier, more socially productive ways.