bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two alleles of the Sox9a2 in the rice field eel
Authors: Lu Heng , Cheng Hanhua , Guo Yiqing , Zhou Rongjia
Published: September 2003

A variety of strategies for sex determination mechanisms have been utilized in vertebrates. The Sox9 gene encodes a transcription factor that is critical for testis determination and chondrogenesis in vertebrates. We present here the polymorphisms of the Sox9a gene in population in the rice field eel, a fresh‐water fish with naturally sex reversal characteristic from female via intersex into male during its life. Two alleles of the Sox9a2 were found in the population, which may potentially be associated with the dimorphic distribution of the male population of the rice field eel. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 299B:36–40, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phylogenetic analyses alone are insufficient to determine whether genome duplication(s) occurred during early vertebrate evolution
Authors: Horton Amy C. , Mahadevan Navin R. , Ruvinsky Ilya , Gibson‐Brown Jeremy J.
Published: September 2003

The widely accepted notion that two whole‐genome duplications occurred during early vertebrate evolution (the 2R hypothesis) stems from the fact that vertebrates often possess several genes corresponding to a single invertebrate homolog. However the number of genes predicted by the Human Genome Project is less than twice as many as in the Drosophila melanogaster or Caenorhabditis elegans genomes. This ratio could be explained by two rounds of genome duplication followed by extensive gene loss, by a single genome duplication, by sequential local duplications, or by a combination of any of the above. The traditional method used to distinguish between these possibilities is to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of vertebrate genes to their invertebrate orthologs; ratios of invertebrate‐to‐vertebrate counterparts are then used to infer the number of gene duplication events. The lancelet, amphioxus, is the closest living invertebrate relative of the vertebrates, and unlike protostomes such as flies or nematodes, is therefore the most appropriate outgroup for understanding the genomic composition of the last common ancestor of all vertebrates. We analyzed the relationships of all available amphioxus genes to their vertebrate homologs. In most cases, one to three vertebrate genes are orthologous to each amphioxus gene (median number=2). Clearly this result, and those of previous studies using this approach, cannot distinguish between alternative scenarios of chordate genome expansion. We conclude that phylogenetic analyses alone will never be sufficient to determine whether genome duplication(s) occurred during early chordate evolution, and argue that a “phylogenomic” approach, which compares paralogous clusters of linked genes from complete amphioxus and human genome sequences, will be required if the pattern and process of early chordate genome evolution is ever to be reconstructed. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 299B:41–53, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Replicability of diffusion tensor imaging measurements of fractional anisotropy and trace in brain
Authors: Pfefferbaum Adolf , Adalsteinsson Elfar , Sullivan Edith V.
Published: September 2003

Purpose

To evaluate within‐scanner and between‐scanner reliability of fractional anisotropy (FA) and trace (sum of the diagonal elements of the diffusion tensor) as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Materials and Methods

Ten young healthy adults were scanned on three separate days, on two different systems made by the same manufacturer. One scan was acquired at one site, and two scans were acquired on two different occasions on another scanner at another site. Three levels of analysis were used to compare the DTI metrics: 1) a voxel‐by‐voxel analysis of all supratentorial brain (gray matter + white matter + cerebrospinal fluid) and of supratentorial white matter; 2) a slice‐by‐slice analysis of supratentorial white matter; and 3) a single‐region analysis of the corpus callosum.

Results

The voxel‐by‐voxel analysis of all supratentorial brain found that FA and trace measures and correlations were equivalently and significantly higher within than across scanners. For supratentorial white matter, FA was similar within and across scanners, whereas trace demonstrated across‐scanner bias. A similar pattern was observed for the slice‐by‐slice comparison. For the single‐region analysis of the corpus callosum, within‐scanner FA and trace measures were highly reproducible for FA (CV = 1.9%) and trace (CV = 2.6%), but both DTI measures showed a systematic mean bias across scanners (CV = 4.5% for FA and CV = 7.5% for trace).

Conclusion

These estimates of measurement variation and scanner bias can be used to predict effect sizes for longitudinal and multisite studies using diffusion tensor imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;18:427–433. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Radio‐frequency‐induced thermal lesions: Subacute magnetic resonance appearance and histological correlation
Authors: Lazebnik Roee S. , Breen Michael S. , Fitzmaurice Maryann , Nour Sherif G. , Lewin Jonathan S. , Wilson David L.
Published: September 2003

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between subacute magnetic resonance (MR) images of radio‐frequency (RF) ablation lesions and tissue viability as determined from histological tissue samples.

Materials and Methods

We generated lesions (N = 5) in a rabbit thigh model. Four days later, we obtained in vivo T2‐ and contrast‐enhanced (CE) T1‐weighted images and ex vivo histological samples approximately perpendicular to the electrode path. Using three‐dimensional registration and warping, we spatially compared manually segmented boundaries apparent on MR images to boundaries separating distinct histological zones determined from hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson trichrome (MT) stains, as well as birefringence studies.

Results

Lesions have a characteristic MR appearance: an outer hyperintense margin (M2) separating background tissue (M3) from an inner core (M1), in both T2 and CE T1 images. Histologically, there are two zones of damage: an outer zone of likely nonviable cells (H2) separating background tissue (H3) from an inner core of coagulated nonviable cells (H1). We measured distances between automatically computed correspondence points along histological and MR boundaries. For T2 and CE T1 images, respectively, M1 vs. H1 distances were 0.72 ± 0.99 mm (mean ± SD) and 0.10 ± 0.95 mm, while outer M2 vs. H2 boundary distances were 0.26 ± 1.16 mm and 0.05 ± 1.08 mm. The discrepancy between histological and MR boundaries was larger than the variability in segmenting MR images, but probably within registration error. There were no significant differences between T2 and CE T1 boundaries.

Conclusion

Lesion boundaries apparent in both T2‐ and CE T1‐weighted MR scans, performed several days postablation, similarly predict the histological response. That is, the lesion core (M1) corresponds to nonviable coagulated cells (H1), while the hyperintense margin (M2) corresponds to likely nonviable cells undergoing necrotic changes (H2). J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;18:487–495. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quantitative assessment of myocardial scar in delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Setser Randolph M. , Bexell Daniel G. , O'Donnell Thomas P. , Stillman Arthur E. , Lieber Michael L. , Schoenhagen Paul , White Richard D.
Published: September 2003

Purpose

To characterize the extent and distribution of left ventricular myocardial scar in delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and Methods

Delayed enhancement images from 18 patients were categorized into three groups based on myocardial scar appearance: discrete myocardial infarction (N = 10), diffuse fibrosis (N = 4), and circumferential endocardial scarring (N = 4). Images were segmented manually by two observers (twice by one observer) to identify nonviable myocardium. Scar was characterized by the following morphologic parameters: the relative area of nonviable myocardium (Percent Scar); a measure of scar cohesion (Patchiness); and the extent to which scar traversed the ventricle wall (Trans>50).

Results

The three scar parameters successfully discriminated between patient groups, although no one parameter was able to differentiate between all groups. The average bias between readers was approximately 3% for each parameter, and the average bias between repeated measurements was 1%. In addition, five patients exhibited regions of nonhyperenhanced nonviable myocardium that were expected to show hyperenhancement based upon their location within the infarct zone and appearance on cine images.

Conclusion

Quantitative characterization of myocardial scar showed good interobserver and intraobserver agreement. However, the appearance of nonhyperenhanced scar in chronic ischemia is problematic for segmentation of delayed enhancement images. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;18:434–441. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Water, land and health in urban and peri‐urban food production: the case of Kano, Nigeria
Authors: Binns J. A. , Maconachie R. A. , Tanko A. I.
Published: September 2003

In sub‐Saharan Africa, urban and peri‐urban food production has been identified as an important resource for meeting the challenges of rapidly growing cities, and the positive aspects of such production have been well documented in the literature. This paper examines some of the health and environmental concerns associated with urban and peri‐urban agriculture (UPA). Empirical evidence from the city of Kano in northern Nigeria suggests that there is currently much reason for concern as industrial and domestic toxins are reaching dangerously high levels. As soils and water channels become increasingly polluted, the sustainability of urban and peri‐urban food production is questioned. Since the health implications of long‐term exposure to toxins are unclear, it is suggested that coordinated longitudinal research involving urban planners, agricultural scientists and health specialists is urgently needed. In addition, it remains crucial that government and institutional actors effectively monitor and enforce both environmental and zoning by‐laws, if the health and environmental constraints of UPA are to be overcome, and the future sustainability of production is to be assured. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prognostic factors in non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Solan Merrill J. , Werner‐Wasik Maria
Published: September 2003

Identification of prognostic factors is critical in optimizing treatment for patients with cancer. The purpose of this work is to review the modern literature with regard to prognostic factors for patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) taking into account ongoing advances in clinical evaluation, staging, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and molecular biology in this widely heterogeneous patient population. Semin. Surg. Oncol. 21:64–73, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chemotherapy in metastatic and locally advanced non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Spigel David R. , Greco F. Anthony
Published: September 2003

The majority of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer have locally advanced and metastatic disease at diagnosis. Combination platinum‐based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for patients with advanced disease who have a performance status of 0–1. Chemotherapy is superior to supportive care alone in terms of survival, palliation of symptoms, and in many studies, improving quality of life. Newer third generation therapies such as paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, and gemcitabine have been proven effective as single agents with minimal toxicity, compared with supportive care alone. In combination with platinum, these agents produce higher response rates than older platinum‐based regimens, are associated with additional survival benefits, and are generally more convenient and less toxic for patients. Newer nonplatinum doublets appear equivalent to newer platinum‐regimens and have expanded the options available for patients. Targeted agents are promising and may soon offer patients more effective and less toxic therapies. Progress in treatment in the advanced setting has led to advances in the care of locally advanced disease. Combination chemoradiotherapy is a standard treatment for locally advanced disease, and studies with newer agents are in progress. Semin. Surg. Oncol. 21:98–110, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Are changes in fear‐avoidance beliefs, catastrophizing, and appraisals of control, predictive of changes in chronic low back pain and disability?
Authors: Woby Steve R , Watson Paul J , Roach Neil K , Urmston Martin
Published: September 2003

Interventions for chronic low back pain (CLBP) often attempt to modify patients' levels of catastrophizing, their fear‐avoidance beliefs, and their appraisals of control. Presumably, these interventions are based on the notion that changes in these cognitive factors are related to changes in measures of adjustment. The aim of the present study was to explore whether changes on these cognitive factors were related to changes in CLBP and disability. Fifty‐four CLBP patients completed a series of self‐report measures prior to beginning a cognitive‐behavioral based intervention and again upon discharge. Change scores (post‐treatment scoreminuspre‐treatment score) were calculated for each of the self‐report measures. The study found that changes in the cognitive factors were not significantly associated with changes in pain intensity. In contrast, reductions in fear‐avoidance beliefs about work and physical activity, as well as increased perceptions of control over pain were uniquely related to reductions in disability, even after controlling for reductions in pain intensity, age and sex. The final model explained 71% of the variance in reductions in disability.
Dynamic loads are determinants of peak bone mass
Authors: Moisio Kirsten C. , Hurwitz Debra E. , Sumner Dale R.
Published: September 2003

This study investigated the association between non‐invasive measurements of bone mass and markers of dynamic and static hip joint loads in subjects expected to be at peak bone mass. The bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of three proximal femoral sites (neck, greater trochanter, and total) were measured by dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry, and the peak external joint moments at the hip during walking and jogging were calculated from gait analyses of 31 normal human subjects ranging in age from 30 to 49 years (18 females, 13 males). Various multiple regression analyses were performed to determine how much of the variance in BMD and BMC was explained by height, body mass, and the peak hip joint moments. In total, the models explained up to 40% of the variance in BMD and 58% of the variance in BMC. Inclusion of height or body mass did not increase the explanatory power of the models for BMD and explained no more than 8% of the total variance in BMC once the joint moments from walking were allowed to enter the models. These data support the hypothesis that variance in peak bone mass is associated with variance in dynamic hip loads largely independent of the effect of static factors such as height and body mass. © 2003 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ubiquitin activated tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor‐6 (TRAF6) is recycled via deubiquitination
Authors: Jensen Liselotte E , Whitehead Alexander S
Published: September 2003

Ubiquitination of intermediates in the interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) signaling cascade plays an important role in activation and regulation of the pathway. Both IL‐1 receptor associated kinase‐1 (IRAK1) and inhibitor of nuclear factor κB‐α (IκBα) are rapidly ubiquitinated and degraded. Tumor necrosis factor associated factor‐6 (TRAF6) is an ubiquitin ligase that is activated by ubiquitination and a signaling intermediate between IRAK1 and IκBα. It is unknown whether activated TRAF6 is subsequently degraded. We show that in liver cells IL‐1 stimulates TRAF6 poly‐ubiquitination. In less than 1 h levels of non‐modified TRAF6 return to levels near those observed prior to activation. TRAF6 cannot be reactivated in cells which have been pretreated with IL‐1. This observation correlates with decreased levels of IRAK1 in IL‐1 pretreated cells. The re‐establishment of non‐modified TRAF6 levels following activation does not require de novo protein synthesis, strongly suggesting that TRAF6 is recycled via deubiquitination. This indicates a unique mechanism of regulation of TRAF6 activity.
Subcellular localization and mechanisms of nucleocytoplasmic distribution of p202, an interferon‐inducible candidate for lupus susceptibility
Authors: Choubey Divaker , Pramanik Rocky , Xin Hong
Published: September 2003

Increased expression of p202 (52 kDa), an interferon (IFN)‐inducible murine protein, in splenic cells (B‐ and T‐cells) derived from female mice of the lupus‐prone strains is correlated with increased susceptibility to develop systemic lupus erythematosus. However, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous studies have indicated that, in IFN‐treated fibroblasts, p202 is detected both in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Moreover, in the cytoplasm, a fraction of p202 associates with a membranous organelle. Here we report that, in the cytoplasm, a fraction of p202 associated with mitochondria. Additionally, we found that the constitutive p202 is primarily detected in the cytoplasm. Remarkably, the IFN treatment of cells potentiated nuclear accumulation of p202. Our observations are consistent with the possibility that IFN signaling regulates p202 levels as well as its nucleocytoplasmic distribution. These observations will serve as a basis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which p202 contributes to lupus susceptibility.
Mildly oxidised LDL induces more macrophage death than moderately oxidised LDL: roles of peroxidation, lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 and PPARγ
Authors: Carpenter Keri L.H , Challis Iain R , Arends Mark J
Published: September 2003

Death of macrophages and smooth muscle cells (SMC) can lead to progression of atherosclerosis. Mildly oxidised low‐density lipoprotein (mildly‐oxLDL) induced more overall death and apoptosis than moderately oxidised LDL, in human monocyte‐macrophages (HMM). Mildly‐oxLDL also induced more overall death in human SMC than did moderately‐oxLDL. Mildly‐oxLDL contained more hydroperoxides, but less oxysterol, malondialdehyde and negative charge than moderately‐oxLDL. Specific inhibition of lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 (by SB222657) diminished death induction in HMM by both oxLDL types. Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) antagonist (GW9662) and agonist (ciglitazone) experiments suggested that non‐hydrolysed, oxidised phospholipids in oxLDL activate PPARγ as a cellular defence mechanism. These results may be relevant to LDL oxidation within atherosclerotic plaques and may suggest strategies for combating atherosclerosis progression.
Correlation of death modes of photosensitized cells with intracellular ATP concentration
Authors: Kirveliene Vida , Sadauskaite Ausra , Kadziauskas Jurgis , Sasnauskiene Sofija , Juodka Benediktas
Published: September 2003

The impact of intensity of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation on death of photosensitized murine hepatoma MH22 cells in vitro has been investigated. Cells photosensitized with meso‐tetra(4‐sulfonatophenyl)‐porphine localized to lysosomes died mostly by necrosis, and the mode of cell death did not depend on the energy metabolism. Photosensitization with 5‐aminolevulinic acid‐stimulated endogenous porphyrins localized mainly in mitochondria or 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(m‐hydroxyphenyl)‐chlorine localized to cell membranes, including mitochondria, led to cell death mostly by apoptosis. In this case, the mode of cell death depended on the medium: under conditions unfavorable to glycolysis the ratio apoptosis/necrosis decreased significantly.
Regulation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 in human platelets: a possible role in platelet function?1
Authors: Barry Fiona A. , Graham Gwenda J. , Fry Michael J. , Gibbins Jonathan M.
Published: September 2003

In this study we show that both glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) isoforms, GSK3α and GSK3β, are present in human platelets and are phosphorylated on Ser21 and Ser9, respectively, in platelets stimulated with collagen, convulxin and thrombin. Phosphorylation of GSK3α/β was dependent on phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) activity and independent of platelet aggregation, and correlated with a decrease in GSK3 activity that was preserved by pre‐incubating platelets with PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Three structurally distinct GSK3 inhibitors, lithium, SB415286 and TDZD‐8, were found to inhibit platelet aggregation. This implicates GSK3 as a potential regulator of platelet function.
Morphometric variation among sardine (Sardina pilchardus) populations from the northeastern Atlantic and the western Mediterranean
Authors: Silva Alexandra
Published: September 2003

During the past decade, regional changes in the dynamics of the Atlanto-Iberian stock of sardine, and its exploitation by Portuguese and Spanish purse-seine fisheries, have increased the uncertainties in estimated trends of spawning biomass, stock abundance, and fishing mortality. Together with recent evidence for lack of discontinuities in the distribution of sardine eggs at the edges of the stock area, this casts doubts on the hypothesis that the stock is a panmictic, closed population. Sardine morphometric data (truss variables and landmark data) from 14 samples spanning the northeastern Atlantic and the western Mediterranean were analysed by multivariate and geometric methods. The analyses explored the homogeneity of sardine shape within the area studied, as well as its relation to that of adjacent and distant populations (Azores and northwestern Mediterranean). Principal components analysis on size-corrected truss variables and cluster analysis of mean fish shape using landmark data indicate that the shape of sardine off southern Iberia and Morocco is distinct from the shape of sardine in the rest of the area. The two groups of sardine are significantly separated by discriminant analysis, and their validity was confirmed by large percentages of correct classifications of test fish (87 and 86% of fish from the test sample were correctly classified into each group, respectively). There was also some evidence that fish from the western Mediterranean and the Azores form a separate morphometric group. These results question both the homogeneity within the Atlanto-Iberian sardine stock and the validity of its current boundaries.
Sex-biased ectosymbiosis of a unique cirripede,Octolamis unguisiformissp. nov., that resembles the chelipeds of its host crab,Macrophthalmus milloti
Authors: Kobayashi Chisato , Kato Makoto
Published: September 2003

An ecologically unique cirripede,Octolasmis unguisiformissp. nov. (Cirripedeia: Thoracica: Poecilasmatidae), was found to be ectosymbiotic with an ocypodid crab,Macrophthalmus milloti, on tidal flats of the Amami Islands, the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. The cirripedes were attached to the ventral side of the crab carapace, around the bases of the first and second ambulatory legs. The cirripedes resemble the chelipeds of male host crabs. Adult cirripedes were found only on female crabs, whereas juvenile cirripedes were present on crabs of both sexes, suggesting that the survival rate of the cirripedes on female crabs was higher than that of those on male crabs. The cheliped-like appearance and female-biased distribution of the cirripedes are discussed from the standpoint of mutualism between the crab and the epizoic cirripede.
Growth and reproductive parameters of Kalliapseudes schubartii in the estuarine region of the Lagoa dos Patos (southern Brazil)
Authors: Fonseca Duane B. , D'Incao Fernando
Published: September 2003

Kalliapseudes schubartii (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) is a tube dwelling invertebrate living in estuarine soft bottoms with distribution along the south-east and southern Brazilian and Uruguayan coasts. Individual growth, and reproduction were examined by taking samples for a year in the estuarine region of the Lagoa dos Patos (southern Brazil). The von Bertalanffy model described growth of K. schubartii (K=4.54 y−1, L∞=13.22 mm). Reproductive activity was observed in spring and summer. No relationship was observed between total length of females and brood size. Eggs, embryos, and mancas were often observed in a marsupium. Relative growth analysis showed two levels of allometry in the growth of chelipeds of males.
Seasonal variation on embryo production and brood loss in the Monaco shrimp Lysmata seticaudata (Decapoda: Hippolytidae)
Authors: Calado R. , Narciso L.
Published: September 2003

The Monaco shrimp Lysmata seticaudata is a warm temperate species with strong potential for the marine aquarium industry and knowledge on embryo production and brood loss during incubation is essential for the establishment of proper maturation techniques. Average (±SD) brood size of small (total length (TL) 40–44 mm), medium (TL 48–52 mm) and large (TL 58–62 mm) simultaneous hermaphroditic (SH) phase were 753 (±215), 1351 (±163) and 1810 (±264) newly extruded embryos, respectively, in early reproductive season (ERS); and 745 (±258), 1314 (±191) and 1813 (±219), respectively, in late reproductive season (LRS). Senescence does not seem to occur in the Monaco shrimp, since during both ERS and LRS larger SH shrimp always presented a higher number of embryos and negative allometry was not recorded. No significant differences in brood size were recorded among broods at different embryonic stages of shrimp in the same size-class in both ERS and LRS. Brood losses recorded from embryonic Stage 1 to Stage 4 for small, medium and large shrimp were 14.3%, 11.3% and 8.9%, respectively, for ERS and 10.9%, 14.4% and 12.2%, respectively, for LRS. The mean embryo volume in the same development stage was not significantly different among the small, medium and large shrimp, and between ERS and LRS for shrimp of same size-class. For all shrimp size-classes during both ERS and LRS, mean embryo volume significantly increased from 108.5% to 127.9%, from first to last embryonic stage. The occurrence of sex change does not affect egg production since small females in ERS (before the major period of sex change) and LRS (after the major period of sex change) had similar brood sizes.
Fecundity of the arrow crab Stenorhynchus seticornis in the southern Brazilian coast
Authors: Okamori Claudia Melissa , Cobo Valter José
Published: September 2003

The arrow crab Stenorhynchus seticornis (Brachyura, Majidae), is a common inhabitant of the rocky subtidal along the Brazilian coast. Fecundity and the influence of environmental variables on egg production are investigated in this study. Information on egg size and egg loss through incubation are also provided. Monthly samples were conducted using SCUBA diving, from January to December 1998 in the Ubatuba region (23°25′25[double prime or second]S–44°52′03[double prime or second]W), south-eastern Brazilian coast. Early broods were used for the estimation of size-specific relationships of fecundity. Egg loss was assessed by comparing average egg numbers of early and late broods. The fecundity was estimated in 621.1±339.6 eggs, with an average diameter of 0.48±0.1 and 0.57±0.1 mm for early and late eggs, respectively. The number of eggs produced was apparently constant year-round. No significant differences were recorded among monthly fecundity values. The variation of abiotic factors did not show any relationship with temporal variability of fecundity, suggesting that the environmental effect in egg production is slight at best.
Observation on the Mating Behaviour of the Helmet Crab Telmessus cheiragonus (Brachyura: Cheiragonidae)
Authors: Kamio Michiya , Matsunaga Shigeki , Fusetani Nobuhiro
Published: September 2003

The mating behaviour of the helmet crab, Telmessus cheiragonus, was observed in the laboratory to obtain information of its fishery management and seed production. Females always moulted before copulation and all moulting females copulated with their mates, while males performed precopulatory guarding before their mates moulted. The average duration of precopulatory guarding was 11.8±5.0 SD days. Sex ratios in experimental tanks did not influence the first guarding duration of male but diminished the female's guarded duration under female-biased treatment. Competition among males for females was observed; larger males appeared to have a competitive advantage. Males started copulation in 41.2±10.9 SD min after females moulted and the copulation lasted for 110.6±6.6 SD min. Postcopulatory guarding duration was 4.0±6.6 SD h. Small males tended not to guard and to copulate with females larger than themselves. Common features and differences in mating behaviour between T. cheiragonus and Erimacrus isenbeckii is discussed.
Seasonality and zooid size variation in Panamanian encrusting bryozoans
Authors: O'Dea Aaron
Published: September 2003

A model describing the positive correlation between variation in zooid size within bryozoan colonies and the amount of seasonal variation in temperature is tested in Panamanian encrusting bryozoans from contrasting seasonal regimes. Results reveal that in a natural setting the model provides accurate estimates of the level of seasonality experienced by the colonies.
Do juvenileAmphiprion ocellaris(Pisces: Pomacentridae) recognize conspecifics by chemical or visual cues?
Authors: Brolund Thea Marie , Nielsen Lis Engdahl , Arvedlund Michael
Published: September 2003

Juvenile anemonefishAmphiprion ocellariswere tested in two behavioural laboratory set-ups for their ability to visually or chemically recognize conspecifics. Individuals of two other species of anemonefish,A. clarkiiandDascyllus aruanus, were also used as test specimens for recognition. The results indicate that juvenileA. ocellarisrecognize conspecifics visually rather than by olfaction. This is contrary to their finding mechanism of their host anemone. However, the results also indicate that the juvenileA. ocellarisare neither attracted nor deterred by the presence of conspecifics. This is contrary to the settling mechanisms of the damselfishD. aruanusandD. reticulatus, and of the temperate herringClupea harengus. Hence the results emphasize the variation of sensory abilities and behaviours in fish larvae and juveniles. It is not an area prone for generalizations.
Forgetting the Text: Derrida and the ‘Liberation’ of the Actor
Authors: Hornby Richard
Published: September 2003

Challenging contemporary orthodoxies, notably Derrida's perception of the actor as an ‘interpretive slave’, Richard Hornby here suggests that so far from exerting a tyranny, the fixed text provides a lifeline which the actor, having grasped, then makes his or her own. If a tyranny exists, it is that of the auteur-director who denies the actor the creative freedom that can be claimed from the text on the page. Richard Hornby is Professor of Theatre at the University of California, Riverside, and regular theatre critic for The Hudson Review. He is the author of six books and over a hundred articles on theatre, the most recent being The End of Acting, published by Applause Books in 1992, and Mad about Theatre, a collection of his theatre reviews published by Applause in 1996. His well-known Script into Performance has gone through many editions, most recently in 1996, and his latest work, Theatre in Crisis, is due out next year. This essay is an adaptation of a paper he delivered in Amsterdam for the ‘Theatre and Cultural Memory’ conference of the International Federation for Theatre Research, held in July 2002.
‘Talent Is the Ability to Be in the Present’: Gestalt Therapy and George Tabori's Early Theatre Practice
Authors: Diedrich Antje
Published: September 2003

The Jewish-German-Hungarian director and playwright George Tabori has been one of the prominent figures of German-speaking theatre over the past thirty years. Outside Germany, Tabori is best known as the author of provocative Holocaust drama, such as The Cannibals (1968) and Mein Kampf (1987). But as a director Tabori has produced an equally impressive body of work, with ground-breaking productions of Shakespeare, Beckett, and Kafka. Tabori's promotion of theatre as therapy and his unusual actor-centred approach to rehearsal earned his work a ‘somewhat dubious’ reputation of being closely related to psychotherapeutic activity. In this article, Antje Diedrich seeks to clarify the extent to which there are concrete intersections and parallels of thought between Gestalt therapy and Tabori's early theatre practice. She identifies the influence of works by Frederick S. Perls and John O. Stevens on Tabori's discourse on acting and rehearsal practice, and concludes with a discussion of Sigmunds Freude (1975), a production based on protocols of Gestalt therapeutic sessions by Frederick S. Perls. Antje Diedrich works as a Lecturer in European Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College in London. She has completed a PhD thesis about George Tabori's theatre practice and is currently working on further articles about Tabori's work as a director and playwright.
Potential role of sacred groves in biodiversity conservation in Tanzania
Authors: Mgumia F.H. , Oba G.
Published: September 2003

Sacred groves, some as old as several centuries, may have contributed to the preservation of some plant species in Tanzania. This has led conservationists to consider whether sacred groves could be used for in situ conservation. Eight sacred groves of the Ugunda chieftaincy of the Wanyamwezi in central Tanzania representing burial sites that varied from 6–300 years old were inventoried to compare woody species richness and taxonomic diversity with those of forest plots in a state managed Forest Reserve. Although they occupied a relatively small area the sacred groves had greater woody species richness and taxonomic diversity than the state managed Forest Reserve. The forest plots and the groves shared a species similarity index of 45%, suggesting that the sacred groves contributed to in situ conservation of the miombo woodland biodiversity. Some of the woody species were absent in the forest plots, also suggesting that groves served as a refuge for some species. An inventory of all existing sacred groves could provide important information on their role in in situ conservation. In order to promote them for community-based conservation of biodiversity the government should declare sacred groves as preservation sites, and incorporate them into modern conservation systems.
The linkages between property rights, migration, and productivity: the case of Kajiado District, Kenya
Authors: Kabubo-Mariara Jane
Published: September 2003

This study investigates the relationship between property rights, resource degradation, and productivity among herders in semi-arid regions of Kenya using survey data. Binary and conditional logit models are used to explain migration, while ordinary least squares and fixed effects models are used to explain productivity. The main findings of the study are that private property right regimes discourage migration with livestock, while private property right regimes and migration increase productivity. The study recommends that if privatization is not feasible, then the existing common rights system should be strengthened through promotion of collective action and limiting of group sizes.
Development of techno-economic integrated models: LFSGR and aerobic composting for municipal waste management
Authors: Yedla Sudhakar
Published: September 2003

In the present study, integrated models have been developed to find out the most appropriate cost of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal using two potential and widely used methodologies, viz. landfill system with gas recovery (LFSGR) and aerobic composting (AC). Objective functions with important costs and benefits including externalities were developed to find out the net unit cost of disposal. Multivariate functional models have been developed for each activity of the objective functions. These integrated techno-economic models can be used not only to determine the most appropriate cost of waste disposal, but also to explain the interparametric linkages and even to compare the potentiality and suitability of a particular methodology for a set of conditions. This can give valuable information that can enhance environmental management leading to sustainable development.

In the simulation studies carried out, LFSGR with its proven energy generating potential from MSW in the form of landfill gas, was found to perform better than aerobic composting (AC) for rates of waste generation greater than 1,000–2,000 t/d (tons per day). LFSGR showed a better performance irrespective of the landfill collection system installation and operation costs. For both methodologies, unit cost of disposal was most sensitive to land rent followed by, in the case of LFSGR, the organic content.
Dietary effect of different high‐fat diet on rat liver stereology
Authors: Aguila Márcia Barbosa , Pinheiro Alessandra da Rocha , Parente Lyana Barbosa , Mandarim‐de‐Lacerda Carlos Alberto
Published: September 2003

Background/aims: Dietary habits are considered to be responsible for a fatty liver. The aims of this work are to study the effects of different lipid sources on rat hepatic structure.

Methods: Twenty 21‐day‐old to 18‐month‐old male rats were fed one of the following diets: soybean oil, canola oil, lard and egg yolk (LE), or canola oil+lard and egg yolk (CA+LE). The blood serum triglyceride samples were analyzed. The following hepatic biometry and the stereology parameters were determined: densities of volume (Vv) and surface (Sv), absolute volume (V) and surface (S) of the hepatocytes (h), fat globules (g), and hepatic sinusoids (s), and numerical density of the hepatocytes (Nv[h]).

Results: The largest values of Vv[h], Sv[h], V[h], and S[h] were found in the LE group. However, the largest values of Vv[g], Sv[g], and S[g] were found in the CA+LE group, and the smallest values of those parameters were found in the LE group. On the other hand, V[g] was larger in the CA+LE group. Vv[s] and V[s] were larger in the LE group and smaller in the CA+LE group.

Conclusion: Long‐term administration of canola oil or soybean oil resulted in similar effects on hepatocytes, hepatic sinusoids, and fat globules. Long‐term administration of lard and egg yolk attenuates hepatic fat accumulation and increases hepatic sinusoids. The administration of the canola oil and lard and egg yolk mixture increases hepatic fat accumulation, reducing the hepatic sinusoids.
Ornidazole‐induced liver damage: report of three cases and review of the literature
Authors: Tabak Fehmi , Ozaras Resat , Erzin Yusuf , Celik Aykut Ferhat , Ozbay Gulsen , Senturk Hakan
Published: September 2003

Abstract: Metronidazole and ornidazole, synthetic nitroimidazole derivatives, are used in the treatment of infections caused by anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. The drugs are well tolerated and serious side effects are very rarely encountered. Hepatotoxicity is a rare side effect and hitherto only six cases have been reported. We describe three patients who developed hepatitis after ornidazole use and review the previously reported cases. All three cases used ornidazole in conventional doses and developed hepatitis and associated cholestasis. They improved 1–2 months after discontinuation. We concluded that nitroimidazole derivatives may cause hepatotoxic damage resembling acute cholestatic hepatitis. Early recognition and withdrawal of the drug may prevent further damage.
Isolated tuberculous liver abscesses with multiple hyperechoic masses on ultrasound: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Chen Hsiang‐Cheng , Chao You‐Chen , Shyu Rong‐Yuan , Hsieh Tsai‐Yuan
Published: September 2003

Abstract: Cases of isolated tuberculous liver abscess are rare. The diagnosis is often delayed or missed because of nonspecific symptoms and the disease's rare occurrence. Less than 25 cases have been documented in the imaging literature to date. This report demonstrates the difficulty in correctly diagnosing local hepatic tuberculosis. We report the case of a 56‐year‐old male with hepatitis C‐related liver cirrhosis and end‐stage renal disease treated with hemodialysis, who developed intermittent fever and hepatomegaly with unusual multiple hyperechoic hepatic lesions on ultrasound. To our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of hyperechoic mass‐like hepatic lesions on ultrasound and the only case without pulmonary involvement. A greater awareness of this rare clinical entity may prevent needless surgical interventions, because the prognosis of hepatic tuberculous abscess is good for the majority of patients if diagnosed early and prompt, effective treatment is administered.
Inhibition of nuclear factor κB and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt is essential for massive hepatocyte apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor α in mice
Authors: Imose Motoaki , Nagaki Masahito , Naiki Takafumi , Osawa Yosuke , Brenner David A. , Asano Takahiko , Hayashi Hideki , Kato Tomohiro , Moriwaki Hisataka
Published: September 2003

Background/aims: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α itself does not induce liver injury in normal mice or hepatocytes. Rather, this event, especially in vitro, is explained by the fact that the TNF‐α/TNF receptor system not only triggers downstream signals leading to apoptosis but also induces an antiapoptotic pathway through the activation of nuclear factor (NF)‐κB. The aim of this study was to determine whether inhibition of antiapoptotic pathways influences the susceptibility of mice to TNF‐α. Here, we focused on the roles of NF‐κB and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐regulated serine/threonine kinase Akt.

Methods: TNF‐α was administered to BALB/c mice after treatment with an adenovirus expressing a mutant form IκBα (Ad5IκB), the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin, or both. Liver injury was assessed biochemically and histologically. The expression of Bcl‐2 family members and caspase activity were examined.

Results: In the mice livers, treatment with Ad5IκB or the wortmannin suppressed the activation of NF‐κB or Akt, respectively. Suppression of either NF‐κB or Akt showed a slight increase in transaminase levels and focal liver cell death after TNF‐α administration. However, in mice treated with both Ad5IκB and wortmannin, TNF‐α administration resulted in massive hepatocyte apoptosis and hemorrhagic liver destruction in mice. The combination of Ad5IκB, wortmannin, and TNF‐α markedly increased the activation of caspase‐3 and ‐9, and activated caspase‐8 to a lesser degree, suggesting that TNF‐α‐induced hepatocyte apoptosis is dependent on type II cell death signaling pathway, probably through the mitochondria. Inhibition of the NF‐κB and PI3K/Akt pathways had no effect on expression of Bcl‐2 families.

Conclusion: The inducible activation of NF‐κB and constitutive activation of Akt regulate hepatocyte survival against TNF‐α, which occurs independent of Bcl‐2 families.
The production, storage and viability of seeds of Acacia karroo and A. nilotica in a grassy savanna in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa
Authors: Walters Michele , Milton Suzanne J.
Published: September 2003

African Acacias are often major contributors to the progressive increase in the woody component of savannas, a phenomenon commonly referred to as bush encroachment. They produce large quantities of seed and may have large soil‐stored seed banks. In Hluhluwe–Umfolozi Park, the number of adult Acacia nilotica trees per hectare far exceed that of A. karroo adults. The relative dominance is reversed in the juvenile stage with A. karroo outnumbering A. nilotica threefold outside closed woodlands. Acacia karroo trees were smaller than A. nilotica trees on average, but produced more seeds for a given basal diameter size class. Acacia karroo showed less bruchid infestation than A. nilotica at all stages of pod development. Unlike A. nilotica, a proportion of A. karroo seeds was able to germinate after bruchid attack. We detected no difference between the two species in the soil‐stored seed bank or in the viability of seeds found in the seed bank.
Age‐related changes in defensive traits of Acacia tortilis Hayne
Authors: Gowda Juan H. , Palo R. Thomas
Published: September 2003

The theory of plant defences proposes that investments in physical and chemical defences are driven by the risk of herbivore damage, and limited by the cost of producing the particular defensive trait in terms of resources that could be directed to other sinks, such as growth and reproduction. We sampled twigs of 18 mature Acacia tortilis trees and their cohort of juveniles to test some predictions of this hypothesis.

We expected a higher allocation of defensive traits to leaves and twigs in the young plants than in the mature ones as a result of a higher risk of damage by ungulates at the juvenile stage. Our results show that the juvenile plants produce more spines along their twigs, but have lower concentrations of phenolic compounds in their leaves than in the mature ones.

We also expected a negative relation between the concentration of foliar nutrients and phenolic compounds, as predicted by the carbon/nutrient hypothesis. Only mature plants showed this pattern.

Reproduction (in mature plants) and water stress (in juvenile plants) did not relate to allocation to secondary compounds as predicted by current hypotheses of plant defence.
The diet of a small group of extralimital giraffe
Authors: Parker D. M. , Bernard R. T. F. , Colvin S. A.
Published: September 2003

Giraffe are extralimital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa where recent local introductions have persisted despite limited research into their impact on the indigenous flora. The diet of 15 giraffe at the Shamwari Game Reserve was recorded by direct observation during summer (March/April) and winter (July/August) 2001, quantifying diet by frequency of occurrence (individual records scored and expressed as a percentage of the total). Preference indices were also calculated. Habitat use was measured by the number of hours giraffe fed in different habitats. The diet comprised of 14 plant species, the most important species being Rhus longispina (47.9%), Acacia karroo (25.7%) and Euclea undulata (17.6%). Importance of R. longispina, A. karroo and Tarchonanthus camphoratus fluctuated seasonally. Rhus longispina was more important in winter with a corresponding decrease in feeding on A. karroo. Tarchonanthus camphoratus was only consumed during summer. Acacia karroo thickets (previously disturbed areas) were utilized most (summer 12 h; winter 9 h), with alternative habitats utilized more often in winter than in summer. We suggest that the seasonal fluctuation in the importance of R. longispina & A. karroo reflects the deciduous nature of A. karroo.