bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photoscratch testing in systemic drug‐induced photosensitivity
Authors: Conilleau V. , Dompmartin A. , Michel M. , Verneuil L. , Leroy D.
Published: November 2003

Because of numerous false‐negative results, photopatch testing is seldom relevant in systemic drug‐induced photosensitivity. These false‐negative photopatch test results can be attributed to the inability of the drug to penetrate into the epidermis. In order to enhance the penetration of the tested drug into the epidermis, some authors proposed to breach the cutaneous barrier. We performed a prospective study comparing photopatch and photoscratch testing. Fifteen patients presenting with a systemic drug‐induced photosensitivity, proved by a favourable outcome after discontinuing the drug, were tested. For each drug, photopatch and photoscratch tests were performed. Two‐thirds of the patients had negative photopatch and photoscratch tests with the suspected drugs. Photopatch and photoscratch tests were positive and relevant, respectively, in 3 and 4 patients. Photoscratch tests induced more false‐positive results due to irritation confirmed on control subjects. Our study proves that photoscratch tests do not change the sensitivity of phototesting.
The effect of ultraviolet‐B exposure scheduling on the photodamage of hairless mouse skin
Authors: Moon S. E. , Youn J. I. , Kim J. A.
Published: November 2003

In a mouse model, we investigated whether different exposure protocol of ultraviolet‐B with the same total doses could induce a different degree of photodamage in mouse skin. Two different exposure frequencies, three times or six times a week, were applied under the condition of weekly same cumulative irradiation dose equally for 10 weeks. Then the photodamage parameters such as skin wrinkling, histochemical dermal change and epidermal and dermal thickness were evaluated. Wrinkle grade, histological assessment by score, and dermal thickness did not reveal any difference between the two groups. However, at irradiation week 10 epidermal thickness of the three times a week irradiation group was significantly thicker than that of the six times a week irradiation group. The same cumulative dose resulted in different epidermal thickness. Our results suggested that exposure frequency or scheduling could influence the epidermal damage by ultraviolet radiation even though the cumulative dose is equal.
The neuro‐immuno‐cutaneous system and ultraviolet radiation
Authors: Misery L.
Published: November 2003

Numerous cells are closely associated with cutaneous nerve fibers, which through the action of neuropeptides are able to modulate cellular function. Anatomical and physicological links between immune cells and nerves and other cells in skin are so close that we propose the concept of a neuro‐immuno‐cutaneous system (NICS). Under the impact of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) virtually all properties of the NICS are modified. UVR induces melanin synthesis and immunosuppression, events in which neuropeptides, especially melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) and the calcitonin gene‐related peptide CGRP, play a role.
Nasal involvement in allergic asthma
Authors: Braunstahl G.‐J. , Fokkens W.
Published: November 2003

Even since the late 19th century, a relationship has been suspected between upper airway disease and the subsequent development or aggravation of asthma symptoms. To date, it has been generally accepted that pathologic conditions of the upper airways, e.g. allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis and nasal polyposis, may influence the lower airways. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship were, for a long time, poorly understood. Recently, evidence has been accumulating which indicates a systemic connection as one of the responsible mechanisms in nasobronchial crosstalk. In this review, the pathophysiologic and immunologic aspects of the interaction between upper and lower airways will be discussed.
Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations: Coordination Failures and Fiscal Outcomes
Authors: de Mello Luiz R.
Published: November 2003

This article estimates the fiscal impact of coordination failures in intergovernmental fiscal relations. The coordination failures considered here are due to agency problems arising from the delegation of fiscal powers to sub‐national governments, and “common pool” problems associated with funding decentralised government spending through intergovernmental transfers. Particular attention is focused on the trade‐off between coordination and fiscal decentralisation. Evidence provided for a sample of thirty countries suggests that coordination failures are likely to result in a deficit bias in decentralized policy making, particularly in the case of developing countries, for which the benefits of decentralization may be over‐stressed. Developed countries were found to be less adversely affected by coordination failures and have therefore managed to pursue fiscal consolidation in a decentralized setup.
The Impact of Objective and Empathic Dispositions on Local Government Budget Analysts' Spending Preferences
Authors: McCue Clifford P.
Published: November 2003

The spending preferences of local government budget analysts are based on individual decision modes; how individuals attend to, encode, and process information. While academicians and practitioners tend to assume that a budget analyst's disposition to act leads to specific spending preferences, that assumption is rarely tested empirically. This study draws on two theoretical constructs derived from social psychology, rationality (objectivism), and emotions (empathy). Leary and his colleagues demonstrate that objectivism predisposes one toward rational decision making in a variety of settings, while Eisenberg and her colleagues show that highly empathic individuals are predisposed toward helping and prosocial behavior. Results of this study suggests that empathic budget analysts, those scoring higher on the empathy scale, have distinctly different spending preferences than those budget analysts scoring higher on the objectivism scale; empathic budget analysts are disposed toward humanitarian criteria in decision making while objective budget analysts are disposed toward quantifiable cost‐benefit considerations.
Is ABCM Destined for Success or Failure in the Federal Government?
Authors: Williams Clif , Melhuish Ward
Published: November 2003

The days of ballooning federal budgets are over. Today, both the president and Congress continue to strive for a balanced budget, while encouraging federal agencies to improve service delivery of the various programs and entitlement benefits provided to their customers. Stakeholder involvement and public opinion about how agencies run their “businesses” are increasingly scrutinized. Trends such as competition for service delivery through franchizing, privatization, and outsourcing are causing an entirely new way of looking at how support and program services are managed. This article explains how the success or failure of activity‐based costing management (ABCM) is dependent upon its ability to link the resolution of these external factors with internal business needs, while providing government managers with a better understanding of how to use ABCM to steer their organizations into the future. We also describe the current and future status of ABCM installations at various federal entities where ABCM was recently introduced and where interviews, conducted a year ago, were updated to describe how ABCM is helping these entities align external factors to internal needs. These federal entities are the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Financial Management Service, and the Veterans Benefits Administration.
Is Activity‐Based Costing Up to the Challenge When It Comes to Privatization of Local Government Services?
Authors: Mullins Daniel R. , Zorn C. Kurt
Published: November 2003

After its initial success in the private sector, activity‐based costing (ABC) has been embraced by the public sector as an analytical tool that can be used to improve the efficiency of government operations, especially in the area of the privatization of operations. Despite claims that ABC can greatly enhance the evaluation of how to most efficiently deliver services, there are significant obstacles that must be overcome before ABC can be effectively implemented. In order to underscore the challenges facing successful ABC execution in the public sector, the use of activity‐based cost accounting by the City of Indianapolis for its privatization initiatives is discussed. Generally ABC is not up to challenge of providing local governments with the tool necessary to comprehensively evaluate direct services and determine which are candidates for contracting out or privatization.
Fiscal Decentralization as Development Policy
Authors: Bahl Roy
Published: November 2003

Fiscal Decentralization is a popular economic development strategy among transition and developing countries. This article reviews the advantages of fiscal decentralization in a theoretical context, but critiques the relevance of the standard theory of federalism as it applies to emerging economies. It is argued that the macroeconomic benefits of fiscal centralization, the absence of good instruments of local government finance, and the centralist politics that characterize most low income countries have been strong enough to hold back increased emphasis on local government finance.
The Benefit Equity Principle and Willingness to Pay for City Services
Authors: Simonsen Bill , Robbins Mark D.
Published: November 2003

In 1991 and 1992, the City of Eugene, Oregon engaged in a citizen participation process to determine public support for a variety of spending and budget balancing alternatives. This process, called Eugene Decisions, employed an innovative combination of public forums, budget balancing exercises and representative surveys. Two of the surveys, which included questions about individual service use, are analyzed here in order to test whether the use of city services is related to willingness to pay taxes and fees. The concept of benefit equity is supported if service use is positively associated with willingness to pay.
Evaluation of Solvency Standards for State Unemployment Insurance Trust Funds1
Authors: Goss Ernest , Knudsen James
Published: November 2003

As a result of relatively large state unemployment insurance trust fund (UITF) balances and the perceived low risk of recessionary economic conditions, business leaders and policy makers across the U.S. are appealing for a moratorium or a reduction of unemployment insurance (UI) taxes. This article examines the advisability of this action in relation to adequacy standards endorsed by industry advisory groups. Using multivariate techniques, this article evaluates the relevance of the most widely used standard and determines how the maintenance of this standard affects the estimated length of time until insolvency after the onset of a recession. Assuming an economic downturn of the severity of the 1970s recession, we find that the standard is overly conservative with an associated probability of failure of less than 1 percent and with an ability to withstand a recession 100 months in length.
TexPool's Experiences in the 1990s: Policy Implications for Other State Investment Pools
Authors: Bunch Beverly S.
Published: November 2003

The State of Texas's local government investment pool, TexPool, has faced major challenges in the 1990s. This article provides an overview of two major events involving TexPool: (1) a $2.2 billion “run” on the pool in 1994 and (2) the out‐sourcing of TexPool's functions in 1997. The article describes these events and analyzes potential implications for other state‐administered investment pools. The article addresses issues such as: (1) the need to develop investment policies and practices that are suitable for a particular pool's objectives and purpose, (2) whether a state government has a responsibility to ensure that participants in a state investment pool do not incur losses, (3) the possible implications of having an elected official as the person with primary responsibility for overseeing the pool, and (4) concerns related to the outsourcing of state investment pools. This article is intended to encourage debate on the policies and practices of state investment pools, which currently are serving more than 15,000 local governments in the United States.
Capitalization and Depreciation of Infrastructure by State and Local Governmental Entities
Authors: Harris Jean E.
Published: November 2003

Proposals for capitalizing and depreciating infrastructure foreshadow a significant change in financial reporting for state and local entities. Justifications for present practices are examined. Costs and benefits of proposed changes are reviewed. Alternative practices are described.
The Dangers of Relying on a Legal List: A Case Study of the West Virginia Consolidated Investment Fund
Authors: Hayes Vernon R.
Published: November 2003

Since the mid 1970s, many local governments have begun using state‐run local government investment pools for their cash management needs. Some pools operate under statutory limitations on investment instruments known as “legal lists,” other pools operate either under a “Prudent Person Rule” standard, while others use a combination of the two. This article examines the potential dangers of an investment pool relying too heavily upon a legal list fiduciary standard, by examining the West Virginia Consolidated Investment Fund, which lost nearly 25 percent of its principal in a financial scandal during the 1980s.
Accounting for the Business of Government—New Goals, Old Myths
Authors: Mosso David
Published: November 2003

This article includes the remarks made by David Mosso, Chairman of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board, at the 1998 AICPA National Governmental Accounting and Auditing Update meeting. The article dispels notions of management by slogan and old myths about both government and business accounting regarding their stereotypical performance measurement techniques (ie., profit driven versus politically and socially driven performance measures) Four elements of effective performance measurement are outlined and include a comprehensive measurement system, management process, incentive structure, and an independent audit facility. The article cites various observations pertaining to each of the elements outlined. The major hurdles of successful performance measurement ultimately require hard work and inspired leadership to be overcome.
Government Hedging: Motivation, Implementation, and Evaluation
Authors: Swidler Steve , Buttimer Richard J. , Shaw Ron
Published: November 2003

This article examines option hedging strategies that enable politicians to manage budgetary risk. While the theoretical risk management arguments are general, the simulation analysis considers the example of oil revenue risk in Texas, and estimates the costs and benefits of an option hedging program. To evaluate government option hedging strategies, the study develops a hedge quotient measure that compares the future value of realized revenues plus net option proceeds to the future value of expected revenue. The average hedge quotient is found to be lower for the option hedging strategy than for the unhedged position, illustrating the cost of an option hedging program. Nevertheless, option hedging effectively manages extreme downside risk and stops large budget deficits from occurring. Politicians may also like option hedging because it preserves the potential of realizing budget surpluses.
Factors affecting recruitment of glass eels into the Grey River, New Zealand
Authors: Jellyman D. J. , Lambert P. W.
Published: November 2003

The arrival pattern of glass eels of the shortfin eel Anguilla australis and longfin eel Anguilla dieffenbachii was studied over a two successive migration seasons in the Grey River, South Island, New Zealand. Fishing was carried out on selected nights during September to November, for 3 h per night during 2000 and 2001. The number of shortfin glass eels exceeded longfins in both years; earliest glass eels (September) were larger than later glass eels (November), and longfins larger than shortfins, but there were significant differences in size between years for both species. Environmental variables affecting recruitment differed between years, but common variables for both years were sampling date, time after high tide (incoming tide preferred), time after sunset and moon phase; the influence of moon phase appeared to be expressed both through tides (spring tides preferred) and moonlight. During the year of higher discharge variability, both increasing discharge and increased turbidity were also important.
Epigean and subterranean ichthyofauna from the São Domingos karst area, Upper Tocantins River basin, Central Brazil
Authors: Bichuette M. E. , Trajano E.
Published: November 2003

In a survey of epigean and cave streams in the São Domingos karst area, 38 species were present in the stream reaches, including 10 characiforms, 19 siluriforms, seven gymnotiforms and two perciforms. One species of Astyanax and the new armoured catfish species Parotocinclus were the most common epigean fishes in São Domingos. The most conspicuous non‐troglomorphic cave fishes were Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus, Astyanax sp., Brycon sp. and two species of Imparfinis, with I. hollandi being the most common fish in most caves. São Domingos karst area has the most diverse and abundant Brazilian cavefish fauna, not only in terms of troglobitic species but also in general fish richness, with 22 non‐troglomorphic species recorded in caves in addition to five troglobitic ones. Most fishes examined for stomach contents had at least partially full stomachs. The studied fishes were carnivorous, feeding primarily on aquatic insects. Fishes with developed gonads recorded in caves were I. hollandi, Rhamdia quelen, Pseudocetopsis plumbeus, Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus and Cichlasoma araguaiensis, indicating a potential for reproduction in the subterranean habitat.
Halastatic demineralization in the vertebrae of Atlantic salmon, during their spawning migration
Authors: Kacem A. , Meunier F. J.
Published: November 2003

There was a significant decrease (c. 10%) in the mineralization of the vertebrae, determined by analysis of quantitative microradiographs, of both sexes of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar during their ascending spawning migration. The decrease was hypothesized to be the result of halastatic demineralization, i.e. the removal of mineral substance with no degradation of the organic matrix of the bone.
Detection of conspecific and heterospecific alarm signals by juvenile pumpkinseed under weak acidic conditions
Authors: Leduc A. O. H. C. , Noseworthy M. K. , Adrian J. C. , Brown G. E.
Published: November 2003

Under neutral (pH 7·0) conditions, juvenile pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus exhibited significant antipredator responses, of similar intensities, to the chemical alarm cues of conspecifics, an allopatric congener the green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus and the artificial alarm cue of a sympatric prey guild member (Cyprinidae, hypoxanthine‐3‐N‐oxide). Under weakly acidic conditions (pH 6·0), however, no increase in antipredator behaviour was seen in response to hypoxanthine‐3‐N‐oxide and a quantitatively weaker response was found in response to conspecific and congener cues, suggesting that the use of chemical alarm cues by some prey fishes may be impaired by acid precipitation.
Body size and the adoption of a migratory tactic in brook charr
Authors: Thériault V. , Dodson J. J.
Published: November 2003

The presence of a conditional strategy based on size attained before migration and a sex‐ratio at migration biased towards females were explored in a population of brook charr Salvelinus fontinalis in the Sainte‐Marguerite River, Quebec Province, Canada, where anadromous and resident forms live sympatrically. Seaward migration in the system occurred at 1 and 2 years old. Comparisons between backcalculated size‐at‐age of migrant and resident fish revealed that smaller fish at age 1 year delay migration to the following year and that bigger fish either migrated at age 1 year or remained resident for the rest of their life‐cycle. Slow growth was associated with migration later in life (age 2 years) at a bigger size, which is consistent with the hypothesis of a threshold size for migration. No difference in size at age 1 year between migrant and resident fish suggests that other factors, such as growth efficiency and the presence of heritability of the tactics, are involved. Overall the sex ratio was equal for migrant and resident fish, while an age‐specific bias was found: more males migrated at age 1 year and more females at age 2 years. These differences suggest that different tactics are adopted by different sexes.
Evidence for an intrarenal renin‐angiotensin system in the European lesser‐spotted dogfish
Authors: Wells A. , Anderson W. G. , Hazon N.
Published: November 2003

The existence of an intrarenal renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) in a perfused European lesser‐spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula trunk preparation was examined by the inhibition of angiotensin‐converting enzyme by captopril. This resulted in a glomerular diuresis, an increase in urea and chloride clearance and excretion, and an increase in transport maxima for glucose. It is proposed that these results suggest the presence of an intrarenal RAS.
Osteology and myology of the cephalic region and pectoral girdle of Erethistes pusillus, comparison with other erethistids, and comments on the synapomorphies and phylogenetic relationships of the Erethistidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes)
Authors: Diogo R. , Chardon M. , Vandewalle P.
Published: November 2003

The cephalic and pectoral girdle structures of the erethistid Erethistes pusillus(Erethistinae) are described and compared with those of another species of the subfamily Erethistinae, namely Hara filamentosa, and of the single species of the subfamily Continae, Conta conta, as well as of several other catfishes, as the foundation for a discussion on the synapomorphies and phylogenetic position of the Erethistidae. The observations and comparisons support de Pinna's phylogenetic hypothesis, according to which the Erethistidae is the sister‐group of the Aspredinidae, with the clade formed by these two families being the sister‐group of the Sisoridae sensu stricto. In addition, the observations and comparisons pointed out a new, additional character to diagnose the family Erethistidae, namely: mesocoracoid arch deeply bifurcated dorsally.
Echeneid–sirenian associations, with information on sharksucker diet
Authors: Williams E. H. , Mignucci‐Giannoni A. A. , Bunkley‐Williams L. , Bonde R. K. , Self‐Sullivan C. , Preen A. , Cockcroft V. G.
Published: November 2003

Association of the sharksucker Echeneis naucrates and whitefin sharksucker E. neucratoides with the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus and the dugong Dugong dugon is presented and discussed. Alimentary tract‐content analysis and field observations suggest that coprophagy (feeding on host faecal material) may be the primary food source for echeneids associated with sirenian hosts.
Pre‐migratory differentiation of wild brown trout into migrant and resident individuals
Authors: Nielsen C. , Aarestrup K. , NØrum U. , Madsen S. S.
Published: November 2003

In February to March, wild brown troutSalmo truttawere captured by electrofishing in a natural watercourse (tributaries of the River Lille Aa, Denmark), individually tagged (Passive Integrated Transponders), and released. Representatives of the tagged brown trout were recaptured on the release sites in April by electrofishing and eventually caught in downstream smolt traps (‘migrants’) placed in the main river or by electrofishing (‘residents’) on the initial sites in June. Upon each capture, smolt appearance and body size were evaluated, and a non‐lethal gill biopsy was taken and used for Na+,K+‐ATPase analysis. Based on repetitive gill enzyme analysis in individual fish, a retrospective analysis of the rate of development in individual brown trout ultimately classified as migrants or residents was performed. Two months prior to migration, a bimodal morphological and physiological (gill Na+,K+‐ATPase) development concurred and was related to the subsequent differentiation into resident and migratory fractions of each population. This differentiation was unrelated to growth rate and body size of individual fish but skewed in favour of migratory females. Individuals destined to become migrants developed a smolt‐like appearance before the onset of migration and had higher rate of change of gill Na+,K+‐ATPase activity than fish remaining residents. The rate of change of gill Na+,K+‐ATPase activity was independent of the distance migrated to the trap (3–28 km). Thus in bimodal wild brown trout populations a major increase in enzyme activity takes place before migration is initiated and is a characteristic of migratory individuals only.
Allometric growth of the sulcus in Cynoscion spp. (Sciaenidae)
Authors: Aguirre W. E.
Published: November 2003

The sulcus of Cynoscion spp. exhibited strong positive allometric growth relative to the medial surface of the otolith, and the ratio between the area of the sulcus and the otolith (S:O) increased dramatically with size. The S:O ratios of larger specimens are the highest that have so far been reported.
Using the δ13C and δ15N of whitefish scales for retrospective ecological studies: changes in isotope signatures during the restoration of Lake Geneva, 1980–2001
Authors: Perga M. E. , Gerdeaux D.
Published: November 2003

The scales of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus were used in place of dorsal muscle, which necessitates killing the fish, to study food webs from the δ13C and δ15N isotopic ratios in the organic fraction. As scales are composed of both organic and calcified fractions, a protocol for scale decalcification was first devised. The δ13C and δ15N values of the decalcified scales were then shown to be closely correlated to those of the dorsal muscle, demonstrating that scales could be used in place of muscle to study food webs. Changes in the δ13C of whitefish were determined from a scale collection that extended over the period during which the trophic state of Lake Geneva was recovering.
Interhabitat and instream movements of large Atlantic salmon parr in a Newfoundland watershed in winter
Authors: Robertson M. J. , Clarke K. D. , Scruton D. A. , Brown J. A.
Published: November 2003

Radio‐telemetry was used to investigate movement of large, mainly mature male (80%) Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr in Stoney River, Newfoundland during early winter (November; water temperature 6·0 ± 0·1° C) and mid‐winter (January to February; 0·8 ± 0·0° C). Site fidelity of parr in early winter was low. Parr moved between fluvial and lacustrine habitats and were active throughout the diel cycle. Parr caught in fluvial habitats in mid‐winter were smaller and younger than parr caught in early winter. Site fidelity of parr in mid‐winter was greater than in early winter. Parr in mid‐winter moved between fluvial and adjacent small lacustrine habitats, but avoided a larger pond inhabited by large piscivorous fishes. Instream movement rates in mid‐winter were lower than in early winter and occurred primarily during hours of darkness (dawn, dusk and night). Fluvial habitats were relatively stable and ice‐free throughout the study periods. These results suggested that large Atlantic salmon parr utilize a variety of habitats and remain active throughout the winter, even under stable environmental conditions.
Glomeruli and renal tubules are restricted to the cranial kidney of the adult estuarine Sphoeroides testudineus
Authors: Prodocimo V. , Freire C. A.
Published: November 2003

The kidney of the pufferfish Sphoeroides testudineus, an abundant tropical euryhaline estuarine species of the western Atlantic Ocean found in southern Brazil (in salinities ranging from 0 to 34) has a large and laterally spread cranial red portion, and a very thin and pale caudal portion. When studied under light and transmission electron microscopy, the cranial kidney displayed glomeruli and renal tubules surrounded by haematopoietic tissue. These tubules appeared to drain into a single large convoluted collecting duct with a wide lumen and thick pseudostratified epithelium, the mesonephric duct, which constituted the sole structure of the caudal kidney. Apical microvillae were viewed in the renal tubules, as well as in the mesonephric duct. Basal mitochondria and membrane infoldings were observed in the renal tubules. Abundant more basally‐located mitochondria and electron‐dense vesicles, mainly in the apical cytoplasm, were observed along the entire length of the mesonephric duct. Aposomes (blebs) were frequently observed in the mesonephric duct, both by light‐ and electron‐microscopy. This euryhaline estuarine pufferfish has thus been revealed to possess a rare type of kidney.
Ecological relevance of temporal stability in regional fish catches
Authors: Hinz H. , Kaiser M. J. , Bergmann M. , Rogers S. I. , Armstrong M. J.
Published: November 2003

The concept of habitat selection based on ‘Ideal Free Distribution’ theory suggests that areas of high suitability may attract larger quantities of fishes than less suitable or unsuitable areas. Catch data were used from groundfish surveys to identify areas of consistently high densities of whiting Merlangius merlangus, cod Gadus morhua and haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus in the Irish Sea and plaice Pleuronectes platessa, sole Solea solea, lemon sole Microstomus kitt in the English Channel over a period of 10 and 9 years respectively. A method was introduced to delineate areas of the seabed that held consistently high numbers of fishes objectively from large datasets. These areas may constitute important habitat characteristics which may merit further scientific investigations in respect to ‘Essential Fish Habitats’(EFH). In addition, the number of stations with consistently high abundances of fishes and the number of stations where no fishes were caught gave an indication of the site specificity of the fish species analysed. For the gadoids, whiting was found to be less site specific than cod and haddock, while for the flatfishes, plaice and sole were less site specific than lemon sole. The findings are discussed in the context of previously published studies on dietary specializm. The site specificity of demersal fishes has implications for the siting process for marine protected areas as fish species with a strong habitat affinity can be expected to benefit more from such management schemes.
Cone visual pigments and retinal mosaics in the striped marlin
Authors: Fritsches K. A. , Litherland L. , Thomas N. , Shand J.
Published: November 2003

Three different cone photoreceptor visual pigments in the retina of striped marlin Tetrapturus audax were found with the aid of microspectrophotometry. This provides the first evidence for the basis of colour vision in the Istiophoridae. Furthermore, regional variations in photoreceptor density, type and spatial arrangement indicate differing visual capabilities along different visual axes.
Diel variation in feeding rate and prey composition of herring and mackerel in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence
Authors: Darbyson E. , Swain D.P. , Chabot D. , Castonguay M.
Published: November 2003

Diel feeding patterns of herring Clupea harengus and mackerel Scomber scombrus in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence were examined based on samples obtained by midwater trawling between 19 and 26 June 2001. Within 3 h time periods, stomach contents tended to be more similar between fish from the same tow than between fish from different tows. Thus, in contrast to previous diet studies, which have used individual fish stomachs as independent observations, tow was used as the experimental unit in statistical analyses in this study. Diel patterns in stomach fullness were identified using generalized additive models. Two peaks in stomach fullness occurred for herring, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Mackerel showed an increase in feeding intensity throughout the day with a peak in mid‐afternoon. The diel changes in stomach contents suggested rapid gastric evacuation rates for both species, especially for herring. The estimate of the instantaneous evacuation rate for herring was twice that for mackerel. Calanus copepods (mainly C. hyperboreus), fishes (mainly capelin Mallotus villosus) and euphausiids were the main prey found in the stomachs of both species. Calanus copepods dominated the diet of herring regardless of time period. They also dominated the diet of mackerel during the late afternoon, evening and night while fishes and euphausiids were dominant during the morning and early afternoon. These diel patterns emphasize the need for sampling throughout the day and night in order to estimate ration and diet composition for bioenergetic and ecosystem models.
Isolation of c‐myc genes from goldfish and their tissue specific expression
Authors: Zhang H. , Futami K. , Okamoto N.
Published: November 2003

One novel cellular myc gene (c‐myc), GM1, was isolated from a tetraploid cyprinid, the goldfish Carassius auratus. GM1 consisted of one non‐coding exon and two coding exons, presumably encoding a protein of 390 amino acid (aa) residues. The aa identity between GM1 and GM2, another c‐myc previously isolated from this species, was 88·8%. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis revealed that GM1 was specifically expressed in liver and GM2 in ovary.
Growth of pikeperch in relation to lake characteristics: total phosphorus, water colour, lake area and depth
Authors: Keskinen T. , Marjomäki T. J.
Published: November 2003

The growth of pikeperch Sander lucioperca was studied in 41 lakes in central Finland. The backcalculated average total length of 3 year‐old pikeperch was used as an indicator of growth. The growth correlated positively with total phosphorus and water colour and negatively with lake area and depth. The reason for differences in growth may be differences in the amount of suitable food, foraging success or temperature dynamics in different lakes.
Induction of annual cyclical changes in the ichthyofauna of a large microtidal estuary following an artificial and permanent increase in tidal flow
Authors: Young G. C. , Potter I. C.
Published: November 2003

The opening of a deep artificial and second entrance channel into the large Peel‐Harvey Estuary in south‐western Australia in 1994 provided a unique opportunity to determine the characteristics of the ichthyofauna of a microtidal estuary, in which tidal water movement and the rate of recovery of salinities in spring have both increased markedly. Fishes in the original entrance channel and both halves of the two large basins (Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary), which constitute most of the total area of the estuary, were sampled using a 21·5 m long seine with a fine (3 mm) mesh bunt. The 72 337 fishes that were caught throughout the estuary and represented 43 species, comprised mainly marine species, both in terms of number of species (65·1%) and number of individuals (70·6%). The number of species and density of fishes in each region, and particularly in the basins, showed a pronounced tendency to decline from a maxima in summer to a minima in winter and then to rise in spring. Although the species composition of the fish fauna in the natural entrance channel differed significantly from that in each of the four basin regions, those within the basins were significantly different only in the cases of the southern Harvey Estuary versus both regions of the Peel Inlet. Species composition in the natural entrance channel and four basin regions each underwent conspicuous cyclical changes during the year, which reflected out‐of‐phase changes in the densities of certain species. Although this cyclical pattern was due mainly to changes in the densities of marine species, it was augmented by those of estuarine residents. The cyclicity, which was not evident prior to the opening of the artificial Dawesville Channel, and thus when tidal water movement within the estuary was far less pronounced, parallels the situation recorded for macrotidal northern hemisphere estuaries.
Smoking during pregnancy: Missouri longitudinal study
Authors: Schramm Wayne
Published: November 2003

Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been shown to be associated with reduced birthweight and increased fetal and infant mortality. This paper examines these patterns in first and second maternally‐linked singleton pregnancies from 1978 to 1990 among 176 843 Missouri resident women with known smoking status in both pregnancies. Generally women were more likely to smoke in their second pregnancies (27.4%), than in their first (25.8%). This pattern was strongest among those whose first pregnancies occurred as teenagers, and for black women. The relationships of smoking during the first and second preg‐nancies to outcomes in the second pregnancies were examined primarily through multivariate logistic regression. The adjusted relative risk (RR) of low birthweight (<2500 g) in the second pregnancy to not smoking in either pregnancy was 1.82 for those who smoked during the second pregnancy only, and 1.87 for those who smoked in both pregnancies. For those who smoked in the first pregnancy only, the RR was 0.97, not significantly different from 1. Adjusted smoking RRs for small‐for‐gestational age were larger, while adjusted RRs for fetal and neonatal mortality were smaller than the smoking RRs for low birthweight.
Data linkage methods used in maternally‐linked birth and infant death surveillance data sets from the United States (Georgia, Missouri, Utah and Washington State), Israel, Norway, Scotland and Western Australia
Authors: Herman Allen , McCarthy Brian , Bakewell Janice , Ward Ryk , Mueller Beth , Maconochie Noreen , Read Anne , Zadka Pnina , Skj&ÃÂlig;rven Rolv
Published: November 2003

In this paper we describe the methods used to link birth and infant mortality and morbidity surveillance data sets into sibships using deterministic or multistage probabilistic linkage methods. We describe nine linked data sets: four in the United States (Georgia, Missouri, Utah and Washington State), and four elsewhere (Scotland, Norway, Israel and Western Australia). Norway and Israel use deterministic methods to link births and deaths into sibships. The deterministic linkage is usually dependent on the availability of national identification numbers. In both countries they assign these numbers at birth. Deterministic linkage is usually highly successful, and the major problem is the validation of linkages. In the United States, Western Australia and UK linkage is multistage and probabilistic. This approach is usually dependent on the calculation linkage weights from sociodemographic variables. The success rates of probabilistic methods are above 80%. Maternally‐linked perinatal data open new vistas for epidemiological research. Recurrence of poor perinatal outcomes is more appropriately studied using longitudinally‐linked data sets. In addition, the emergence of risk factors and the recurrence of risk factors can be studied.
The Israeli Maternal Perinatal Database: methods and preliminary evaluation
Authors: Zadka Pnina , Barell Vita
Published: November 2003

The Israel Maternal Perinatal Database (IMPD) includes the 1980–92 birth cohorts and was created using deterministic linkage, based on a unique identity number. This number is assigned at birth for Israeli‐born infants and upon acquiring permanent or temporary residential status for immigrants and is used widely. The IMPD includes ≈1.3 million births and about 400000 mothers with more than one birth, 40 000 mothers with more than three births and 20 000 grand multipara mothers with four births or more. The pretest‐based estimates of incorrectly matched births are 2%. The expected percentage of underlinkage is 5–10% for births occurring before 1985. Since 1985, incorrect maternal underlinkages result only when a birth occurs out of Israel to an Israeli resident. One of the advantages of the IMPD is the ability to estimate linkage reliability, validity and censoring effects by comparison with an external data source, the National Population Register, which groups each mother with all her living children under the age of 18 years. One of the potential analysis pitfalls is the effect of censoring at entry as a result of influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia.
Maternal smoking, birthweight and gestational age in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) babies and their surviving siblings
Authors: Øyen Nina , Haglund Bengt , Skj&ÃÂÃÂlig;rven Rolv , Irgens Lorentz
Published: November 2003

To evaluate the effect of maternal smoking on intrauterine growth of babies who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), birthweights of SIDS infants and their surviving siblings were compared with birthweights of infants in sibships were all infants survived the first year of life. We studied 184 349 mothers with at least two births registered in the population‐based Swedish Medical Birth Registry during 1983–91. The mother being the unit of analysis, birthweight and gestational age of her infants were the repeated measures used in a repeated measures analysis of variance. Mothers whose first two infants survived at least 1 year, smoked less than mothers of SIDS infants, 25 and 41% (P< 5 0.01). Overall, SIDS mothers did not smoke more while pregnant with the SIDS infant than while pregnant with the surviving sibling. SIDS siblings weighted, on average, 90 g less than infants in non‐affected sibships. SIDS babies were even lighter, 193 g, and had 3.8 days shorter mean gestational age, compared with same birth‐order babies in non‐affected sibships. After adjustment for gestational age, the birthweight difference changed only slightly for SIDS siblings, while the difference for SIDS infants was reduced from 193 to 110 g. Further adjustment for smoking reduced the birthweight difference for SIDS siblings, from 74 to 50 g, and SIDS infants, from 110 to 82 g. Intrauterine growth retardation of sibships with a SIDS baby is explained only partly by maternal smoking. The even lower birthweight of the SIDS baby, resulting from shorter gestational age, cannot be explained by smoking, suggesting pregnancy factors specific to the SIDS baby and not to its siblings.
Risk of recurrence of birth defects in Washington State
Authors: Mueller Beth , Schwartz Stephen
Published: November 2003

A population‐based study was conducted using maternally‐linked birth certificate records from Washington State for 1980–93 to evaluate the risk of birth defect occurrence among infants with pre‐viously affected siblings, relative to infants whose siblings did not have birth defects. The risks of recurrence of similar and dissimilar defects were estimated, and the effects of change in paternity and/or city of residence were evaluated as proxies of genetic and environmental effects. At the first birth on record, 3322 women were identified in the linked certificates as giving birth to a child with a birth defect; 6620 women whose first birth did not result in an infant with a defect were randomly selected for comparison. Women with a malformed infant had an in‐creased risk of having a malformed infant at the subsequent birth (Relative Risk = 1.9, [95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.5–2.4]), which did not vary by intervening changes in partner or residence. The risk of recurrence of the same general type of defect [RR = 11.7, 95% CI = 9.7–19.50] was much greater than that of occurrence of a dissimilar defect [RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1–1.9]. This was consistent for all defect categories, and did not vary markedly by changes in partner or residence.
Adolescent age at first pregnancy and subsequent obesity
Authors: Herman Allen , Yu Kai
Published: November 2003

Adolescent pregnancy has been associated with subsequent obesity. This paper examines the patterns of obesity for second and third pregnancies among women who had their first singleton pregnancy as teenagers. We used maternally‐linked data from 1978 to 1990 among 43 160 Missouri resident women. Age, parity, interpregnancy interval and prior body mass index were significantly associated with subsequent obesity among adolescents. Race, marital status and smoking had significant interactions with age. Among older women, being African–American and never having married was associated with an increased probability of obesity, and smoking had a greater effect on obesity at higher maternal age. Race and marital status did not have significant effects on obesity among younger women. The most important predictor of obesity was prior body mass index. Body mass index before the first pregnancy had a greater effect on subsequent obesity if the intervening interpregnancy weight gains were large. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy presents the health care provider with a dilemma. An increase in birthweight associated with high prenatal weight gains may diminish the risk of infant mortality and morbidity in an index pregnancy, but subsequent obesity may increase perinatal mortality rates, the rates of obstetric problems and neural tube defects.
The association of change in maternal marital status between births and adverse pregnancy outcomes in the second birth
Authors: Holt Victoria , Danoff Nancy , Mueller Beth , Swanson Marcia
Published: November 2003

The relationships between change in marital status between two consecutive births and adverse pregnancy outcomes at the second birth were investigated using linked Washington State 1980–93 white singleton birth certificates. Women who were married at the first birth had lower low birthweight (LBW) and small‐size‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) rates at that birth than single women, and women married at the second birth had lower LBW, SGA and preterm delivery rates at that birth, regardless of marital status at the first birth. Adjusted relative risks (RR) of LBW and SGA were significantly increased for initially married women who were single at the second birth compared with those who remained married (RR equals; 1.4 and 1.3, respectively). Risks of LBW and SGA were significantly decreased among initially single women who married by the second birth, compared with those remaining single (RR equals; 0.7 for LBW and 0.8 for SGA). We conclude that the largely unstudied subgroup of previously married women is at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Public health policy and programmes directed at high‐risk mothers and infants should be aware of the specific physical and emotional needs of this group of child‐bearing women.
Does changing paternity contribute to the risk of intrauterine growth retardation?
Authors: Krulewitch Cara , Herman Allen , Yu Kai , Johnson Yvette
Published: November 2003

An immune reaction initiated by paternal antigens may be necessary for healthy placental development, pregnancy maintenance and infant growth. An inadequate immune response may result in intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). We hypothesised that a change in paternity may interfere with the immune response and cause poor placentation with resultant IUGR. In this paper we examine the risk of IUGR associated with changes in paternity. We used the Utah Successive Pregnancies Data Set that contains information on women across their pregnancies. We restricted the analysis to 141 817 women with two or three pregnancies. Women who did not have an IUGR infant in the previous pregnancy were at a 20–30% greater risk of developing IUGR if they had changed partners. Women who had a previous IUGR infant were at no increased risk for IUGR after a change in paternity. These results may point to an immune mechanism or may be as a result of residual confounding of unmeasured risk factors for IUGR. Further studies with data that contain more sociodemographic and biological risk factors for IUGR are necessary to exclude residual confounding.