bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role clarity, fairness, and organizational climate as predictors of sickness absence
Authors: Väänänen Ari , Kalimo Raija , Toppinen-Tanner Salla , Mutanen Pertti , Peiró José Maria , Kivimäki Mika , Vahtera Jussi
Published: September 2004

Aims: The majority of the research on the effects of the psychosocial work environment on sickness absenteeism has focused on components of job strain and social support among public sector employees without stratification by socioeconomic status. The authors examined less-studied work-related psychosocial predictors of sickness absence in the private sector by socioeconomic status. Methods: Questionnaire data on psychosocial factors at work were used to predict the rates of recorded short (1 - 3 days), long (4 - 21 days), and very long (over 21 days) sickness absences among 3,850 white- and blue-collar male and female employees in a large-scale enterprise. Multivariate Poisson regression models were adjusted for age, prior absence, and psychosocial factors at work. Results: In white-collar men, low role clarity was associated with a 3.0 (95% CI 1.3 - 7.1) times greater rate of very long absences than high role clarity. Low fairness in the division of labor predicted a 1.3-fold (95% CI 1.1 - 1.5) rate of long absences in blue-collar men. In blue-collar women, poor organizational climate was associated with a 1.6 (95% CI 1.0 - 2.5) times greater rate of short absence spells than favorable organizational climate but among white-collar women all associations between work-related psychosocial factors and sickness absenteeism were weak. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the actions to reduce psychosocial risk factors of sickness absence should match the specific needs of each socioeconomic group.
Use of census data for construction of fertility history for Danish women
Authors: Danø Hella , Jacobsen Rune , Hansen Kasper Daniel , Petersen Jørn Korsbø , Lynge Elsebeth
Published: September 2004

Background: Modern epidemiology increasingly uses data on families. The authors constructed an extended fertility database for women born in Denmark from 1930 onwards by supplementing the existing Fertility Database with household data from the 1970 census. Methods: A fertility history was constructed for all women participating in the 1970 census, but aiming for complete data only for women aged 20 - 39. The fertility history of these women prior to the 1970 census was constructed from the census data including 1,648,813 persons coded as children. An algorithm was used transforming household information into fertility history data by matching women and children according to family position. Children for whom the algorithm gave no match were searched for in the Fertility Database; children not found in the Fertility Database either were searched for manually. The fertility history after the 1970 census was retrieved from the Fertility Database. Results: Using data from the census 1970, 98.5% of the children were linked to a mother, and 99.6% of these links were estimated to be correct, corresponding to 98.1% of the children being linked correctly. In total, 964,720 children of women aged 20 - 39 in 1970 were identified, which was equivalent to 96.6% of the expected live-born children, and to 99.1% of the expected surviving children. Conclusion: Census household data proved to be an excellent data source for construction of fertility histories.
The influence of sampling frequency on the detection of long-term change in three lakes in the English Lake District
Authors: George D. G. , Hurley M. A.
Published: September 2004

Models based on transformed Gaussian curves are described and used to summarise the seasonal variations in the surface temperature, dissolved reactive phosphorus concentration and phytoplankton biomass of three lakes in the English Lake District. The models are then used to quantify the effects of reducing the frequency of sampling on the detection of long-term (decadal-scale) change in the selected lakes. Three case studies are presented to demonstrate the effect of local changes in the catchment and regional-scale changes in the weather. The results demonstrate that the fitted models typically explained more than 70 percent of the recorded variation and can be used to quantify systematic changes in the timing and magnitude of the inter-annual variations. Tests where these time-series were systematically degraded showed that relatively little information was lost by fortnightly sampling but there was a marked reduction in the proportion of the variance explained when the sampling frequency was reduced from monthly to bi-monthly. Further tests on sub-sets of the acquired data showed that the capacity to detect change was not strongly influenced by the period of observation. When the length of record was reduced from 30 to 9 years the temperature and phosphorus models still explained a high proportion of the recorded variance but the results with the chlorophyll model were more time-dependent.
Relationship between sediment phosphorus release rates and characteristics of the benthic microbial community in a hypereutrophic marsh
Authors: Kelton Nadia , Chow-Fraser Patricia , Jordan Irene
Published: September 2004

Cootes Paradise Marsh is a hypereutrophic coastal wetland of Lake Ontario that has received sewage from the town of Dundas, Ontario for over eight decades. As such, sediments are nutrient rich and phosphorus release from the sediments is substantial. Release rates of soluble reactive phosphorus from frozen sediments collected at eleven representative sites in the marsh were highly variable, ranging from 0.96 to 28.28 mg m2 d−1. We wanted to evaluate spatial variance of the benthic microbial community and determine if this variation could be correlated to phosphorus release rates from corresponding sediments. Fresh sediment samples were collected from the same sites and characterized on the basis of sole-carbon-source utilization patterns through a Principal Components Analysis. Microbial communities located closest to the sewage outfall, had a high affinity for phosphorylated substrates, and used mainly carbohydrates, and were separated from communities located distal to the sewage source, which readily used polymers and simple sugars. Subsequently, sediment samples were collected from two sources and kept frozen for later phosphorus-release experiments while comparable samples were also collected to characterize the benthic microbial community from these sites. Phosphorus-release rates and utilization of specific substrates for the frozen sediment samples were significantly correlated (Spearman's Rank Correlation Analysis; P = 0.041), indicating a direct link between release and patterns of carbon utilization. Microbial communities of freshly collected sediments differed significantly from those of frozen sediments, and these differences were also observed for corresponding phosphorus-release rates. We conclude that the microbial community structure likely plays a major and direct role in the release and uptake of phosphorus from the sediment in Cootes Paradise Marsh.
Benthic algae as bioindicators of agricultural pollution in the streams and rivers of southern Québec (Canada)
Authors: Lavoie Isabelle , Vincent Warwick F. , Pienitz Reinhard , Painchaud Jean
Published: September 2004

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of agricultural pollution on periphyton in streams and rivers of southern Québec. We sampled benthic algae incubated from mid-July to mid-August on artificial substrates at 29 sites and analysed the variations in community structure and total community biomass. Diatom community structure as well as total benthic algae community were analysed. Water samples were taken to provide background chemical information, and land use data were also obtained. Preliminary tests showed that colonisation of the artificial substrates (unglazed ceramic tiles) resulted in biomass levels (Chlorophyll a and ash-free dry weight) and species composition that were not statistically different from those on natural rock substrates. The canonical correspondence analyses showed that pH, conductivity and suspended solids were the most significant environmental variables accounting for variations among sites and diatom community structure. No additional resolving power was obtained by including cyanobacteria, green algae and flagellates. This total community analysis substantially increased variance and sample processing time while reducing the relationship with environmental variables. These results indicate that an analysis based exclusively on diatoms provided the optimal approach. Traditional nutrient measurements (phosphorus and nitrogen) did not explain a significant part of the variance in the species composition among sites. The ordination analyses clearly separated agriculturally-impacted streams from reference sites, but no significant grouping was observed related to the intensity and type of agriculture, indicating the greater importance of local farming practices. The use of periphyton as a bioindicator provides an integrated measurement of water quality as experienced by the aquatic biota, and therefore offers a useful addition to physico-chemical water quality monitoring strategies.
Using benthos as a tool for coastal management: The impact of the tidal power station on benthic communities of the Rance basin
Authors: Desroy Nicolas , Retière Christian
Published: September 2004

The spatio-temporal variability of benthic communities was studied in a modified system whose main physical characteristics are controlled by humans: the Rance basin, with its tidal power station. Soft-bottom communities were sampled in 1976 and 1995 by a quantitative survey of 105 and 113 stations, respectively, to assess spatial and temporal changes, to determine factors involved in benthic assemblage changes and to lay a base for the management of this coastal area. A total of 205 and 240 species were recorded in 1976 and 1995, respectively. Ascendant hierarchical classification and factorial correspondence analysis identified 7 and 6 assemblages in 1976 and 1995, respectively. The main groups are: 1) the Amphioxus lanceolatus-Glycymeris glycymeris; 2) the Abra alba-Corbula gibba and 3) the oligospecific Macoma balthica communities. A large consortium of common species linked the main assemblages described in 1976 as in 1995. From comparison of their distribution and structure, local spatio-temporal changes were identified in response to modifications of the habitats due to 1) silting in the brackish sector; 2) the decrease in the mean low water level and 3) the proliferation of the mollusc Crepidula fornicata. As a consequence, species richness 1) decreased in the brackish part as a result of the ‘homogenisation’ of habitats induced by silting and 2) increased in parts of the basin through the proliferation of Crepidula fornicata and the apparent diversification of the associated habitat. However, despite reduction in species abundances, the structure of the identified assemblages between 1976 and 1995 remained stable at the scale of the Rance basin. This long-term relative stability seems to reflect stable environmental conditions. In the basin, tide is moderate with reduced range variations and benthic communities are preserved from the effects of swells. However, the new balance is entirely dependant upon the mode of the installation: by modifying water levels with appropriate time intervals, managers can chose to favour intertidal or subtidal communities according to their respective ecological interests for avifauna and flatfishes, local socio-economical preoccupations or recreational activities carried out in the basin.
Impacts of water development on aquatic macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and plants in wetlands of a semi-arid landscape
Authors: Euliss Ned H. , Mushet David M.
Published: September 2004

We compared the macroinvertebrate and amphibian communities of 12 excavated and 12 natural wetlands in western North Dakota, USA, to assess the effects of artificially lengthened hydroperiods on the biotic communities ofwetlands in this semi-arid region. Excavatedwetlandswere much deeper and captured greater volumes ofwater than natural wetlands. Most excavated wetlands maintained water throughout the study period (May to October 1999), whereas most of the natural wetlands were dry by June. Excavated wetlands were largely unvegetated or contained submergent and deep-marsh plant species. The natural wetlands had two well-defined vegetative zones populated by plant species typical of wet meadows and shallow marshes. Excavated wetlands had a richer aquatic macroinvertebrate community that included several predatory taxa not found in natural wetlands. Taxa adapted to the short hydroperiods of seasonal wetlands were largely absent from excavated wetlands. The amphibian community of natural and excavated wetlands included the boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata), northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens), plains spadefoot (Scaphiopus bombifrons), Woodhouse’s toad (Bufowoodhousiiwoodhousii), and tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). The plains spadefoot occurred only in natural wetlands while tiger salamanders occurred in all 12 excavated wetlands and only one natural wetland. Boreal chorus frogs and northern leopard frogs were present in both wetland types; however, they successfully reproduced only in wetlands lacking tiger salamanders. Artificially extending the hydroperiod of wetlands by excavation has greatly influenced the composition of native biotic communities adapted to the naturally short hydroperiods of wetlands in this semi-arid region. The compositional change of the biotic communities can be related to hydrological changes and biotic interactions, especially predation related to excavation.
Influence of habitat, water quality, and land use on macro-invertebrate and fish assemblages of a southeastern coastal plain watershed, USA
Authors: Sawyer James A. , Stewart Paul M. , Mullen Michael M. , Simon Thomas P. , Bennett Holly H.
Published: September 2004

Most states in the U.S. are currently developing methods for assessing the integrity of aquatic habitats through the development of regional biocriteria. While multimetric indices have been used to show community composition, pollution tolerance, species diversity, and trophic structure with a combined index, the specific environmental factors that drive biological communities may be better explained through the use of multivariate statistical techniques. Macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages were sampled along with water quality, landuse and qualitative and quantitative habitat assessments from forty-nine sites throughout the Choctawhatchee-Pea, a southeastern U.S. watershed. Multivariate statistical analyses of habitat, water quality, and land-use data were used to determine the relationship between environmental variables and the dependent biological variables, macroinvertebrate and fish community structure. Sampling of biological and environmental data showed that there was a great deal of homogeneity within the watershed, which complicated the task of identifying environmental influences on biological assemblages. Macro-invertebrate and fish assemblages of the Choctawhatchee-Pea watershed were similar in their response to environmental conditions with water chemistry having the greatest relationship to macro-invertebrate and fish community structure followed by instream habitat and land use.
Fish assemblage changes in relation to watershed landuse disturbance
Authors: Argent David G. , Carline Robert F.
Published: September 2004

Fish assemblage collections were assessed in sub-watersheds containing various land use types to relate overall biotic condition to patterns of watershed disturbance and to the influence of introduced fishes. Four hundred historical and contemporary fish collections were analyzed in conjunction with land use and land cover data among 200, first- through fourth-order sub-watersheds across Pennsylvania. A high degree of collinearity among several land use types and the presence of non-indigenous fishes was determined, indicating multiple anthropogenic influences. Significant relationships were found between various land use types and the Jaccard coefficient of similarity, the primary index used to evaluate changes between fish collections, across all major drainages. In general, the Jaccard coefficient of similarity increased to a value of one as the percentage of forested land increased, while the Jaccard coefficient of similarity decreased as percentages of agricultural and urban land increased. Sub- watersheds that showed declines in species richness had significantly higher percentages of agricultural and developed land, while those sub-watersheds with higher amounts of forested land appeared relatively stable. Seventy-percent of those species that experienced declines were either insectivores or benthic insectivores. The largest increases among the fish guilds occurred within the insectivore-piscivore group. We conclude that land use influences at the sub-watershed scale and the introduction of non-indigenous fishes have had a significant influence on fish community composition.
Algal growth potential as an indicator of eutrophication degree in coastal areas under sewage disposal influence
Authors: Moser G. A. O. , Sigaud-Kutner T. C. S. , Cattena C. O. , Gianesella S. M. F. , Braga E. S. , Schinke K. P. , Aidar E.
Published: September 2004

Algal growth potential was used to quantify the degree of eutrophication of three coastal regions in São Paulo, Brazil which are subject to sewage disposal. Surface water was collected in Praia Grande, Santos, Guarujá and São Sebastião during two surveys (low tourist season—October 1997 and high tourist season—March 1998). Water was filtered and used in chlorophyll-a and nutrient analyses and in bioassays. Samples were inoculated with the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, and then subdivided into seven replicates. During a ten days experiment, in vivo fluorescence was performed and algal growth potential was calculated. Values were expressed as absolute in vivo fluorescence, as well as with a ratio of in vivo fluorescence of sample in relation to the fluorescence of control sea water for each treatment which defines the trophic status. The results of these bioassays showed a growing degree of eutrophication among regions: Praia Grande ∼ São Sebastião → Guarujá → Santos. It also identified sewage disposals and estuarine discharges as the main sources causing eutrophication. This bioassay technique is an important tool for environmental pre-monitoring studies, giving useful results in a short time.
Aquatic ecotoxicity due to oil pollution in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Authors: Wernersson Ann-Sofie
Published: September 2004

One of the major environmental impacts of oil exploration in the Ecuadorian Amazon region is the contamination of the aquatic environment. In addition to occasional major oil spills, there are several minor sources. This study investigates aquatic toxicity due to seepage from production pits and oiled road run-off. Water and sediment samples were collected and acute toxicity was determined in Daphnia magna and Hyalella azteca bioassays. Because exposure to ultra-violet radiation may enhance the toxicity of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oil, toxicity was studied before and after exposure to natural sunlight in the field using a microbiotest or solar-simulating ultra-violet light in the laboratory using cultured organisms.

Total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations of analyzed sediments ranged from 4.9 to 6980 mg kg−1 dry weight (dw). Immobility and lethality ranged from 0 to 100% in Daphnia magna and from 0 to 40% in Hyalella azteca. The micro-biotest results were generally confirmed by the tests on cultured Daphnia. A river exposed to oiled road run-off and a pond used for drinking water, 100-m from a production pit, had the highest total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations. These samples were toxic compared to reference sites. The response increased upon light exposure, suggesting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon availability. Minor water phototoxicity was also observed in the drinking water pond (having ten times the total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration nationally allowed in drinking water). Thus, the seepage from unlined production pits and the practice to use oil for dust control on roads in the area pose environmental and human health hazards.
Physiological factors contributing to the species-specific sensitivity of four estuarine microalgal species exposed to the herbicide atrazine
Authors: DeLorenzox Marie E. , Leatherbury Meagan , Weiner Jeannette A. , Lewitus Alan J. , Fulton Michael H.
Published: September 2004

Algal species vary considerably in sensitivity to the commonly used herbicide atrazine, and it is hypothesized that several factors may contribute to species-specific sensitivity. In this study four estuarine microalgal species, a planktonic chlorophyte (Dunaliella tertiolecta), a benthic chlorophyte (Ankistrodesmus sp.), a cryptophyte (Storeatula major) and a dinoflagellate (Amphidinium operculatum), were exposed to atrazine to determine toxicity and identify factors that might influence species sensitivity. Atrazine effects were examined at the population (cell density, primary productivity and biomass), cellular (biovolume), and subcellular (pigment composition, protein concentration and lipid concentration) levels. Atrazine significantly decreased cell density, productivity rate, biomass and biovolume in all the algal populations tested at atrazine concentrations ≥ 12.5 μ g l−1. Toxicity values (96 h EC50 values) for the four species ranged from 11.87 to 146.71 μ g l−1. Species sensitivity rankings varied with endpoint measured. Overall, Ankistrodesmus sp. was the most sensitive species followed by Storeatula, Dunaliella and Amphidinium. Cellular biovolume was a significantly more sensitive test endpoint for Amphidinium, chlorophyll a was a significantly more sensitive test endpoint for Ankistrodesmus sp., and phototrophic carbon assimilation was a significantly more sensitive test endpoint for both Storeatula and Amphidinium. Algal subcellular responses to atrazine were also species dependent. Chlorophyll a concentration per cell decreased in the green algae, increased in Amphidinium and did not change in Storeatula. Total lipids per cell increased in Storeatula, decreased in Amphidinium and did not change in the green algae. Ankistrodesmus sp. pigments were not significantly altered after atrazine exposure; however selected Amphidinium pigments increased per cell, and selected Dunaliella and Storeatula pigments decreased per cell in the atrazine treatments. Atrazine significantly reduced cellular biovolume in all test species. Species with smaller biovolumes and less chlorophyll a per cell tended to be more sensitive to atrazine exposure based on population growth rate.
Effect of mechanical removal of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) on the water quality and biological communities in a Mexican reservoir
Authors: Mangas-Ramírez Ernesto , Elías-Gutiérrez Manuel
Published: September 2004

The Valsequillo reservoir, located near the city of Puebla, Mexico, is a hard-water eutrophic subtropical system, with minimum temperatures in winter (November–December), and marked dry-rain seasons with fluctuating depth. The reservoir has been infested with water hyacinth for over three decades. A management program involving the use of triturating machines was applied from December 1996 to February 1997. After trituration, remains were allowed to settle to the bottom. The purpose of this study was to monitor the changes in the water quality and the biological communities before and after physical control of weeds. A monthly sampling of surface water was performed at four stations one year before the treatment. After trituration, one year sampling was also carried out. Variables measured included temperature, Secchi disk transparency, depth, pH, dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, hardness, nitrate content, nitrite content, ammonia, orthophosphates, and numerical abundance of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and nekton.

Weed control affected changes in all variables measured, as a result of residual decomposition of triturated matter. Secchi transparency and oxygen levels decreased and pH became slightly more alkaline. More important changes occurred for nutrients. Orthophosphate concentration increased, for nitrate and nitrite, increase was about 320% and 450% respectively. Ammonia reached lethal values for at least four months after trituration. As a result, phytoplankton decreased initially, and when it flourished again, the Bacillariophyta were replaced by Cyanophyta. Euglenophyta were important in both years. Of zooplankton, calanoids decreased, but cyclopoids and cladocerans maintained similar numbers, although the latter group changed in composition in that Ceriodaphnia was replaced by Moina. Fish disappeared from the system after weed trituration. In the second year a small recovery of water quality occurred, but water hyacinth also started to develop again. At present, Valsequillo is again covered by water hyacinth.
VizRank: finding informative data projections in functional genomics by machine learning
Authors: Leban Gregor , Bratko Ivan , Petrovic Uros , Curk Tomaz , Zupan Blaz
Published: September 2004

Summary: VizRank is a tool that finds interesting two-dimensional projections of class-labeled data. When applied to multi-dimensional functional genomics datasets, VizRank can systematically find relevant biological patterns.

Availability:  http://www.ailab.si/supp/bi-vizrank

Supplementary information:  http://www.ailab.si/supp/bi-vizrank

Contact:  blaz.zupan@fri.uni-lj.si
Simulation tools for biochemical networks: evaluation of performance and usability
Authors: Pettinen Antti , Aho Tommi , Smolander Olli-Pekka , Manninen Tiina , Saarinen Antti , Taattola Kaisa-Leena , Yli-Harja Olli , Linne Marja-Leena
Published: September 2004

Motivation: Simulation of dynamic biochemical systems is receiving considerable attention due to increasing availability of experimental data of complex cellular functions. Numerous simulation tools have been developed for numerical simulation of the behavior of a system described in mathematical form. However, there exist only a few evaluation studies of these tools. Knowledge of the properties and capabilities of the simulation tools would help bioscientists in building models based on experimental data.

Results: We examine selected simulation tools that are intended for the simulation of biochemical systems. We choose four of them for more detailed study and perform time series simulations using a specific pathway describing the concentration of the active form of protein kinase C. We conclude that the simulation results are convergent between the chosen simulation tools. However, the tools differ in their usability, support for data transfer to other programs and support for automatic parameter estimation. From the experimentalists’ point of view, all these are properties that need to be emphasized in the future.

Contact:  antti.pettinen@tut.fi
The Evolution of the Upper Mantle beneath the Canary Islands: Information from Trace Elements and Sr isotope Ratios in Minerals in Mantle Xenoliths
Authors: NEUMANN ELSE-RAGNHILD , GRIFFIN WILLIAM LINDSEY , PEARSON NORMAN J. , O'REILLY SUZANNE YVONNE
Published: September 2004

Laser ablation microprobe data are presented for olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene in spinel harzburgite and lherzolite xenoliths from La Palma, Hierro, and Lanzarote, and new whole-rock trace-element data for xenoliths from Hierro and Lanzarote. The xenoliths show evidence of strong major, trace element and Sr isotope depletion (87Sr/86Sr ≤ 0·7027 in clinopyroxene in the most refractory harzburgites) overprinted by metasomatism. The low Sr isotope ratios are not compatible with the former suggestion of a mantle plume in the area during opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Estimates suggest that the composition of the original oceanic lithospheric mantle beneath the Canary Islands corresponds to the residues after 25–30% fractional melting of primordial mantle material; it is thus significantly more refractory than ‘normal’ mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle. The trace element compositions and Sr isotopic ratios of the minerals least affected by metasomatization indicate that the upper mantle beneath the Canary Islands originally formed as highly refractory oceanic lithosphere during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean in the area. During the Canarian intraplate event the upper mantle was metasomatized; the metasomatic processes include cryptic metasomatism, resetting of the Sr–Nd isotopic ratios to values within the range of Canary Islands basalts, formation of minor amounts of phlogopite, and melt–wall-rock reactions. The upper mantle beneath Tenerife and La Palma is strongly metasomatized by carbonatitic or carbonaceous melts highly enriched in light rare earth elements (REE) relative to heavy REE, and depleted in Zr–Hf and Ti relative to REE. In the lithospheric mantle beneath Hierro and Lanzarote, metasomatism has been relatively weak, and appears to be caused by high-Si melts producing concave-upwards trace element patterns in clinopyroxene with weak negative Zr and Ti anomalies. Ti–Al–Fe-rich harzburgites/lherzolites, dunites, wehrlites and clinopyroxenites formed from mildly alkaline basaltic melts (similar to those that dominate the exposed parts of the islands), and appear to be mainly restricted to magma conduits; the alkali basalt melts have caused only local metasomatism in the mantle wall-rocks of such conduits. The various metasomatic fluids formed as the results of immiscible separations, melt–wall-rock reactions and chromatographic fractionation either from a CO2-rich basaltic primary melt, or, alternatively, from a basaltic and a siliceous carbonatite or carbonaceous silicate melt.
Migration of antigen presenting cells from periphery to the peritoneum during an inflammatory response: role of chemokines and cytokines
Authors: Mitra Roshni , Dharajiya Nilesh , Kumari Leela , Varalakshmi Chavvakula , Khar Ashok
Published: September 2004

We demonstrate the migration of antigen presenting cells (APCs), macrophages, and dendritic cells from the subcutaneous site to the peritoneum after they have picked up the antigen, using cell tracking dye. The migration of the APCs is more universal as it was also observed after injection of MethA tumor, DH‐5α cells, and leishmania parasites, in addition to AK‐5 tumor cells. Cellular migration is mediated by several chemokines and cytokines that also induce heavy influx of immune cells into the peritoneum. MIP‐3β secreted by the mesothelial cells is involved in the cellular influx into the peritoneum, whereas IL‐12 and IFN‐γ produced by the APCs induced activation of immune cells in the peritoneum. Our results suggest an antigen presentation function for the APCs in the peritoneum as studied by lymphoproliferation assays. These studies indicate antigen presentation function of the activated migratory APCs from the distant subcutaneous site to the peritoneum, suggesting it acts as an important lymphoid organ involved in the enhancement of effector cell function.
Proteomic analysis of hyperdynamic mouse hearts with enhanced sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium cycling
Authors: Chu Guoxiang , Kerr Jaclyn P. , Mitton Bryan , Egnaczyk Gregory F. , Vazquez Jenny A. , Shen Meilan , Kilby Greg W. , Stevenson Tracy I. , Maggio John E. , Vockley Jerry , Rapundalo Stephen T. , Kranias Evangelia G.
Published: September 2004

Depressed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca‐cycling is a hallmark of human and experimental heart failure. Strategies to improve this impairment by either increasing SERCA2a levels or decreasing phospholamban (PLN) activity have been suggested as promising therapeutic targets. Indeed, ablation of PLN gene in mice was associated with greatly enhanced cardiac Ca‐cycling and performance. Intriguingly, this hyperdynamic cardiac function was maintained throughout the lifetime of the mouse without observable pathological consequences. To determine the cellular alterations in the expression or modification of myocardial proteins, which are associated with the enhanced cardiac contractility, we performed a proteomics‐based analysis of PLN knockout (PLN‐KO) hearts in comparison to isogenic wild‐types. By use of 2‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE), ˜3300 distinct protein spots were detected in either wild‐type or PLN‐KO ventricles. Protein spots observed to be altered between PLN‐KO and wild‐type hearts were subjected to tryptic peptide mass fingerprinting for identification by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry in combination with LC/MS/MS analysis. In addition, two‐dimensional 32Pautoradiography was performed to analyze the phosphorylation profiles of PLN‐KO cardiomyocytes. We identified alterations in the expression level of more than 100 ventricular proteins, along with changes in phosphorylation status of important regulatory proteins in the PLN‐KO. These protein changes were observed mainly in two subcellular compartments: the cardiac contractile apparatus, and metabolism/energetics. Our findings suggest that numerous alterations in protein expression and phosphorylation state occurred upon ablation of PLN and that a complex functional relationship among proteins involved in calcium handling, myofibrils, and energy production may exist to coordinately maintain the hyperdynamic cardiac contractile performance of the PLN‐KO mouse in the long term.
The human DNA polymerase λ interacts with PCNA through a domain important for DNA primer binding and the interaction is inhibited by p21/WAF1/CIP1
Authors: Maga Giovanni , Blanca Giuseppina , Shevelev Igor , Frouin Isabelle , Ramadan Kristijan , Spadari Silvio , Villani Giuseppe , Hübscher Ulrich
Published: September 2004

In this paper we show that DNA polymerase λ (pol λ) interacts with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in vivo in human cells. Moreover, by using recombinant mutated PCNA, we could demonstrate that pol λ interacts with both the interdomain‐connecting loop and the nearby hydrophobic pocket on the anterior of PCNA and that critical residues within a helix‐hairpin‐helix domain of pol λ, important for proper DNA primer binding, are also involved in the enzyme's interaction with PCNA. Finally, we show that the tumor suppressor protein p21WAF1/CIP1 can efficiently compete in vitro with pol λ for binding to PCNA. Given the high rate of frameshift mutations induced by pol λ and its ability to bypass abasic sites, accurate regulation of pol λ activity by PCNA and p21 concerted action might be important for preventing genetic instability.
The cavity magnetron in World War II: was the secrecy justified?
Authors: Lovell B.
Published: September 2004

The cavity magnetron was invented in Birmingham University and developed by the GEC for centimetric radar in World War II. Its existence was kept secret, and its deployment was delayed, in the belief that as soon as it was used the enemy would be able to adopt the technique both in radar and in countermeasures. The H
2
S radar using the cavity magnetron was first used in January 1943, and a Stirling bomber with H
2
S crashed a few nights later near Rotterdam. The radar equipment was recovered almost intact by Telefunken engineers. The author of a German report on the equipment, Otto Hachenberg, subsequently became a colleague of the present author in radio astronomy. He died in 2001 and his report of May 1943 was discovered among his papers. It reveals that the principle of the cavity magnetron was already well known in Germany, based on work published in Leningrad in 1936. The most serious effect of the delay in deployment of the magnetron in centimetric radar was in the anti–U–boat campaign, in which the new centimetric radar became the main contributor to the successful end of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Essay review. Robert Hooke under the microscope
Authors: Friesen J.
Published: September 2004

Three centuries after Hooke's death his contributions to late seventeenth–century thought are only beginning to be examined in their totality. Hooke's reputation as a leading experimentalist and founding father of The Royal Society has been obscured by the success of his rival Isaac Newton and pro–Newtonian historiography that has portrayed him as the man who thought of the grand idea second, an innovative figure who vindictively accused Newton and others of plagiarism despite his own failures to publicize his discoveries or to carry his many projects to completion. These four books attempt to rescue Hooke from historical neglect. As Jardine in her biography explains, the goal is ‘to retrieve Hooke and his genius, and give him back the status he undoubtedly deserves today, as a groundbreaking thinker and brilliant experimentalist, a founding figure in the European scientific revolution’.
Report. The Andrew W. Mellon Cataloguing Project
Authors: Cordon J.
Published: September 2004

In July 2003 the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded The Royal Society $300 000 (£191 500) to enable the Library to create an online catalogue of some of the most important of the Society's archives. Four assistant archivists are now in post to catalogue electronically and accommodate to an archivally sound standard some of the unique collections held by The Royal Society. The project began in October 2003 and is expected to finish by October 2005.
A mad house transformed: the lives and work of Charles James Beverly FRS (1788–1868) and John Warburton MD FRS (1795–1847)
Authors: Murphy E.
Published: September 2004

Bethnal Green Asylum was the most notorious of the scandalous early nineteenth–century private madhouses exposed in two parliamentary Select Committees of 1815/16 and 1827. From being vilified as the worst asylum in the country, this huge and important institution was transformed over 15 years into one of the best by two determined men, both Fellows of The Royal Society, John Warburton MD, the proprietor, and Charles James Beverly, the medical superintendent, former naval surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer. This paper describes their hitherto unrecorded biographies.
An unpublished letter from Henry Oldenburg to Johann Heinrich Rahn
Authors: Malcolm N.
Published: September 2004

The Swiss mathematician Johann Heinrich Rahn studied under John Pell in Zurich in the 1650s. Prompted by Pell (who worked on a revised version of Rahn's treatise on algebra, which was published in London in 1668), Theodore Haak made contact with Rahn in 1671, and received a letter from him describing his recent work on optics. This letter was passed on to Henry Oldenburg, who, with the assistance of John Collins, composed a lengthy reply, surveying recent scientific and mathematical publications. Significantly, however, Oldenburg did not consult Pell, even though this correspondence arose in the first place from Pell's friendship with Rahn; the reason for this omission was that Oldenburg and Collins hoped that Rahn could supply details of Pell's mathematical methods that Pell himself was refusing to divulge. Oldenburg's letter is published here for the first time.
Shipborne radar in World War II: some recollections
Authors: Cook A.
Published: September 2004

This note contains some observations on the use of radar at sea in World War II based on experience in developing radar for the Royal Navy and on some reminiscences of a minor part in preparation for D–Day 60 years ago.
Japan Prize Commemorative Lecture: biodiversity, conservation and sustainability
Authors: Lawton J. H.
Published: September 2004

This lecture was given on 21 April 2004, in Tokyo, Japan, on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Japan Prize. John Lawton was awarded the 2004 Japan Prize for ‘Observational, experimental and theoretical achievements for the scientific understanding and conservation of biodiversity’.
In this issue
Authors: Quinn T.
Published: September 2004

Introduction to the September 2004 issue of
Notes and Records
with a facsimile of the first of three pages of signatures dated 5 December 1660 in which 115 people express their intention to ‘meet together weekly (if not hindered by necessary occasions) to consult and debate concerning the promotion of Experimental Learning…’. The Royal Society came into being a year and a half later on 15 July 1662 with the signature by Charles II of the first Royal Charter.
Invertebrate predation of 15N‐marked prey in semi‐field wheat enclosures
Authors: Nienstedt Karin M. , Poehling Hans‐Michael
Published: September 2004

In order to explore the suitability of using 15N as marker in predation studies, a semi‐field test was carried out. This study focused on epigeic polyphagous predators in a wheat field using 15N‐marked aphids as prey. The 15N‐aphids were released in enclosures. Eight days after their release the whole predator fauna of the enclosures was caught, and predators were analysed for 15N‐content.

 More than 80% of the predators showed an enriched 15N‐content. The 15N‐enrichments varied between taxonomic groups, species, sex, and individuals, providing an extensive data set for the analysis of predation. Competition between predators could be inferred, as well as an estimation of the number of consumed aphids. During this experiment, the carabids Platynus dorsalis (Pontoppidan) and Calathus melanocephalus (L.), the staphylinid Philonthus cognatus Stephens, and the spider Oedothorax apicatus (Blackwall) were the most efficient polyphagous predators upon aphids, in agreement with literature data which was based on other methods.
Indigestibility of plant cell wall by the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera
Authors: Clissold F.J. , Sanson G.D. , Read J.
Published: September 2004

The plant cell wall may play an important role in defence against herbivores since it can be both a barrier to, and nutrient diluter of, the easily digested cell contents. The aim of this study was to investigate the digestibility of the cell wall of three grasses, Triticum aestivum L., Dactyloctenium radulans (R. Br.) Beauv., and Astrebla lappacea (Lindl.) Domin, by the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera Walker (Orthoptera: Acrididae, Acridinae) as determined by the Van Soest method [Van Soest PJ, Robertson JB & Lewis BA (1991) Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 3583–3597]. Determination of plant cell wall digestion by locusts required a precise methodological procedure to determine both the exact intake and the concentration of cell wall in the diet and the faeces. Plant cell wall determination is affected by the particle size distribution of the dried plant material. All three grasses differed in the percentage of cell wall per gram dry matter and the proportions of hemicellulose, cellulose, and acid‐detergent sulphuric lignin within the cell wall. The locust was unable to digest the cell wall of any of the grasses. Thus, plant cell walls are a mechanical barrier hindering locusts assimilating nutrients. That is, access, rather than nutrient concentration per se, may be limiting nutrient factor.
Olfactory responses of the omnivorous generalist predator Dicyphus hesperus to plant and prey odours
Authors: McGregor R.R. , Gillespie D.R.
Published: September 2004

Responses of female Dicyphus hesperus Knight (Heteroptera: Miridae) to the odours of plants and prey were tested in the laboratory using a Y‐tube olfactometer. Females were attracted to the odour of tomato leaves infested with nymphs of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), compared to uninfested leaves. No such attraction occurred to tomato leaves infested with two‐spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). When females were simultaneously presented with the odours of whitefly and mite‐infested leaves, no preference for either odour was recorded. Similarly, females were attracted to the odour of pepper leaves infested with green peach aphids [Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera: Aphididae)] compared to uninfested leaves, but were not attracted to the odour of pepper leaves infested with eggs of cabbage loopers, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). When aphid‐infested and looper‐egg‐infested pepper leaves were presented simultaneously, no preference for either odour was detected. The results are discussed as they relate to the evolution of infochemical use in generalist omnivorous predators.
Host feeding in insect parasitoids: why destructively feed upon a host that excretes an alternative?
Authors: Burger Joep M.S. , Reijnen Tamar M. , Van Lenteren Joop C. , Vet Louise E.M.
Published: September 2004

Host feeding is the consumption of host tissue by the adult female parasitoid. We studied the function of destructive host feeding and its advantage over non‐destructive feeding on host‐derived honeydew in the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). We allowed parasitoids to oviposit until they attempted to host feed. We either prevented or allowed host feeding. Parasitoids had access to sucrose solution, with or without additional access to honeydew. Parasitoids that were allowed to host feed did not have a higher egg load 20 or 48 h after host feeding than parasitoids prevented from host feeding. Host feeding did not increase the number of eggs matured within these periods, nor did the time spent host feeding positively affect any of these response variables. On the other hand, the presence of honeydew did have a positive effect on egg load 20 and 48 h after host feeding compared with parasitoids deprived of honeydew. Parasitoids with access to honeydew matured more eggs within these periods than honeydew‐deprived parasitoids. Host feeding increased life expectancy, but this effect was nullified when honeydew was supplied after the host‐feeding attempt. In conclusion, feeding on honeydew could be an advantageous alternative to host feeding in terms of egg quantity and longevity. This applies especially to parasitoids exploiting Homoptera, because these parasitoids can obtain honeydew from the host itself. It is possible that destructive host feeding has evolved to enable females to sustain the production of high‐quality anhydropic eggs, which may be important in the parasitoid's natural environment. We argue that future studies should take natural alternative food sources into more consideration.
Stored‐product insects in a flour mill: population dynamics and response to fumigation treatments
Authors: Campbell James F. , Arbogast Richard T.
Published: September 2004

In a wheat flour mill, seasonal trends in stored‐product insect trap capture, relationships between trap captures inside and outside the mill, and between pheromone trap capture and product infestation, and the impact of fumigation on pest populations, were assessed. Mark‐recapture was used to evaluate the potential for movement of insects outside the mill into the mill. For Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Trogoderma variabile Ballion (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), pheromone trap captures outside were higher than inside the mill, and when inside and outside trap captures were correlated, both indoor and outdoor trap captures tended to cycle according to a seasonal pattern; fumigations did not consistently influence pheromone trap captures, and in only one instance were they found in product samples. Mark‐recapture data indicated that P. interpunctella was capable of entering the building from outside. Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) trap captures, in contrast, tended to be lower outside compared to inside, followed a pattern of sharp decline after fumigation treatment, and then steadily increased (0.002–0.005 beetles/trap/day) until the next fumigation. This pattern, other than potentially the rate of increase, was not impacted by season and outside trap capture levels. Tribolium castaneum was the primary species infesting the product. The information generated in this study provides some of the information needed to develop improved monitoring and management programs.