bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is It Ethical to Conduct Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials in the Development of New Agents for Osteoporosis? An Industry Perspective
Authors: Rosenblatt Michael
Published: April 2006

To represent industry on the topic of this conference, position papers were obtained from six pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Despite their holding a wide range of positions in the market with regard to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, all companies were unanimous in their concerns about the ability to conduct randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials (PCTs) in the future. The clinical research environment contains conflicting directives. Regulatory agencies strongly prefer (even insist on) PCTs as a requirement for drug approval, while many physicians, human studies institutional review boards, and informed patients believe that it is no longer ethical to place osteoporotic patients on placebo because effective therapies are now available. PCTs offer the best means of calibrating the absolute efficacy of a new agent and identifying its side effects against a “neutral” background. Are comparison-controlled clinical trials (CCTs) using an approved drug the answer? No. Examples are given that illustrate that such trials require very large numbers of patients to show “non-inferiority” (approximately 15,000-20,000) or “superiority” (approximately 30,000) compared with an existing approved therapy. Such studies are not only impractical, but also accumulate a greater number of fractures during the course of clinical research in both the new treatment and control (active comparator) groups than would occur in PCTs. Total adverse experiences and exposure of patients to investigational agents is considerably greater when CCTs rather than PCTs are used. Based on this analysis, industry recommends that regulatory approval of new agents for osteoporosis be based on (1) conduct of PCTs in patients at low risk for fracture (e.g., T-score < −2.5 and no previous osteoporotic fracture); (2) use of bone mineral density as an end-point for the indication “to preserve or improve bone mass”; (3) a 2-year, rather than 3-year, trial period; (4) demonstration of no adverse effect on bone quality preclinically; (5) extrapolation of clinical trial results to higher risk patients; (6) an option for the sponsor to perform additional fracture end-point studies postapproval to obtain an indication for “treatment to reduce the risk of fractures specifically in the spine, hip, or both”; and (7) the option to file for a “prevention” claim before a “treatment” claim.
Serum FGF23 Levels in Normal and Disordered Phosphorus Homeostasis
Authors: Weber Thomas J , Liu Shiguang , Indridason Olafur S , Quarles L Darryl
Published: April 2006

We investigated if the circulating levels of the phosphaturic factor FGF23 are elevated in subjects with XLH. Although we failed to find a statistically significant increase, FGF23 levels were significantly correlated with the degree of hypophosphatemia in XLH. In contrast, FGF23 levels were markedly increased in subjects with ESRD and correlated inversely with the degree of hyperphosphatemia.

Introduction: Inactivating mutations of PHEX cause renal phosphate wasting in X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH) because of the accumulation of a phosphaturic hormone called phosphatonin. The recent discovery that FGF23 is the circulating phosphaturic factor in autosomal dominant hypophosphatemia raises the possibility that FGF23 is phosphatonin.

Methods: Fasting serum FGF23 levels and serum biochemical parameters were measured using a human FGF23 (C-terminal) ELISA assay in 11 subjects with XLH and 42 age-matched controls, 5 subjects with hypophosphatemia of unknown cause, and 14 hyperphosphatemic subjects with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Associations between variables were examined using the Spearman's correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis.

Results and Conclusions: FGF23 (RU/ml) concentrations were not different (p = 0.11) between control and hypophosphatemic XLH subjects, but were significantly increased in hyperphosphatemic subjects with ESRD (p < 0.001). Western blot analysis found the presence of both full-length and C-terminal FGF23 fragments in serum from ESRD subjects. There was a strong inverse correlation between FGF23 and serum phosphorus (r = −0.60) and calcium and phosphorus (Ca × P) product (r = −0.65) in XLH, and a strong positive relationship between FGF23 and Pi (r = 0.50) and Ca × P product (r = 0.62) in ESRD. FGF23 levels were variably elevated in subjects with hypophosphatemia of unknown cause, one of which had tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO). Removal of the tumor resulted in rapid reduction in serum FGF23 levels. These findings suggest that FGF23 has a possible role in mediating hypophosphatemia in XLH and TIO, but the overlapping levels of FGF23 in hypophosphatemic disorders and normal subjects indicate that serum phosphorus and FGF23 can also be independently regulated.
Comparison of Three Bone Ultrasounds for the Discrimination of Subjects With and Without Osteoporotic Fractures Among 7562 Elderly Women
Authors: Krieg MA , Cornuz J , Ruffieux C , Sandini L , Büche D , Dambacher MA , Hartl F , Häuselmann HJ , Kraenzlin M , Lippuner K , Neff M , Pancaldi P , Rizzoli R , Tanzi F , Theiler R , Tyndall A , Wimpfheimer K , Burckhardt P
Published: April 2006

Bone ultrasound measures (QUSs) can assess fracture risk in the elderly. We compared three QUSs and their association with nonvertebral fracture history in 7562 Swiss women 70–80 years of age. The association between nonvertebral fracture was higher for heel than phalangeal QUS.

Introduction: Because of the high morbidity and mortality associated with osteoporotic fractures, it is essential to detect subjects at risk for such fractures with screening methods. Because quantitative bone ultrasound (QUS) discriminated subjects with osteoporotic fractures from controls in several cross-sectional studies and predicted fractures in prospective studies, QUS could be more practical than DXA for screening.

Material and Methods: This cross-sectional and retrospective multicenter (10 centers) study was performed to compare three QUSs (two heel ultrasounds: Achilles+ [GE-Lunar] and Sahara [Hologic]; the phalanges: ultrasound DBM sonic 1200 [IGEA]) for determining by logistic regression nonvertebral fracture odds ratio (OR) in a sample of 7562 Swiss women, 75.3 ± 3.1 years of age. The two heel QUSs measured the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and the speed of sound (SOS). In addition, Achilles+ calculated the stiffness index (SI) and the Sahara calculated the quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) from BUA and SOS. The DBM sonic 1200 measured the amplitude-dependent SOS (AD-SOS).

Results: Eighty-six women had a history of atraumatic hip fracture after the age of 50, 1594 had a history of forearm fracture, and 2016 had other nonvertebral fractures. No fracture history was reported by 3866 women. Discrimination for hip fracture was higher than for the other nonvertebral fractures. The two heel QUSs had a significantly higher discrimination power than the QUSs of the phalanges, with standardized ORs, adjusted for age and body mass index, ranging from 2.1 to 2.7 (95% CI = 1.6, 3.5) compared with 1.4 (95% CI = 1.1, 1.7) for the AD-SOS of DBM sonic 1200.

Conclusion: This study showed a high association between heel QUS and hip fracture history in elderly Swiss women. This could justify integration of QUS among screening strategies for identifying elderly women at risk for osteoporotic fractures.
Working Memory for Conjunctions Relies on the Medial Temporal Lobe
Authors: Olson Ingrid R. , Page Katie , Moore Katherine Sledge , Chatterjee Anjan , Verfaellie Mieke
Published: April 2006

A prominent theory of hippocampal function proposes that the hippocampus is importantly involved in relating or binding together separate pieces of information to form an episodic representation. This hypothesis has only been applied to studies of long-term memory because the paradigmatic view of the hippocampus is that it is not critical for short-term forms of memory. However, relational processing is important in many working memory tasks, especially tasks using visual stimuli. Here, we test the hypothesis that the medial temporal lobes are important for relational memory even over short delays. The task required patients with medial temporal lobe amnesia and controls to remember three objects, locations, or object-location conjunctions over 1 or 8 s delays. The results show that working memory for objects and locations was at normal levels, but that memory for conjunctions was severely impaired at 8 s delays. Additional analyses suggest that the hippocampus per se is critical for accurate conjunction working memory. We propose that the hippocampus is critically involved in memory for conjunctions at both short and long delays.
Role of cAMP Response Element-Binding Protein in the Rat Locus Ceruleus: Regulation of Neuronal Activity and Opiate Withdrawal Behaviors
Authors: Han Ming-Hu , Bolaños Carlos A. , Green Thomas A. , Olson Valerie G. , Neve Rachael L. , Liu Rong-Jian , Aghajanian George K. , Nestler Eric J.
Published: April 2006

The transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) is implicated in mediating the actions of chronic morphine in the locus ceruleus (LC), but direct evidence to support such a role is limited. Here, we investigated the influence of CREB on LC neuronal activity and opiate withdrawal behaviors by selectively manipulating CREB activity in the LC using viral vectors encoding genes for CREBGFP (wild-type CREB tagged with green fluorescent protein), caCREBGFP (a constitutively active CREB mutant), dnCREBGFP (a dominant-negative CREB mutant), or GFP alone as a control. Our results show thatin vivooverexpression of CREBGFP in the LC significantly aggravated particular morphine withdrawal behaviors, whereas dnCREBGFP expression attenuated these behaviors. At the cellular level, CREBGFP expression in the LCin vivoandin vitrohad no significant effect on neuronal firing at baseline but enhanced the excitatory effect of forskolin (an activator of adenylyl cyclase) on these neurons, which suggests that the cAMP signaling pathway in these neurons was sensitized after CREB expression. Moreover,in vitrostudies showed that caCREBGFP-expressing LC neurons fired significantly faster and had a more depolarized resting membrane potential compared with GFP-expressing control cells. Conversely, LC neuronal activity was decreased by dnCREBGFP, and the neurons were hyperpolarized by this treatment. Together, these data provide direct evidence that CREB plays an important role in controlling the electrical excitability of LC neurons and that morphine-induced increases in CREB activity contribute to the behavioral and neural adaptations associated with opiate dependence and withdrawal.
GAP-Independent Termination of Photoreceptor Light Response by Excess γ Subunit of the cGMP-Phosphodiesterase
Authors: Tsang Steven H. , Woodruff Michael L. , Chen Ching-Kang , Yamashita Clyde Y. , Cilluffo Marianne C. , Rao Anjali L. , Farber Debora B. , Fain Gordon L.
Published: April 2006

We have generated a mouse with rod photoreceptors overexpressing the γ inhibitory subunit (PDE6γ) of the photoreceptor G-protein effector cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE6). PDE6γ overexpression decreases the rate of rise of the rod response at dim intensities, indicating a reduction in the gain of transduction that may be the result of cytoplasmic PDE6γ binding to activated transducin α GTP (Tα-GTP) before the Tα-GTP binds to endogenous PDE6γ. Excess PDE6γ also produces a marked acceleration in the falling phase of the light response and more rapid recovery of sensitivity and circulating current after prolonged light exposure. These effects are not mediated by accelerating GTP hydrolysis through the GAP (GTPase activating protein) complex, because the decay of the light response is also accelerated in rods that overexpress PDE6γ but lack RGS9. Our results show that the PDE6γ binding sites of PDE6 α and β are accessible to excess (presumably cytoplasmic) PDE6γ in the light, once endogenous PDE6γ has been displaced from its binding site by Tα-GTP. They also suggest that in the presence of Tα-GTP, the PDE6γ remains attached to the rest of the PDE6 molecule, but after conversion of Tα-GTP to Tα-GDP, the PDE6γ may dissociate from the PDE6 and exchange with a cytoplasmic pool. This pool may exist even in wild-type rods and may explain the decay of rod photoresponses in the presence of nonhydrolyzable analogs of GTP.
β-Amyloid Stimulates Murine Postnatal and Adult Microglia Cultures in a Unique Manner
Authors: Floden Angela M. , Combs Colin K.
Published: April 2006

Reactive microglia are commonly observed in association with the β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques of Alzheimer's disease brains. This localization supports the hypothesis that Aβ is a specific activating stimulus for microglia. A variety ofin vitrostudies have used postnatal derived rodent microglia cultures to characterize the ability of Aβ to stimulate these cells. However, it is unclear whether this paradigm accurately models conditions in aged animals. To determine whether Aβ stimulatory phenotypes differ between young and adult microglia, we established cultures of acutely isolated adult murine cortical microglia to compare with postnatal derived microglial cultures. Although cells from both ages expressed robust immunoreactivity for CD68 and CD11b, their responses to activating stimuli differed. Fibrillar Aβ was rapidly phagocytosed by postnatal microglia and both oligomeric and fibrillar peptide stimulated increased tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) secretion. However, Aβ oligomers but not fibrils stimulated TNFα secretion from adult microglia. More importantly, adult microglia had diminished ability to phagocytose Aβ fibrils. These findings demonstrate that adult microglia respond to Aβ fibril stimulation uniquely from postnatal cells and suggest that adult rather than postnatal microglia cultures are more appropriate for modeling proinflammatory changes in the aged CNS.
Content- and Task-Specific Dissociations of Frontal Activity during Maintenance and Manipulation in Visual Working Memory
Authors: Mohr Harald M. , Goebel Rainer , Linden David E. J.
Published: April 2006

Working memory, the short-term maintenance and manipulation of information, relies strongly on neural activity in the frontal cortex. Understanding the functional role of this activity is a prerequisite for the understanding of cognitive control mechanisms. Functional imaging studies in human participants have attempted to reveal neural correlates of the subdivision of visual working memory into different processes (maintenance vs manipulation) and according to the type of memorized content. Here, we show, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, a content-specific dissociation of frontal activity, with dorsal premotor areas supporting both maintenance and manipulation of spatial features and more ventral areas supporting maintenance and manipulation of color. Manipulation-specific activity was observed in the anterior middle frontal gyrus, the inferior frontal junction, and the inferior parietal lobe bilaterally. These areas have been implicated in cognitive control, and their activation by the manipulation task conforms to the demand on central executive resources in this condition. We suggest that the enhanced demand on cognitive resources in manipulation compared with maintenance was met by interplay of content- and task-specific modules in a frontoparietal network.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Recovery, whereas Omega-6 Fatty Acids Worsen Outcome, after Spinal Cord Injury in the Adult Rat
Authors: King Von R. , Huang Wenlong L. , Dyall Simon C. , Curran Olimpia E. , Priestley John V. , Michael-Titus Adina T.
Published: April 2006

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a cause of major neurological disability, and no satisfactory treatment is currently available. Evidence suggests that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could target some of the pathological mechanisms that underlie damage after SCI. We examined the effects of treatment with PUFAs after lateral spinal cord hemisection in the rat. The ω-3 PUFAs α-linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) injected 30 min after injury induced significantly improved locomotor performance and neuroprotection, including decreased lesion size and apoptosis and increased neuronal and oligodendrocyte survival. Evidence showing a decrease in RNA/DNA oxidation suggests that the neuroprotective effect of ω-3 PUFAs involved a significant antioxidant function. In contrast, animals treated with arachidonic acid, an ω-6 PUFA, had a significantly worse outcome than controls. We confirmed the neuroprotective effect of ω-3 PUFAs by examining the effects of DHA treatment after spinal cord compression injury. Results indicated that DHA administered 30 min after spinal cord compression not only greatly increased survival of neurons but also resulted in significantly better locomotor performance for up to 6 weeks after injury.

This report shows a striking difference in efficacy between the effects of treatment with ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs on the outcome of SCI, with ω-3 PUFAs being neuroprotective and ω-6 PUFAs having a damaging effect. Given the proven clinical safety of ω-3 PUFAs, our observations show that these PUFAs have significant therapeutic potential in SCI. In contrast, the use of preparations enriched in ω-6 PUFAs after injury could worsen outcome after SCI.
Menge aller robust stabilisierenden PID-Regler: Methodik und Software (Teil II) (The Set of All Robust Stabilizing PID Controllers: Methods and Software (Part II))
Authors: Bajcinca Naim , Hulin Thomas
Published: April 2006

Dieser Aufsatz befasst sich mit der Berechnung der Menge aller stabilisierenden PID-Regler im zeitdiskreten Bereich. Dem Verfahren liegt die im ersten Teil vorgestellte Entkopplung von Reglerparametern zugrunde, die für zeitdiskrete Systeme in einem rotierten Parameterraum stattfindet. Die resultierenden stabilen Gebiete setzen sich aus konvexen polygonalen Schnitten zusammen. Die Entwurfsmethodik kann in zwei Unterprobleme aufgeteilt werden, erstens die Bestimmung von Intervallen, für die stabile Polygone existieren, und zweitens die Berechnung dieser Polygone. Diese Veröffentlichung stellt Lösungsansätze für beide Probleme vor.
The Compassion Gap in American Poverty Policy
Authors: Block Fred , Korteweg Anna C. , Woodward Kerry , Schiller Zach , Mazid Imrul
Published: April 2006

Why does the world's wealthiest country let so many languish in grinding poverty? And why is the situation getting worse, not better?
The Virgin Mary Visits Hogfarts
Authors: Green Harry
Published: April 2006

If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise. —William Blake
On Affliction and Reading, Weeping and Argument: Chaucer's Lachrymose Troilus in Context
Authors: CARRUTHERS MARY
Published: April 2006

ABSTRACT This essay explores a fundamental connection among perception, sensation, and rational process in a selection of works within the long monastic tradition known as desert spirituality. Its focus is the embedding of intellectual judgment within bodily experience, expressed as a connection of affliction to reading andweeping to rational argument. Monastic spirituality cultivated intense sensation as an instrument of adequate judgment, and tears as purgative agents, having the potential to clear thought, not just to hinder it.
A Comparison of U.S. and Chinese Sorghum Germplasm for Early Season Cold Tolerance
Authors: Franks Cleve D. , Burow Gloria B. , Burke John J.
Published: April 2006

Early season cold tolerance in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a desirable trait for extending its production range and minimizing risks associated with early spring plantings. Ten Chinese Kaoliang accessions were compared with 10 U.S. inbred parental lines and 10 U.S. commercial hybrids for a range of cold tolerance traits under laboratory, growth chamber, and field settings. Chinese lines were superior to both the inbred and hybrid classes in laboratory germination rates and field‐based rates of emergence. In the growth chamber assays, Kaoliangs were not significantly different than U.S. hybrids for most traits measured at either of the two temperature treatments (12 and 24°C), with the exception of shoot length, for which the Chinese germplasm was higher. At the cooler temperature, Kaoliangs were significantly greater than U.S. inbreds for only fresh shoot weight; when tested at the warmer temperature, Kaoliangs had higher dry root weight, fresh and dry shoot weights, and fresh and dry whole plant weights, relative to the U.S. inbred class. The U.S. hybrids had greater total plot weight and final stand counts in the field than Kaoliangs, which were likewise higher than U.S. inbreds for both of these traits. Chinese accessions from this working group would serve as a source of favorable genes primarily for tolerance to low temperatures during the germination and emergence phase of growth in the breeding of cold tolerance sorghum lines.
New Japanese Theatre
Authors: Goodman David
Published: April 2006

When European theatre was introduced to Japan, Kabuki (including its bastard offspring Shimpa—Kabuki-style modern theatre) was practically the only theatre there was, and it consequently became the referent for all theatrical endeavor. Kabuki actors and Kabuki language, Kabuki gestures and Kabuki notions—there was nothing else. When in the early 1920s Aoyama Sugisaku directed a play using the vernacular, he was met with praise from some quarters, contempt from others, but amazement from all. It was thus natural for Osanai Kaoru to see Kabuki as a vehicle for modern theatre. In a lecture delivered in Moscow, Osanai declared:

The future of Japanese theatre will see a synthesis of all Asian art traditions, including those of India, China, Siam, and the islands of the South Pacific, as well as further incorporating the European dramatic tradition. New art will have to be created from these materials.
The Body Training of Moshe Feldenkrais
Authors: Linklater Kristin
Published: April 2006

In October, 1971, Moshe Feldenkrais came to the United States to give seminars in body training at the Esalen Institute, at Carnegie Mellon, and at the School of the Arts at New York University. The interest shown in his work by these institutions reflects an important change of emphasis in the area of movement training for actors.

The choice, put simply, is between training the body to perform skillfully as a well-exercised, aesthetically pleasing physical instrument, and freeing the body of its habitual tensions and programmed patterns of behavior so that it can respond uninhibitedly to impulse, and genuinely reflect individual imagination and emotion.

There is a trend away from the use of the formal disciplines of ballet, modern dance and classical mime as exercises. Actors are turning to Yoga classes, are being Rolf’d, are taking Alexander classes and T’ai Chi.
Notes: ‘64–‘74
Authors: Childs Lucinda
Published: April 2006

When the appearance of work changes radically, one generally can also assume that the underlying concerns governing the work have shifted. While the hypothesis of that statement definitely applies to my work, the conclusion does not, and I find myself reflecting on aspects of continuity rather than discontinuity, particularly with regard to the involvement of the spectator.

In 1964, one of my dances took place on a street in lower Manhattan. It was observable to an audience from the windows of a loft located on the opposite side of the street. The dance was entirely based on its found surroundings, and performers, myself and one other, essentially blended in with the other activity that was going on in the street. From time to time, however during the six-minute duration of the dance, we were engaged in pointing out various details and/or irregularities in the facades of the buildings: lettering and labels, the assorted content of displays in the store fronts (sheets, pillow cases, etc.).
Gurdjieff’s Movement Demonstrations: The Theatre of the Miraculous
Authors: Gordon Mel
Published: April 2006

Drawing on pre-Christian Assyrian, Phrygian, Armenian, Zoroastrian, Sufi, Tibetan, and Persian elements at the time of the Russian Revolution, George Ivanovich Gurdjieff attempted to create a school of thought that would coordinate and expand Western man's anatomic and intellectual centers of energy Into newly dynamic forms. Certain physical and mental activities, Gurdjieff believed, could bring about a total alteration of consciousness. For over sixty years his philosophy has found adherents among the intelligentsia of the Russian, French, and English-speaking world. Directors, choreographers, musicians, designers, painters, writers, and psychologists like Nikolai Evreinov, Sergei Diaghilev, Thomas de Hartmann, Alexander and Jeanne Salzmann, Louis Jouvet, Felix Labisse, J.B. Priestley, Aldous Huxley, Katherine Mansfield, Frank Lloyd Wright, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Peter Brook have all sought artistic inspiration in the esoteric teachings of the Russian-born mystic.
Kalarippayatt, Martial Art of Kerala
Authors: Zarrilli Phillip B.
Published: April 2006

At the start of the sixteenth century, Duarte Barbosa, one of the earliest Portugese to arrive in Kerala, a state in southwest India, provides a description of Kalarippayatt (meaning “place of exercise,” referring to the technical system of training In its entirety. Kalari by itself means gymnasium or fencing school.) which although quaint is nevertheless still an apt account of this indigenous martial art system:

The more part of the Nairs, when they are seven years of age, are sent to schools, where they are taught many tricks of nimbleness and dexterity, there they teach them to dance and turn about and to twist on the ground, to take royal leaps and other leaps, and this they learn twice a day as long as they are children, and they become so loose jointed and supple that they make them turn their bodies contrary to nature; and when they are fully accomplished in this they teach them to play with the weapon to which they are most inclined, some with bows and arrows, some with poles to become spearmen, but most with sword and are ever practising... Longworth Mansel Dames, ed.,

The Book of Duarte Barbosa, Vol. II.
Tell Me, a play by Guy de Cointet
Authors: Deák Frantiŝek
Published: April 2006

We can in fact presume that there exist certain writers, painters, musicians, in whose eyes a certain exercise of structure (and not only its thought) represents a distinctive experience, and that both analysts and creators must be placed under the common sign of what we might call structural man, defined not by his ideas or his languages, but by his imagination—in other words, by the way in which he mentally experiences structure.

(Roland Barthes The Structuralist Activity)

In theatre, a heightened perception and experience of structure is possible in three kinds of work. The first is theatre based on strong codified conventions, as in Oriental theatre and a large part of Western folk theatre. In viewing Kabuki or No productions my awareness of structure is heightened not only because of the great variety and distribution of theatrical signs and their apparent systematic codification but also because, as a foreigner to Japanese culture and theatre, my attitude during the production is one of deciphering.
Art Versus Business: The Role of Women in American Theatre
Authors: Chinoy Helen Krich
Published: April 2006

In the decade or more since the women's movement began, a number of books on the female experience in literature, art and architecture, film and dance have been published, but no comparable attempts have been made to identify a women's tradition in the complex art of theatre. Some excellent volumes of plays by women and some about women, some interesting articles on individuals and on the new feminist theatres, a symposium or an interview here or there have appeared. With the exception of the reissue of Rosamund Gilder's classic, Enter the Actress, however, no overall study has tried to see how women have used and have been used in theatre.

Yet questions about women's participation in all aspects of theatre have become more insistent.
The West German Theatre Miracle: A Structural Analysis
Authors: paul Arno
Published: April 2006

In round numbers, 60 million people presently live in the Federal Republic of Germany, including West Berlin. Theatre lights are regularly turned on in approximately 340 cities of this relatively small country (comparable in size to the state of Oregon). Seventy-five of these 340 cities have their own theatrical troupes; 10 even have several. In the Federal Republic altogether, there are at present 83 tax-supported theatres for drama, opera and operetta in 223 separate houses. Eighteen of these are subsidized as so-called state theatres from funds of the separate states. An additional 16 theatres financed by various organizations and counties give regular guest performances while on tour. The majority comprise the 52 so-called city theatres, which are usually supported by the local municipality. Among the publicly-supported theatres, the most frequent is the triadic operation, often uniting drama, opera/operetta/music, and ballet under one general manager, frequently under one roof.
Rock‐Face Populations of the Mountain Salamander, Desmognathus Ochrophaeus, In North Carolina
Authors: Huheey James E. , Brandon Ronald A.
Published: April 2006

The ecology and life history of Desmognathus ochrophaeus inhabiting wet rock faces at high elevations near Highlands, North Carolina, were studied. Comparisons were made with rock—face populations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and with woodland populations at Rabun Bald, Scaly Mountain, and Blue Valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The reproductive cycle in rock—face populations is annual; spawning occurs mostly in July and August, and females begin to emerge from brooding as early as late August. The new spermatogenic cycle begins in May and June. Animals on rock faces average 40—45 cm in movements between successive captures and appear to have a limited range. Animals displaced to the base of the rock face and higher on the rock face can return to their home range. Population density is high (up to 25 individuals/m2), diurnal activity is nearly as high as nocturnal activity (correlated with subdued body colors), and at least a moderate level of activity occurs during warm winter periods. Animals mature at 2 years of age as in woodland populations, but at a smaller size, and grow more slowly thereafter. Small body size is not due to paucity of food on the rock faces. The high population densities on the wet rock faces indicate that they are highly favorable habitats for D. ochrophaeus. Differences between rock—face and forest—floor populations are attributable to modified selective pressures in the two different ecological settings. Variation among rock—face populations is attributed to the intensity of selection for small body size and cryptic coloration, the size of the rock face, and variation among forest—floor populations from which they were derived. Since rock—face populations are linked genetically to surrounding forest—floor populations of D. ochrophaeus, they cannot be considered examples of taxonomic variation, but rather of ecotypic variation.
Organization of a Plant‐Arthropod Association in Simple and Diverse Habitats: The Fauna of Collards (Brassica Oleracea)
Authors: Root Richard B.
Published: April 2006

Collards were grown at Ithaca, New York, in two experimental habitats: pure stands and single rows that were bounded on each side by diverse, meadow vegetation. The arthropods associated with these plants were sampled on 20 dates over a 3—year period. The status of the herbivore species was measured by their rank in biomass in each sample. The two most prominent species, Phyllotreta cruciferae and Pieris rapae, maintained high status throughout the investigation, but another important species, Brevicoryne brassicae, was absent for an entire season. Pit feeders usually formed the most important herbivore guild. Nevertheless, the guild spectrum, which describes the functional structure of the fauna, varied widely in time and space. The size distributions of species and of individuals were both highly skewed toward the smaller sizes. Herbivore loads, the mean biomass of herbivores per 100 g of consumable foliage, were consistently higher in the pure stands. Moreover, herbivore loads varied significantly with season in each experimental habitat. Both the number of herbivore species and the diversity of the herbivore load were greater in the diverse habitat. Biomass was more heavily concentrated among the prominent herbivores in the pure stands; increased dominance, rather than differences in species richness, appeared to be the major cause for the lower herbivore diversity in this habitat. The diversity of predators and parasitoids was higher in the pure stands. Most of the abundant species found on collards shared a similar narrow range of hosts. As a result the species in this core group of herbivores and parasitoids were regularly associated with each other. Predators and the less abundant herbivores tended to be less specialized and served to link the collard association with the surrounding community. Plant—arthropod associations are representative of component communities, well—integrated systems that form portions of larger compound communities. This distinction facilitates the analysis of community structure. Microclimates and the effectiveness of "enemies" did not appear to differ sufficiently in the two experimental habitats to account for the observed differences in the herbivore load. The results suggest a new proposition, the resource concentration hypothesis, which states that herbivores are more likely to find and remain on hosts that are growing in dense or nearly pure stands; that the most specialized species frequently attain higher relative densities in simple environments; and that, as a result, biomass tends to become concentrated in a few species, causing a decrease in the diversity of herbivores in pure stands.
Ecology of Knobcone Pine in the Santa Ana Mountains, California
Authors: Vogl Richard J.
Published: April 2006

Knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata) is restricted in the Santa Ana Mountains to hydrothermally modified serpentinite which supports only limited shrub growth as opposed to the surrounding dense chaparral on nonspecialized substrates. Ceanothus papillosus var. rowaenus and Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium are also restricted locally. The pines survive on the serpentinite by tolerating the existing edaphic conditions, including nitrogen and phosphate deficiencies and low pH, and because the otherwise dense competitive growth has been minimized. The water—retaining capacity of the serpentinite is nearly double that of the chaparral soils. This soil characteristic, the frequent fogs, the location of the pines in fog gaps, the scattered growth, multiple—trunked trees, spreading crowns, and medium—length needles all contribute to the persistence of the pines by enhancing their ability to intercept marine air and produce considerable fog drip which is readily held by the soils. The controlling influences of the serpentinite diminish as soil genesis advances. This is countered by the dynamic expansion and uplifting of the serpentine body and by continuous erosion which is linked to the friable geology, typically steep slopes, thin soils, sparse cover, and repeated disturbance by fire. The life cycle of these knobcone pines is related to fire, and its periodic occurrence is a necessity for survival. The pines possess a strict closed—cone habit, with firmly attached cones accumulating throughout the life of each tree. The seed remains until heat generated by a fire opens the cones. Cones are seldom burned, and the seed is not shed until well after the fire, remaining viable for at least 3 years in opened cones. Fire creates pioneer conditions necessary for seedling establishment. Trees have a short lifespan and occur in even—aged groves that date back to known fires.
Factors Affecting Clutch Size in Arctic Passerines
Authors: Hussell David J. T.
Published: April 2006

Clutch size and related aspects of breeding biology were investigated in the Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) and Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) in the North American Arctic, and in allied temperate and subarctic species. Evidence was sought to test Lack's hypothesis that the increase in clutch size with latitude is related to the length of daylight available for the adults to collect food for their young, and that clutch size is ultimately determined by the average maximum number of young for which the parents can find food. The arctic species were studied mainly at 76° N on Devon Island; some additional data were collected elsewhere. Increase in clutch size with latitude was correlated with a decrease in the adults' night rest period from 7 hr at 50° N to 3—5 hr in the Arctic. In the Lapland Longspur in Canada clutches were larger at high latitudes and at localities with early breeding seasons. Clutch size and latitude were not significantly related for those localities where activity of adults attending nestlings is not restricted by daylength. Differences in clutch size were not attributable to geographic or interspecific variation in hatching asynchrony, hatching success, or growth of the young. Hatching of Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting clutches on Devon Island corresponded closely with the emergence of the adult insects which predominate in the nestlings' diet, but other factors may also influence the timing of the breeding season. The decline in clutch size in these single—brooded species as the season progressed apparently was not related to changes in the environmental food supply. In the multiple—brooded Chestnut—collared Longspur (C. ornatus) in Saskatchewan clutch sizes changes little during the season. Annual differences in clutch size were demonstrated in the Snow Bunting, but their significance is unknown. Although Snow Bunting clutches of seven are rare on Devon Island, more young were fledged from experimental broods of seven than from smaller broods, but the young averaged lighter in weight. Adults feeding large broods made more visits to the nest each day and were lighter in weight than those with small broods, but the visiting rate per young was less in large broods. Much of the variation in clutch size, including the increase with latitude, is related to environmental factors influencing the food—gathering potential of the adults. But this does not mean that clutch size has evolved to a limit set by the environmental food supply, because food—gathering behavior and related morphology have also evolved by natural selection. Clutch size must be determined by the effects that changes in it and other aspects of reproductive strategy have on the probability of survival of both the adults and their offspring.
Dendrochronology of Black Oak (Quercus velutina Lam.), White Oak (Quercus alba L.), and Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) in the Central Mississippi Valley
Authors: Estes Eugene T.
Published: April 2006

Tree—ring samples (increment cores) from living trees at 61 different forest sites were analyzed by using skeleton plots and several computer routines to determine the effect of climatic influences upon the growth of black oak, white oak, and shortleaf pine. All cores were cross—dated within each species and between species by skeleton plots, and a specific calendar year was assigned to each annual ring. Black oak was easier to cross—date than white oak or pine. Computer—calculated negative mean sensitivity values verified cross—dating by skeleton plots. Comparisons of site chronologies derived from both the skeleton plots and the index routine for each species showed that a number of narrow rings consistently occurred in certain years throughout the Central Mississippi Valley. Within any species the degree of similarity in narrow rings decreased as the distance between sites increased. Major changes in soil types also influenced the number of narrow rings; thus ecological differences may occur within the same species as well as between species. Information about the past history of the stand and its present ecology may be obtained from the increment cores and the ring—width listing routine. Bivariate distribution tables indicated that for each species annual ring widths correlated highest with certain periods of precipitation. Analyses of variance permitted the evaluation of relative similarities and differences of tree—growth response and indicated past stand disturbances as well as the effects of climatic and edaphic influences. Pine has greater tree—to—tree variability on clay soils than on cherty soils. Oaks have more tree—to—tree variability on cherty soils. Analyses of variance also indicated that black oak generally responded more to climatic influences than to other factors of the environment.
Territorial Behavior and Population Dynamics of a Pomacentrid Fish, the Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicunda
Authors: Clarke Thomas A.
Published: April 2006

The garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicunda, is a California pomacentrid fish inhabiting the rocky subtidal between 0 and 25 m. Garibaldi feed almost exclusively on benthic organisms. Adults defend a territory which includes a shelter hole, grazing area, and for some males, a nest site. The territory is defended all year and against some other species as well as other garibaldi. The nest site is a small patch of red algae cultured by the male. The same site is used over a period of several years by the same male and probably by his successors. The female is allowed in the territory only to spawn; the eggs are guarded by the male. The young receive no parental care; they disperse into the plankton and settle out in shallow water. Age estimates from scales indicate that garibaldi assume adult coloration and mature at age 5 or 6 years and may live 13 or more years. Garibaldi have no obvious important predators or diseases. From age structures of several populations the mortality rate is estimated at about 9% of the adult population per year. In most cases potential recruitment more than balances mortality, indicating that population density is limited by some resource in the area and regulated by some form of intraspecific competition. Density and dispersion of both fish and resources (food, shelter, and nest sites), sex ratio, and age structure were determined in several study areas. From these data and a series of repopulation experiments, the most likely limiting and regulating factors are proposed. Density of adult garibaldi can be limited by supply of resources for survival or, where these are abundant, by minimal space requirements of nesting males. Exclusion by territory defense helps regulate density to limits set by food, space, etc. There is no evidence of feedback between density and the density limiting or regulating effects of territorial behavior. Territorial behavior seems to have evolved as a means of increasing reproductive success. Population effects, though beneficial, are probably incidental. There is no support for the hypothesis that territorial behavior in the garibaldi has evolved because it limits or regulates density.
The Comparative Ecology of Three Sympatric Species of California Blennies of the Genus Hypsoblennius gill (Teleostomi, Blenniidae)
Authors: Stephens John S. , Johnson Robert K. , Key Gerald S. , McCosker John E.
Published: April 2006

Three species of the blenniid genus Hypsoblennius, H. gilberti, jenkinsi, and gentilis, coexist in the shallow waters of the San Diegan Warm Temperate Region. Extensive field and laboratory studies were carried out to determine the degree of ecological differentiation present in these species. The dominant species, H. gilberti and H. jenkinsi show both behavioral and ecological specializations which are lacking in H. gentilis. These differences include: Habitat preference; H. gilberti inhabits the rocky intertidal and adjacent subtidal cobble; H. jenkinsi is found only subtidally, inhabiting boring clam burrows, Serpulorbis tubes or mussel beds. Adult motility: H. gilberti is a meandering species commonly including a radius as large as 15 m within its home range. Individuals return to "home" pools at low tide and homing has been demonstrated for displacements as great at 45 m. H. jenkinsi is sedentary rarely wandering more than a meter from its home refuge. Homing was not demonstrated in this species, even for displacements as small as 5 m. Territoriality: Degree of territoriality correlates with movement, the sedentary species is highly territorial while this phenomena is less easily demonstrated in the meandering form. The above differences have been experimentally verified in the laboratory. All species are omnivorous, differences in gut content seem to represent different habitat associations. Reproduction occurs from spring through late summer; the eggs are guarded by the male. Hatching occurs in 4—18 days depending on temperature; the larvae are pelagic for about three months. Adult size differences reflect differing larval and first year growth plus differing longevity; determinate growth has not been demonstrated. Adult size varies between the species and is an important ecological factor. In the small tubiculous species H. jenkinsi, tube size controls fish size (habitat matching) probably through predator selection. Habitats made up of different tube sizes support populations of significantly different mean fish size. In Newport Bay, population structures are altered by a viral infection, Lymphocystis which reaches epidemic levels during the warm months. The ecological differences between the three species seem to indicate that H. gentilis is the most generalized (primitive) form. The specializations of its congeners adapt them to coexistence with limited competition. H. gentilis unspecialized and unable to compete in Southern California survives here in marginal habitats, particularly areas recently modified by man.
Ecology of a New England Salt Marsh
Authors: Nixon Scott W. , Oviatt Candace A.
Published: April 2006

Measurements of the abundance of major populations, their metabolism, and the seasonal patterns of total system metabolism throughout a year were used to develop energy—flow diagrams for a New England salt—marsh embayment. The annual ecological energy budget for the embayment indicates that consumption exceeds production, so that the system must depend on inputs of organic detritus from marsh grasses. Gross production ranged from almost zero in winter to about 5 g O2 m—2 day—1 in summer. Respiration values were similar, but slightly higher, with the maximum difference observed in fall. Populations of shrimp and fish were largest in fall, with a much smaller peak in spring. Few animals were present in the embayment from May to July, but fall populations of shrimp ranged from 250 to 800 m—2 and fish averaged over 10 m—2. Birds were most abundant in winter and spring. In spite of high numbers, no evidence was found that the marsh embayment exported large amounts of shrimp or fish to the estuary. Production of aboveground emergent grasses on the marsh equaled 840 g m—2 for tall Spartina alterniflora, 432 g m—2 for short S. alterniflora, and 430 g m—2 for S. patens. These values are similar to those for New York marshes, but substantially lower than the southern marsh types. The efficiency of production of marsh grasses in the New England marsh was lower than reported for southern areas. A simulation model based on the laboratory and field metabolism and biomass measurements of parts of the embayment system was developed to predict diurnal patterns of dissolved oxygen in the marsh. The model was verified with field measurements of diurnal oxygen curves. The model indicated the importance of the timing of high tides in determining oxygen levels and was used to explore simulated additions of sewage BOD and increases in temperature.