bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences between Anglo-Celtic and
Italian Caregivers of Dependent Elderly Persons: a Pilot Study
Authors: CARRAFA GINO P. , SCHULTZ CYNTHIA L. , SMYRNIOS KOSMAS X.
Published: July 2002

This paper describes a preliminary investigation of
differences in family
caregiving in Australia. Forty-eight Italian-born family caregivers of
dependent elderly persons were compared with 461 caregivers of Anglo-Celtic
origin on measures reflecting psychological health and well-being, and on a
range of socio-demographic variables. The latter had participated in the
national Caring for Family Caregivers (CFC) group programme; the former
are residents of the Melbourne metropolitan area. Statistical tests were
conducted on measures which included the Affect Balance Scale (Bradburn
and Noll 1969) and the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory
(Spielberger et al. 1983) and its translation (Pedrabassi
and Santinello 1989).
Findings indicated that Italians reported experiencing significantly
less trait anxiety than Anglo-Celtic caregivers. Furthermore,
significantly more Italians
used community supports, were employed full-time, had lower levels of
education, and reported better levels of general health than Anglo-Celtics.
Implications for research and practice are drawn.
Ronaldo Munck and Peter Waterman, eds., Labour Worldwide in the Era of Globalization: Alternative Union Models in the New World Order. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. vii + 269 pp. $79.95 cloth.
Authors: Hanagan Michael
Published: July 2002

In the wake of the Russian Revolution, labor radicals believed that they
had discovered the ideal organizational form: internationally affiliated parties
of professional revolutionaries to coordinate the activities of national trade
unions and mass political parties toward revolutionary ends. Communist
“vanguard” parties proved capable of mobilizing masses but also of
imposing dictatorial control over entire labor movements and for decades
defended Joseph Stalin's hecatombs. Many of today's labor militants
have ransacked the contemporary political scene for alternative methods of
bringing unions into mass politics. The provocative and important collection
edited by Ronaldo Munck and Peter Waterman argues that labor radicals should
emulate social movements such as the peace, environmental, and feminist
movements.
Distributed ground/walking robot interaction
Authors: Bruneau O. , Ouezdou F.B.
Published: July 2002

Most of the time, the construction of
legged robots is made in an empirical way and the
optimization of the mechanical structure is seldom taken into account.
In order to avoid spending time and money on the
construction of many prototypes to test their performance, a CAD
tool and a methodology seem to be necessary. In this
way it will be possible to optimize on one hand
the kinematic structure of the legs, on the other hand
the gaits which will be used by the future robot.
Thus, we have developed a methodology to design walking structures
such as quadrupeds and bipeds, to simulate their dynamic behavior
and analyse their performances. The feet/ground interaction is one of
the major problem in the context of dynamic simulation for
walking devices. Thus, we focus here about the phenomenon of
contact. This paper describes a general model for dynamic simulation
of contacts between a walking robot and ground. This model
considers a force distribution and uses an analytical form for
each force depending only on the known state of the
robot system. The simulation includes all phenomena that may occur
during the locomotion cycle: impact, transition from impact to contact,
contact during support with static friction, transition from static to
sliding friction, sliding friction and transition from sliding to static
friction. Some examples are presented to show the use of
this contact model for the simulation of the foot-ground interaction
during a walking gait.
COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF TARGETED SCREENING FOR ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM
Authors: Pentikäinen Tuomo Johannes , Sipilä Teemu , Rissanen Pekka , Soisalon-Soininen Sari , Salo Jarmo
Published: July 2002

Objectives: This article reports a cost-effectiveness analysis of
targeted screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A major emphasis was
on the estimation of distributions of costs and effectiveness.

Methods: We performed a Monte Carlo simulation using C programming
language in a PC environment. Data on survival and costs, and a majority of
screening probabilities, were from our own empirical studies. Natural history
data were based on the literature.

Results: Each screened male gained 0.07 life-years at an
incremental cost of FIM 3,300. The expected values differed from zero very
significantly. For females, expected gains were 0.02 life-years at an
incremental cost of FIM 1,100, which was not statistically significant.
Cost-effectiveness ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were FIM 48,000
(27,000–121,000) and 54,000 (22,000–∞) for males and
females, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the results for
males were stable. Individual variation in life-year gains was high.

Conclusions: Males seemed to benefit from targeted AAA screening,
and the results were stable. As far as the cost-effectiveness ratio is
considered acceptable, screening for males seemed to be justified. However,
our assumptions about growth and rupture behavior of AAAs might be improved
with further clinical and epidemiological studies. As a point estimate,
females benefited in a similar manner, but the results were not statistically
significant. The evidence of this study did not justify screening of females.
Water relations and gas exchange of tropical saplings during a prolonged drought in a Bornean heath forest, with reference to root architecture
Authors: Cao Kun-fang
Published: July 2002

Leaf water and osmotic potentials and gas exchange were monitored during a prolonged El Niño drought in 1998 for saplings of seven species in a Bornean heath forest and compared with measurements taken during a subsequent wet period. The four dipterocarp species maintained reasonably good water status throughout the drought, especially Dipterocarpus borneensis which had thick and deep tap roots. In contrast, two of three non-dipterocarp species, Cleistanthus baramicus and Tristaniopsis obovata displayed predawn leaf water potentials approaching their turgor-loss points. During the drought, all species except D. borneensis displayed strongly reduced stomatal conductance after a brief exposure to sun, and all displayed lower maximum rates of stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis than during the wet period. Only Cotylelobium burckii displayed significant osmotic acclimation to the drought. T. obovata possessing a superficial root system suffered a high mortality due to the drought, but recovered faster after the first rains than the other species all of which had tap roots. Deep roots and strong stomatal control favour trees in tropical heath forests where water deficits probably occur regularly.
Vertical stratification of bat communities in primary forests of Central Amazon, Brazil
Authors: BERNARD ENRICO
Published: July 2002

The vertical stratification of bat communities in primary forests of the Central Amazon (80 km north of
Manaus, Brazil) was investigated using capture nets in the canopy (17 to 30 m high) and in the understorey (from
0-2.5 m). Seventeen sites were sampled during one year (3398.5 mistnet-hours) and 936 individuals captured, belonging
to 6 families, 29 genera and 51 species. Utilizing Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMMDS), a well-marked
vertical stratification between the communities was verified, the canopy being the more utilized region. Fifteen species
were exclusively captured in the canopy, 10 were predominantly captured in the canopy, and 12 species were exclus
ively captured in ground nets. Species recorded and the communities they form were analysed using a matrix of guilds.
The matrix obtained had 24 cells. A guild composed by background cluttered/gleaning frugivores was the richest in
species (19), followed by background cluttered/gleaning insectivores (12 species). The results illustrate that when
studying tropical forests it is highly desirable to involve both the lower and the upper part of the forests; otherwise
the fauna would be merely subsampled, thus under-estimating the status and abundance of some species.
Bridging the gap between planning and scheduling
Authors: SMITH DAVID E. , FRANK JEREMY , JÓNSSON ARI K.
Published: July 2002

Planning research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has often focused on problems where there are cascading levels of action choice and complex interactions between actions. In contrast, scheduling research has focused on much larger problems where there is little action choice, but the resulting ordering problem is hard. In this paper, we give an overview of AI planning and scheduling techniques, focusing on their similarities, differences, and limitations. We also argue that many difficult practical problems lie somewhere between planning and scheduling, and that neither area has the right set of tools for solving these vexing problems.
INDIVIDUAL EQUILIBRIUM DYNAMIC ROUTING IN A MULTIPLE SERVER
RETRIAL QUEUE
Authors: Brooms Anthony C.
Published: July 2002

Customers arrive sequentially to a service system where
the arrival times form a Poisson process of rate λ.
The system offers a choice between a private channel
and a public set of channels. The transmission rate at
each of the public channels is faster than that of the
private one; however, if all of the public channels are
occupied, then a customer who commits itself to using one
of them attempts to connect after exponential periods of
time with mean μ−1. Once connection
to a public channel has been made, service is completed
after an exponential period of time, with mean
ν−1. Each customer chooses one of
the two service options, basing its decision on the number
of busy channels and reapplying customers, with the aim of
minimizing its own expected sojourn time. The best action
for an individual customer depends on the actions taken by
subsequent arriving customers. We establish the existence of
a unique symmetric Nash equilibrium policy and show that its
structure is characterized by a set of threshold-type strategies;
we discuss the relevance of this concept in the context of
a dynamic learning scenario.
UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE CHANGE.April M. S.
McMahon.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Pp. xi + 361. $17.95 cloth, $14.36 paper.
Authors: Bayley Robert
Published: July 2002

This book, based on an undergraduate course at Cambridge University, provides a
comprehensive introduction to language change. Chapter 1 sets forth the history of the study of
language change and the basic questions in the field. The remainder of the book is divided into
two parts. Chapters 2–7 examine internally motivated change at the phonological,
syntactic, semantic, and lexical levels. Within each chapter, the author outlines important
theoretical positions, from the Neogrammarians to the generative work of Lightfoot and more
recent studies of grammaticalization. Although, as McMahon notes, the separation of types of
language change by levels involves considerable idealization, the result is greater clarity of
organization. The second part (Chapters 8–12), which is concerned with language contact,
language variation, pidgins and creoles, language attrition and death, and linguistic evolution, is
organized topically. It is this section that is perhaps of most interest to students of SLA. As in the
first section, McMahon reviews the perspectives on language change that emerge from a wide
variety of classic studies, including Bickerton's work on Guyanese Creole and
Dorian's studies of East Sutherland Gaelic. Although specialists might be disappointed to
see their favorite studies missing, the examples provide an effective introduction for the intended
audience of undergraduates.
PROTEAN LITERACY: EXTENDING THE DISCOURSE ON
EMPOWERMENT.Concha Delgado-Gaitan. London: Falmer Press, 1996. Pp.
viii + 151. $74.95
cloth.
Authors: Gee James Paul
Published: July 2002

This book is an ethnographic study of literacy in the social, cultural, and political context of
the Latino community in Carpinteria, California. Much of the book is written as a narrative about
the community, its history, and its struggles with the schools. The book is also filled with the
voices of the community members in Spanish (translated into English).
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL CHILD
LANGUAGE RESEARCH FORUM.Eve V. Clark (Ed.). Hillsdale,
CA: Center for the Study of Language and Information, 1995. Pp. ix + 247. $49.95 cloth,
$22.95 paper.
Authors: Juffs Alan
Published: July 2002

This volume is a collection of papers presented at a conference at Stanford in April 1995.
It has two sections: papers from a panel on Current Approaches to Phonological Development
and papers from the general sessions. Eve Clark is to be congratulated for making the volume
available so rapidly. It can still take years for some conference papers to make it to press and
such delays severely limit the usefulness of such publications.
HANDBOOK OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.William C.
Ritchie & Tej K. Bhatia (Eds.). San Diego: Academic Press, 1996. Pp. vii + 758.
$69.95 cloth.
Authors: Madden Carolyn G.
Published: July 2002

Handbook of Second Language Acquisition is what its title suggests, a very
thorough guide through the field of SLA. Indeed, the first chapter, an overview, is quite
extensive in summarizing the history of SLA and the current issues in SLA. In addition to the
lengthy overview, the handbook is divided into seven major sections: I. Research and theoretical
issues in second language acquisition, II. Issues of maturation and modularity in second
language acquisition, III. Second language speech and the influence of the first language, IV.
Research methodology and applications, V. Modality and the linguistic environment in second
language acquisition, VI. The neuropsychology of second language acquisition and use, and VII.
Language contact and its consequences. These sections are thorough, well researched, and
accessible. Section I includes one chapter by Gregg, which sets the tone and bias of the text with
his claim that theoretical considerations that are central to SLA are those that address the issue
of knowledge; that is, competence within the Chomskyan framework of Universal Grammar.
Gregg makes it clear that he is not suggesting that other theories of acculturation or variation are
uninteresting but rather that what is central to developing a theory of SLA is a theory that
explains competence as the work done within the principles and parameter framework, not, for
example, one that explains communicative competence. Section II, the core of the text, consists
of six chapters on the various models, approaches, and frameworks of SLA. The first two
chapters, by White and Flynn, support the principles and parameters framework for SLA and are
followed by a well-reasoned challenge by Schachter.
INTELLIGENT LANGUAGE TUTORS: THEORY SHAPING
TECHNOLOGY.V. Melissa Holland, Jonathan D. Kaplan, & Michelle R.
Sams (Eds.).
Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 1995. Pp. xviii + 384. $79.95 cloth, $39.95 paper.
Authors: Warschauer Mark
Published: July 2002

This book presents and discusses efforts to develop Intelligent Computer Assisted Language
Learning (ICALL) programs based on advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and natural
language processing (NLP). Sixteen of the book's 20 chapters provide descriptions of
particular ICALL programs, divided into three categories: text-based language tutors and
learning environments, dialogue-based language games, and graphics-based language tutors and
learning environments. Four chapters at the end offer general commentary on ICALL from the
perspectives of experimental psychology (by Brian MacWhinney), linguistics and AI (by Alan
Bailin), second language acquisition theory (by Nina Garret), and educational theory (by
Rebecca Oxford).
TEACHER LEARNING IN LANGUAGE TEACHING.Donald Freeman
& Jack C. Richards (Eds.). New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Pp. x + 388. $49.95 cloth, $22.95 paper.
Authors: Eason Cheryl
Published: July 2002

Freeman claims this volume “marks the first step in establishing a formal research
base for language teacher education” (p. 352). The direction in which the editors
apparently believe language-teacher education needs to move, as stated in the chapter by
Richards and his coauthors, is “away from an ‘applied linguistics’
orientation toward one which focuses on teaching in its own terms” (p. 243).
Text, Time, Process and History in Contemporary Chilean Theatre
Authors: Boyle Catherine
Published: July 2002

This exploration of theatre as a ‘political poetics’ is based on a methodology developed through the study of theatre in Chile in the period of the Pinochet regime (1973–1989), and uses this as a way of reading the theatre of the transition and return to democracy. The understanding of a series of spaces that theatre negotiates, manipulates and occupies is seen to allow access to the fissures between these spaces. The essay explores the way these gaps might give access to a range of presences and absences in the dominant discourse, especially the national narrative around the historical present of the regime and the return to democracy. It is an exploration that leads to an unexpected insight into a central absence in the poetics of the stage during the dictatorship.
Sea Turtle Navigation and the Detection of Geomagnetic Field Features
Authors: Lohmann Kenneth J. , Lohmann Catherine M. F.
Published: July 2002

The lives of sea turtles consist of a continuous series of
migrations. As hatchlings, the turtles swim from their natal beaches into
the open
sea, often taking refuge in circular current systems (gyres) that serve
as
moving, open-ocean nursery grounds. The juveniles of many populations
subsequently take up residence in coastal feeding areas that are located
hundreds
or thousands of kilometres from the beaches on which the turtles hatched;

some juveniles also migrate between summer and winter habitats. As adults,

turtles periodically leave their feeding grounds and migrate to breeding
and
nesting regions, after which many return to their own specific feeding
sites.
The itinerant lifestyle characteristic of most sea turtle species is thus
inextricably
linked to an ability to orient and navigate accurately across large expanses
of
seemingly featureless ocean.

In some sea turtle populations, migratory performance reaches extremes.
The
total distances certain green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and loggerheads
(Caretta
caretta) traverse over the span of their lifetimes exceed tens of
thousands of
kilometres, several times the diameter of the turtle's home ocean
basin.
Adult migrations between feeding and nesting habitats can require continuous

swimming for periods of several weeks. In addition, the paths of migrating

turtles often lead almost straight across the open ocean and directly to
the
destination, leaving little doubt that turtles can navigate to distant
target
sites with remarkable efficiency.
Crop and livestock depredation caused by wild animals in protected areas: the case of Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India
Authors: SEKHAR NAGOTHU UDAYA
Published: July 2002

Wild animals often destroy standing crops and prey on livestock, causing economic losses to farmers. Crop and wildlife damage are becoming serious for many Indian protected areas, and this study aimed to characterize the problem in villages in and around the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), Rajasthan, India. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire in 37 villages followed by a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 180 households, quadrat sampling and focus group discussions. Crop and livestock depredation evidently affected nearly half of the households in villages adjacent to the STR, but damage varied considerably amongst villages and with distance from the Reserve border. Wild animal distribution and protection measures which people adopted also influenced the damage. Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus() and wild boar ((Sus scrofa() were reported to be responsible for at least half of the total damage to the major crops caused by wild animals. Tigers and leopards were the main livestock predators; the former preyed mostly on larger livestock and the latter on smaller animals such as goats and sheep. More than two-thirds of the villagers spent considerable time and money guarding crops and protecting livestock. Guarding was the most popular means followed by physical fences around fields. In spite of damage to crops and livestock, the local people still had a positive attitude towards the STR, because of tangible benefits derived from the Reserve in terms of fodder and fuelwood, and cultural/religious attitudes towards wild animals. Settlement of rights to collect fuelwood and fodder within the Reserve appears to be one acceptable measure to compensate for losses besides an immediate review of hunting policy. Suggestions given by local people to minimize losses have implications for the long term sustainability of the STR as a protected area.
Health burden in the Netherlands due to infection with thermophilic Campylobacter spp.
Authors: HAVELAAR A. H. , de WIT M. A. S. , van KONINGSVELD R. , van KEMPEN E.
Published: July 2002

Infection with thermophilic Campylobacter spp. usually leads to an episode of acute
gastroenteritis. Occasionally, more severe diseases may be induced, notably Guillain–Barré
syndrome and reactive arthritis. For some, the disease may be fatal. We have integrated
available data in one public health measure, the Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY).
DALYs are the sum of Years of Life Lost by premature mortality and Years Lived with
Disability, weighted with a factor between 0 and 1 for the severity of illness. The mean health
burden of campylobacter-associated illness in the Dutch population in the period 1990–5 is
estimated as 1400 (90% CI 900–2000) DALY per year. The main determinants of health
burden are acute gastroenteritis (440 DALY), gastroenteritis related mortality (310 DALY) and
residual symptoms of Guillain–Barré syndrome (340 DALY). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated
that alternative model assumptions produced results in the above-mentioned range.
A simple device for the exposure of animals to infectious

microorganisms by the airborne route
Authors: PHILLPOTTS R. J. , BROOKS T. J. G. , COX C. S.
Published: July 2002

In order to evaluate prophylaxis and therapy for individuals

infected with pathogens by the airborne route, we have designed and

built a simple apparatus in which small laboratory animals may be

exposed to aerosols of infectious microorganisms. Animals are kept in

a chamber closed by a HEPA filter and exposed to the pathogen

aerosolized using a Collison nebulizer. Air in the exposure chamber

may be sampled to show that the infectious agent is present but the

dose of agent must be expressed as 50% effective doses determined by

titration. An effective dose may be defined by whatever criteria are

chosen to judge disease. Using this apparatus we have shown that St

Louis encephalitis (SLE) virus is infectious for mice by the airborne

route. These data support the idea that there may be significant

hazard to personnel exposed to aerosols of infectious SLE after a

laboratory accident.
Epidemiological analysis of Trichinella spiralis infections of
foxes in Brandenburg, Germany
Authors: WACKER K. , RODRIGUEZ E. , GARATE T. , GEUE L. , TACKMANN K. , SELHORST T. , STAUBACH C. , CONRATHS F. J.
Published: July 2002

In a cross-sectional study conducted between March 1993 and February 1995, 7103
indiscriminately collected foxes were examined for Trichinella larvae. A total of 3295 serum
samples were serologically investigated with an ELISA based on excretory-secretory antigen.
The proportion of serologically positive animals ranged between 3·3% and 17·6% in random
samples from individual counties or towns and resulted in an estimated overall prevalence of
7·7% (95% CI: 6·9–8·7%). Trichinella larvae were detected in the muscles of five foxes,
corresponding to an estimated prevalence of 0·07% in the total sample
(95% CI: 0·02–0·16%).
The analysis of DNA of the Trichinella isolates by random amplification of polymorphic DNA
(RAPD) lead to the identification of the isolates as Trichinella spiralis. The differences
between serological and parasitological findings are discussed.
Molecular characterization of pncA gene mutations in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from China
Authors: HOU L. , OSEI-HYIAMAN D. , ZHANG Z. , WANG B. , YANG A. , KANO K.
Published: July 2002

A sample of 35 pyrazinamide (PZA)-resistant and 30 PZA-susceptible clinical isolates recovered
from Beijing and Taiyuan City, China were characterized by SSCP and sequence analysis for
mutations in the pncA gene that encodes the Mycobacterium tuberculosis PZase. The purpose of
this study was to understand the molecular basis and the characteristics of pncA gene
mutations and its relation to PZA resistance in M. tuberculosis strains from China. Several
mutations with base changes leading to amino acid substitutions were found in the PZA-resistant isolates. No mutations were seen in the 243 PZA-susceptible isolates. Among the 35
PZA-resistant isolates, 32 isolates (91·4%) had nucleotide substitutions, insertions and deletions
that resulted in amino-acid substitution; or frameshifts in some strains. Other previously
uncharacterized mutations were found as follows: Asn118→Thr, CG insertion at position 501;
CC insertion at nucleotide position 403; a 8 base-pair deletion at start codon; Pro54→Thr;
AG insertion at 368; Tyr41→His, Ser88→stop, and A insertion at nucleotide position 301.
IS6110 subtyping revealed that each strain was unique; indicative of the epidemiologic
independence of the isolates.
Local and non-local consonant–vowel interaction in Interior
Salish
Authors: Bessell Nicola J.
Published: July 2002

Local consonant–vowel (C–V) interaction is attested
in many languages,
both as a phonetic and as a phonological process. There can be a clear
developmental relationship between the two, with phonologisation of
phonetic interaction occurring quite commonly (Hyman 1976, Ohala
1981). Thus, a common (historical) context for nasal vowels is an adjacent
nasal consonant. When consonants trigger non-local effects (i.e. when the
domain of the consonantal feature extends beyond adjacent segments),
typically both vowels and consonants are targeted. For example, in
consonant-induced nasal or emphasis harmony all segments in the
harmony domain usually take the consonantal feature. If some segments
are neutral, targets still include both consonants and vowels.
Maternal investment in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus): interrelationships among mothers' age, size, parturition date, offspring size and sex ratios
Authors: Boltnev Alexander I. , York Anne E.
Published: July 2002

The analysis of life‐history traits suggests that the age and size of female mammals at parturition will affect the birth size and survival of their offspring. We collected data from 252 mother–pup pairs of northern fur seals on Bering Island, Russia, during the 1994 and 1996 breeding seasons to determine the interrelationships among the mothers' age and mass, the sex of the pup, the parturition date, and the length and mass of the pup at birth. Among reproductive females of 19 years, mass increased with age. The mean mass of the oldest class of females (20–23 years) was lighter than the 16–19 year age group but not different from the mean mass of the 7‐ to 15‐year‐old females; a quadratic model of mass on age gave similar results, and indicated a maximum mass at age 19 years. We suggest that this may be an effect of a higher rate of survival among leaner animals. Female pups were lighter than males at birth. There was no evidence that the sex ratio of pups differed from 1:1 over the range of observed mothers' mass and age or parturition dates. Older mothers tended to give birth earlier than younger mothers, and heavier mothers earlier than lighter mothers. The relationship of the size of pups at birth and their mothers' age was adequately described with a quadratic model, which predicted a maximum size for mothers at age 12–13 years. The size of pups at birth and the size of their mothers was described with a logistic model which predicted that the size of pups increased for mothers up to 41 kg, with no further increase for heavier mothers. The total amount of variability in birth size explained by the combined models is < one‐third of the total, which implies that other influences, such as the contribution of the fathers and individual variation, are also important. The relative maternal investment, measured as the ratio of pup mass to mothers' mass, ranged from 20% for younger and smaller females to 10% for older and heavier females. In addition, relative maternal investment was found to be higher than for other pinnipeds.
The influence of fish abundance on the otter (Lutra lutra) populations in Iberian Mediterranean habitats
Authors: Ruiz‐Olmo Jordi , López‐Martín José M. , Palazón Santiago
Published: July 2002

Recent studies show that the availability of prey influences the ecology of otters by regulating breeding, carrying capacity and mortality. Mediterranean habitats experience extreme seasonal variation in water flow – a stress period can occur in summer when water flows and levels are low with long periods of drought, while torrential floods usually occur in autumn and spring. Reservoirs can affect this situation by further influencing water flow regimes and acting as a barrier. Our data show the close relationship between the amount of food (fish) available to otters and their use of a stretch of water and the otter density there. The adjustment of the number of individuals (and carrying capacity) in an area can be seen from their mortality, a decrease in their reproductive success, or migration. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that otters are food‐limited. Torrential rains, summer droughts and dams for water management have repercussions for otter populations in as much as they affect their prey‐species. BarbelsBarbusspp. and, secondarily, nasesChondrostomaspp. are shown to be important to otter ecology and breeding in Mediterranean Iberian rivers. The conservation and management of the otter in these habitats must not ignore the management of food sources. In order not to affect otter populations, the effect of the reservoirs and their dams also must be considered. The release and cessation of floodwater from reservoirs must be progressive and mimic more closely the flow regime of natural rivers.
A novel mobile approach to investigating mating tactics in male grey seals (Halichoerus grypus)
Authors: Lidgard D. C. , Boness D. J. , Bowen W. D.
Published: July 2002

Studies of the grey sealHalichoerus grypusmating system, using focal animal sampling constrained by study site location and size, limit the measurement of variation in male mating tactics and success. Using this method, the mating tactics of grey seal males have been classified as either ‘tenured’ or ‘transient’. Preliminary evidence is presented of wider variation in male mating tactics and success using mobile focal‐animal techniques that are not constrained by site, and of the effects of age on behaviour when accounting for body mass. The study was conducted during the breeding seasons of 1997 and 1998 at Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Six young (11–12 years) and five old (20–25 years) males were captured at the beginning of the breeding season, weighed and fitted with a VHF transmitter and time‐depth recorder. Each male was located daily, and a count of late‐lactating females within a 10 m radius recorded as a measure of mating potential. Female guarding and observed copulatory attempts were used as a measure of mating success. Mean initial body mass of young males and old males was similar, 291 ± 13 kg and 298 ± 14 kg, respectively. All males changed location during the study period. Young males changed sites more often and moved shorter distances between sites than old males. Estimated mating success varied from probably no matings to a minimum of seven; there were no differences between young and old males. Maximum duration of stay at a site and the number of late‐lactating females at a site significantly influenced mating success. All the males except for two young males departed on diving excursions during the breeding season and engaged in deep diving behaviour. Diving behaviour did not differ between the age classes. Our results indicate that the current classification of mating tactics in grey seal males is an oversimplification. Preliminary data show that age may account for some of the variation in male behaviour on land and mating success, but not for behaviour at sea.
The implications of grassland and heathland management for the conservation of spider communities: a review
Authors: Bell James R. , Wheater C. Philip , Cullen W. Rod
Published: July 2002

Both intensity and type of habitat management in grasslands and heathlands affect spider communities. With high intensity management, spider communities often lack diversity and are dominated by a fewr‐selected species affiliated with bare ground. Low intensity management produces more complex communities introducing more niches for aerial web spinners and climbing spiders. The preferred management will be site‐dependent and may not be appropriate for all spiders in all situations, particularly for some rare or threatened species. Providing natural cover is recommended when using extreme forms of management or intensive grazing (particularly by sheep). In extreme cases, or where trampling is heavy, the litter layer should be conserved. We advocate research and survey before and after major management implementation. Habitat management for spiders should not be considered alone, but integrated into a holistic plan. Management for spiders may conflict with rare plant conservation and small reserves should examine the viability of providing two contrasting regimes.
Dietary opportunism in side‐striped jackals Canis adustus Sundevall
Authors: Atkinson R. P. D. , Macdonald D. W. , Kamizola R.
Published: July 2002

In our study area in Zimbabwe, half of the fresh‐weight biomass of the diet of side‐striped jackals Canis adustus comprised small and medium‐sized mammals, and a further third consisted of fruit. Three types of mammal (multimammate mice Mastomys spp., bushveldt gerbil Tatera leucogaster and scrub hare Lepus saxatilus) and four species of fruit (mobola plum Parinari curatellifolia, chocolate berry Vitex payos, wild fig Ficus natalensis and waterberry Syzigium guineense) dominated these categories. Captive jackals significantly preferred animal prey items to fruits, and these were also the items that contained the highest levels of apparent available energy and organic matter. Wild jackals, however, did not spend more time in the habitats in which mammals were most abundant, nor did they eat more of them during a period of higher prey population density. We conclude that the feeding of jackals is largely geared by searches for fruit, and that mammals are taken opportunistically when they are encountered.
Hyperactive and antisocial behaviors: Comorbid or two points in the same process?
Authors: PATTERSON GERALD R. , DEGARMO DAVID S. , KNUTSON NANCY
Published: July 2002

We hypothesized that hyperactivity defines the first stage and that antisocial problems define
a second stage in a progression that leads eventually to early-onset delinquency. As expected, a
structural equation model (SEM) showed that a latent construct for hyperactivity was
significantly related to a latent construct for antisocial problems. We hypothesized that this path
reflected a shared mechanism, disrupted parental discipline. A second SEM showed that the
relation between hyperactivity and antisocial behavior really reflected a shared disruption in
parental discipline. A third SEM showed that having antisocial parents was uniquely correlated
with antisocial children but not with hyperactivity. A fourth SEM showed that early-onset
delinquency was predicted by a latent construct for antisocial child; but when this was partialed
out, the contribution for hyperactivity was nonsignificant.
Effects of early stress on brain structure and function: Implications for understanding the
relationship between child maltreatment and depression
Authors: KAUFMAN JOAN , CHARNEY DENNIS
Published: July 2002

Child abuse is associated with markedly elevated rates of major depression (MDD) in child,
adolescent, and adult cohorts. This article reviews preclinical (e.g., animal) studies of the effects
of early stress and studies of the neurobiological correlates of MDD in adults and children, and it
highlights differences in the neurobiological correlates of MDD and stress at various
developmental stages. The preclinical studies demonstrate that stress early in life can alter the
development multiple neurotransmitter systems and promote structural and functional alterations
in brain regions similar to those seen in adults with depression. Preclinical and clinical studies
suggest, however, that long-term neurobiological changes associated with early stress can be
modified by familial/genetic factors, the quality of the subsequent caregiving environment,
and pharmacological interventions. Little is known about how developmental factors interact with
experiences of early stress and these other modifying factors. Moreover, in cases of child
maltreatment, the effects of early abuse are often exacerbated by failures in the child protection
system and repeat out-of-home placements. Given the number of factors that impact on the
long-term outcome of maltreated children, multidisciplinary research efforts are recommended to
address this problem—with foci that span from neurobiology to social policy.
The rehabilitation of spinal pain in the elderly patient
Authors: Haigh R
Published: July 2002

Rehabilitation aims to reduce symptoms, restore function and minimize disability
through an interventionist approach that is not always concerned with pathology,
disease processes and cure. This approach will be described in the context of spinal
pain in the elderly. The syndrome of lower back pain (LBP) is such a common symptom
that it is an almost universal human experience. It is the third most commonly reported
bodily symptom after headache and fatigue. In 1998, 40% adults were affected
by an episode of LBP lasting more than a day, and 40% of those in pain sought
medical help. The resources provided for research and clinical management
of LBP are concentrated mainly on the working population. This is because of the
profound biopsychosocial consequences and huge cost to society of the ‘back
pain epidemic’. The direct health care costs of back pain have been estimated
as £1632 million in 1998.
Disorders of hearing and balance
Authors: Luxon Linda M
Published: July 2002

The cochleovestibular system is unique in that the peripheral labyrinth subserves two senses, hearing and balance, while the central auditory and vestibular connections diverge within the central nervous system and interact with a multiplicity of information from other sensory inputs. During the seventh decade of life, approximately 40% of people in Great Britain have a significant hearing impairment while in the eighth decade of life this figure rises to 60%. By the age of 65, 35% of people have experienced episodes of dizziness and by the age of 80, two-thirds of women and one-third of men have suffered episodes of vertigo. The elderly population is reported to be increasing by approximately 30% every 20 years and the prevalence of vertigo and hearing loss has been reported to rise in parallel with advancing age.
At the Edge of Knowability: Towards a Prehistory of Languages
Authors: Renfrew Colin
Published: July 2002

The issue of
‘knowability’ in relation to the origins and distribution of
the language families of the world is addressed, and recent advances in
historical linguistics and molecular genetics reviewed. While the
much-debated problem of the validity of the concept of the language
‘macrofamily’ cannot yet be resolved, it is argued that a time
depth for the origins of language families greater than the conventional
received figure of c. 6000 years may in some cases be
appropriate, allowing the possibility of a correlation between language
dispersals and demographic processes following the end of the Pleistocene
period. The effects of these processes may still be visible in the
linguistic ‘spread zones’, here seen as often the result of
farming dispersals, contrasting with the linguistic ‘mosaic
zones’ whose early origins may sometimes go back to initial
colonization episodes during the late Pleistocene period. If further work
in historical linguistics as well as in archaeology and molecular genetics
upholds these correlations a ‘new synthesis’, whose outlines
may already be discerned, is likely to emerge. This would have important
consequences for prehistoric archaeology, and would be of interest also to
historical linguists and molecular geneticists. If, however, the proposed
recognition of such patterning proves illusory the prospects for
‘knowability’ appear to be less
favourable.
Dependent types and explicit substitutions: a meta-theoretical development
Authors: MUÑOZ CÉSAR
Published: July 2002

We present a dependent-type system for a λ-calculus with explicit substitutions. In this
system, meta-variables, as well as substitutions, are first-class objects. We show that the
system enjoys properties like type uniqueness, subject reduction, soundness, confluence, and
weak normalization.
An axiomatization of the category of Petri net computations
Authors: SASSONE VLADIMIRO
Published: July 2002

We introduce the notion of strongly concatenable process
as a refinement
of concatenable processes (Degano et al. 1996), which can be
expressed axiomatically via a functor [Qscr ](_) from
the category of Petri nets to an appropriate category of symmetric strict
monoidal
categories, in the precise sense that, for each net N, the strongly
concatenable
processes of N are isomorphic to the arrows of [Qscr ](N).
In addition,
we identify a coreflection right adjoint to [Qscr ](_) and characterize
its
replete image, thus yielding an axiomatization of the category
of net computations.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE EXAMINATION OF HERBARIUM MATERIAL FOR TAXONOMIC STUDIES USING NMR IMAGING
Authors: MASSON D. , GLIDEWELL S. M. , MÖLLER M. , MILL R. R. , WILLIAMSON B. , BATEMAN R. M.
Published: July 2002

Many taxonomic distinctions are made or refined on the basis of herbarium material that is either dried or preserved in spirit medium. Hitherto, examination of internal structure has only been possible by the destructive sectioning of the preserved material. In this paper, the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging for the non-destructive, non-invasive, complete three-dimensional structural examination of herbarium material is demonstrated for the first time. The experimental materials were the fruiting structures of two species of Southern Hemisphere Podocarpaceae: Acmopyle pancheri and Podocarpus nivalis. Material dried in accordance with standard herbarium techniques was used, as well as material preserved in spirit and freshly gathered fruits. The dried material was subsequently rehydrated using standard techniques, and protocols established for the specimens. Appropriate selection of NMR imaging parameters allowed a variety of anatomical features to be highlighted on a single specimen. Fresh specimens from living material gave the best NMR signals. Dry specimens gave no signal except from the lipid in the seed, but when rehydrated the images yielded almost as much information about internal structure as did a fresh specimen of the same taxon. Thus, NMR imaging has great potential value as a non-invasive method for obtaining details of the internal structure of fruits and seeds and is particularly useful when, as in the case of Acmopyle, the sclerotesta of the seed is too lignified for sectioning by conventional methods.
Male-mediated developmental defects and childhood disease
Authors: Sawyer DE , Aitken RJ
Published: July 2002

Reproductive and developmental toxicology has existed, in some form, at least since the Middle Ages when women commonly used naturally derived abortifacients for birth control. Percival Pott was the first to observe that environmental exposures could detrimentally affect the male reproductive system. He noticed that chimney sweeps exposed to soot developed testicular cancer and infertility at unusually young ages. The formal investigation of male-mediated effects on offspring (germline mutagenesis) began with the pioneering studies of Muller, Hertwig, Snell, Brenneke, and others, who established X-rays as the first identified agent capable of inducing hereditary changes in mice. They showed that litters sired by irradiated males contained fewer pups than controls. Because sperm motility and density were not affected, but chromosome abnormalities were found in fertilized eggs, they concluded that irradiated sperm were the source of the abnormal chromosomes. Since that discovery, the mutagenic effects of radiation on the male germline have been studied extensively (see below). Later, Auerbach & Robson and Bock & Jackson were the first to demonstrate that exposing mice to chemicals decreases their fertility and induces chromosomal abnormalities and other mutations in the male germline. The subsequent five decades of work on chemical mutagens has resulted in a detailed biochemical and genetic characterization of chemical mutagenesis in the male germline and male-mediated developmental problems in laboratory animals (see below).
The Moral Significance of the Therapy-Enhancement Distinction
in Human Genetics
Authors: RESNIK DAVID B.
Published: July 2002

The therapy-enhancement distinction occupies a central
place in contemporary discussions of human genetics and has
been the subject of much debate. At a recent conference on
gene therapy policy, scientists predicted that within a few
years researchers will develop techniques that can be used
to enhance human traits. In thinking about the morality of
genetic interventions, many writers have defended somatic
gene therapy, and some have defended germline gene therapy,
but only a handful of writers defend genetic enhancement,
or even give it a fair hearing. The mere mention of genetic
enhancement makes many people cringe and brings to mind the
Nazi eugenics programs, Aldous Huxley's Brave New
World, “The X-Files,” or the recent movie
“Gattaca.” Although many people believe that
gene therapy has morally legitimate medical uses, others
regard genetic enhancement as morally problematic or
decidedly evil.