bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measles virus V protein blocks interferon (IFN)‐α/β but not IFN‐γ signaling by inhibiting STAT1 and STAT2 phosphorylation
Authors: Takeuchi Kaoru , Kadota Shin-ich , Takeda Makoto , Miyajima Naoko , Nagata Kyosuke
Published: May 2003

Measles virus (MV), a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, encodes C and V non‐structural proteins. To clarify the functions of MV C and V proteins, HeLa cell lines constitutively expressing C or V protein were established. We found that expression of V protein inhibited interferon (IFN)‐α/β signaling but not IFN‐γ signaling. C protein had no inhibitory effect on IFN signaling in our experimental condition. Degradation of selective signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins was not observed in HeLa cells expressing V protein. In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of both STAT1 and STAT2 was inhibited in these cells after IFN‐β stimulation.
La question de la rationalité: entre sociologie et économie
Authors: BRONNER GÉRALD
Published: May 2003

[Lt ] Plus la construction typifiée est anonyme, plus elle est détachée
de l'unicité de l'individu en cause et moins les aspects de sa personnalité
et du modèle de son comportement entrent dans la typification en tant que pertinents pour
le but qu'on se propose, raison pour laquelle le type a été construit [Gt ]

Alfred Schutz

Attempts have been made to bring economics and sociology together, in particular when they are concerned with the modelling of decision-making and human rationality. However, an enduring epistemological obstacle remains: that of the classical distinction between raison d'être and raison de connaître. This paper examines some of the conceptual and practical problems raised by the nomological aim of econometrics.
Trust, honesty and corruption: reflection on the state-building process
Authors: ROSE-ACKERMAN SUSAN
Published: May 2003

Honesty and trust affect the functioning of the state and the market, and, conversely, the quality of formal rules and institutions has an impact on interpersonal trust. This paper organizes and critiques research on the relationship between trust and government; it stresses the mutual interaction between trust and democracy and the impact of corruption. Given this context, the concluding section discusses the transition process in post-socialist countries, highlighting the tensions between interpersonal trust and trust in public institutions.
Substitution of inorganic fertilizers by organic manures and the effect on soil fertility in a rice–wheat rotation on reclaimed sodic soil in India
Authors: YADUVANSHI N. P. S.
Published: May 2003

A field experiment was initiated at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, India between 1994 and 1998 involving use of NPK fertilizers alone and in combination with green manure (Sesbania bispinosa) or farmyard manure (FYM) in a rice–wheat cropping sequence. An attempt was made to evaluate the effect of the substitution of inorganic fertilizers with organic manures on yields of grain and nutrients, economy and soil fertility during 1997–98 and 1998–99. Application of NPK and its combination with green manuring and FYM increased the rice yield significantly. Applying inorganic fertilizers resulted in similar nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice as compared with organic manures along with inorganic fertilizers, but NUE was increased in wheat by the residual effect of organic manures along with inorganic fertilizers. The responses of rice to the application of the full recommended amount of inorganic fertilizers (120 kg N, 26 kg P and 42 kg K/ha) and its combined use with green manure or 10 t/ha FYM and 150% recommended amount (180 kg N, 39 kg P and 63 kg K/ha) were 2·98, 4·27, 4·10 and 3·54 t/ha, respectively. Further, with green manure or 10 t FYM/ha in combination with 50% recommended amount, the mean rice yield (5·8 t/ha) was similar to the yield (5·5 t/ha) obtained from the 100% NPK recommended treatment. Application of green manure or 10 t FYM/ha thus saved 60 kg N and 13 kg P/ha inorganic fertilizer in rice. The residual effect of green manure or FYM plus the full recommended fertilizer amount (120 kg N, 26 kg P and 42 kg K/ha) was significantly greater than that of the full recommended amount of fertilizer. Addition of green manure or FYM resulted in higher removal in crops, increase of soil N, P, K and organic C, and reduced soil pH. Application of the full recommended amount of fertilizer only maintained the N, P and K status in soil. Higher profit was obtained when inorganic fertilizer was combined with organic manures.
Rumen function and digestion parameters associated with differences between sheep in methane emissions when fed chaffed lucerne hay
Authors: PINARES-PATIÑO C. S. , ULYATT M. J. , LASSEY K. R. , BARRY T. N. , HOLMES C. W.
Published: May 2003

An indoor experiment involving 10 rumen-cannulated Romney sheep was conducted in May and June 1998 at AgResearch Grasslands, Palmerston North, New Zealand, under restricted feeding conditions, in order to test the hypothesis that animal factors, in particular rumen fractional outflow rate (FOR) and rumen volume, have an influence on the between-sheep variation in methane (CH4) emission. Sheep were fed 2-hourly on chaffed lucerne hay. Following an acclimatization period of 21 days, the experiment lasted 16 days. Energy and nitrogen (N) balances were measured on days 1–6. Cr-EDTA marker was continuously infused into the rumen from day 9 to 16, and rumen contents emptied and sampled on days 13 and 16. Particulate and fluid FOR were estimated using feed lignin and Cr-EDTA, respectively. Daily CH4 production was measured by the sulphur hexafluoride tracer technique on days 2, 5, 6, 12 and 15 of the experiment.

CH4 production (g/day) was positively correlated with the pool size of organic matter (OM) in the rumen (OM pool, g) (r=0·84, P=0·002), OM intake (OMI, g/day) (r=0·67, P=0·04), and the rumen fill (g, wet digesta) (r=0·76, P=0·01). Multiple regression analysis showed that CH4 production was best predicted (R2=0·88) as a function of OM pool and the molar % of butyrate; however, OM pool alone accounted for a large proportion (R2=0·71) of the variation in CH4 production.

CH4 yield (% gross energy intake, % GEI) was negatively correlated with the particulate FOR (%/h) (r=−0·75, P=0·01) and buffering capacity of rumen fluid (mmol HCl) (r=−0·72, P=0·02), but positively correlated with the digestibility of cellulose (r=0·66, P=0·04). Multiple regression analysis showed that CH4 yield was best predicted as a function of particulate FOR, OMI (g/kg liveweight0·75) and the molar % of butyrate (R2=0·88). Particulate FOR alone explained a large proportion (R2=0·57) of the variation in CH4 yield. Particulate FOR was negatively correlated with rumen fill (r=−0·69, P=0·03) and digestibility of cellulose (r=−0·65, P=0·04).

These results suggest that sheep with lower rumen particulate FOR (i.e. longer rumen retention times) had larger rumen fills and higher fibre digestibilities and CH4 yields. If rumen particulate FOR is to be used as a tool for CH4 mitigation, the repeatability of its relationship to CH4 emission must be assessed, preferably under grazing conditions.
NICOTINE CONSUMPTION BEFORE AND DURING PREGNANCY AFFECTS NOT ONLY NEWBORN SIZE BUT ALSO BIRTH MODUS
Authors: KIRCHENGAST SYLVIA , HARTMANN BEDA
Published: May 2003

The associations between cigarette smoking before and during pregnancy and maternal body size (pre-pregnancy weight status, end of pregnancy weight status, weight gain during pregnancy) and newborn size (birth weight, length, head circumference, arcomial circumference), as well as birth modus, were tested in 7803 single full-term births in Vienna. Nicotine consumption before and during pregnancy was found to be associated with smaller and lighter newborns, although maternal weight status and weight gain during pregnancy was signi.cantly higher in smokers. Furthermore, a higher incidence of Caesarean sections was found in smokers. A reduction in the number of daily smoked cigarettes was associated with a lower percentage of low weight newborns (<2500 g).
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ZYGOTIC TWINNING AND TRIPLET RATES IN EIGHT COUNTRIES, 1972–1999
Authors: IMAIZUMI Y.
Published: May 2003

Annual changes in twinning and triplet rates by zygosity were investigated in eight countries during the period 1972–1999 using vital statistics. The monozygotic (MZ) twinning rates in Denmark, Switzerland and the Slovak Republic remained more or less constant throughout this period, whereas those in England and Wales, the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany), the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Japan increased significantly year by year. With the exception of the Slovak Republic, the dizygotic (DZ) twinning rate increased significantly year by year in each country. It was 2·9 times higher in Denmark and 1·5 times higher in Germany in 1999 than in 1972, and within the same range in the other countries. With two exceptions, the MZ triplet rates remained more or less constant in each country. On the other hand, the DZ and trizygotic (TZ) triplet rates increased significantly year by year in each country. The TZ rate increased 30-fold in Germany, 16·6-fold in Japan, 11·7-fold in Switzerland, 9·7-fold in the Czech Republic, 8·7-fold in the Netherlands, 6·4-fold in Denmark, 5·6-fold in England and Wales and 3·5-fold in the Slovak Republic. The higher DZ twinning rate and higher DZ and TZ triplet rates since 1983 have been attributed to the higher proportion of mothers being treated with ovulation-inducing hormones and in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Denmark, England and Wales, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Japan. After the introduction of fertility drugs and IVF, variations in the DZ twinning and triplet rates and the TZ triplet rates were not only due to biological factors, but also depended on the popularity of fertility drugs and IVF in each country. In the Slovak Republic, where human fertility might not be affected by some adverse environmental factors, the DZ:MZ ratio remained constant during the period 1972–1999.
HIGHER MALE EDUCATIONAL HYPERGAMY: EVIDENCE FROM PORTUGAL
Authors: CORREIA HAMILTON R.
Published: May 2003

Studies of human mate choice have been based almost exclusively on stated preferences and personal advertisements, and the external validity of such studies has therefore been questioned. In the present study, reallife matings based on a large representative sample of newly wed couples in 1998 (n=66,598) were analysed according to educational assortative mating. The results demonstrate a strong educational homogamy in this national Portuguese sample. However, men tend to marry women who are slightly more educated than themselves. The results are compared with those of a modern society (US, 1940–87) and a traditional society (Kipsigis, 1952–91). Since educational attainment is strongly associated with social status and intelligence, these results are discussed in an evolutionary perspective.
The Other Side of Peronist Argentina: Radicals and Socialists in the Political Opposition to Perón (1946–1955)
Authors: SEBASTIANI MARCELA GARCÍA
Published: May 2003

The political life of Argentina between 1946 and 1955 cannot be defined exclusively by the emergence and consolidation of Peronism, but was also shaped by the actions, ideas and conflicts of opposition to it. The evolution of the Radical and Socialist parties during those years was marked both by their respective internal discrepancies and by the dynamics of confrontation with the government. In the face of Perón's emergence as a political figure, Radicals and Socialists revitalised inter-party agreements that had been tried and tested in previous years. The Radicals, their internal disagreements notwithstanding, were to become the main representatives of anti-Peronism their oppositional roles changing as the institutional spaces for conflict and engagement with Peronism developed. Meanwhile, the Socialists lost political and representational weight, despite their desperate attempts to maintain themselves as an option within the political arena. When the rules of political competition changed in Peronism's favour, Radicals and Socialists became convinced of the legitimacy of challenging the constitutional order in an attempt to increase the political representation of anti-Peronism.
Reconfiguring the Indian: Land–Labour Relations in the Postcolonial Andes
Authors: WILSON FIONA
Published: May 2003

This article considers the ways in which provincial elites in the Peruvian Andes of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries addressed the task of dismantling colonial institutions and relations. It draws on material from a municipal archive to trace how the land-for-labour ‘pact of reciprocity’ linking the town of Tarma both to the central state and to the indigenous hinterland was re-worked and eventually brought to an end. The contexts in which a postcolonial discourse of the Indian emerged are explored, and are understood as linked to struggles between local government and central state over the deployment of indigenous labour.
Violent Conflicts and Threatened Lives: Nicaraguan Experiences of Wartime Displacement and Postwar Distress
Authors: NYGREN ANJA
Published: May 2003

This article utilises an ethnographic case study from Nicaragua to analyse people's everyday experiences of wartime violence and postwar privation. A great deal of literature dealing with political instability in war-torn countries has approached this issue by examining the societal manifestations of violence, while relatively less attention has been paid to people's everyday experiences of conflict and pain. This study focuses on the several waves of violence, displacement, and distress Nicaraguan people have suffered in recent years, beginning with their traumatic experiences of the civil war in the 1980s to the current postwar era characterised by political instability and socio-economic insecurity.
Sierra Leone's post-conflict elections of 2002
Authors: Kandeh Jimmy D.
Published: May 2003

The landslide victory by the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) in the 2002 elections was due not to any ideological or policy differences with opposition parties, but to the perception among a plurality of voters that the party delivered on its promise to end the war and therefore deserved re-election. The elections were in effect a referendum on the incumbent president and his ruling SLPP, with voters overwhelmingly concluding that Ahmad Tejan Kabba, the SLPP leader, was preferable to the legion of certified scoundrels seeking to replace him. Signs of the All Peoples Congress (APC), the party that was in power from 1968–92, making a political comeback galvanised otherwise unenthusiastic voters into supporting Kabba and the SLPP. In contrast to the APC, against whom the rebel war was launched, or the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP), which initiated and prosecuted the insurgency, or the People's Liberation Party (PLP), whose earlier incarnation prolonged the war by colluding with rebels, Kabba and the SLPP claimed to have ended a war that was caused, launched and sustained by assorted elements of the political opposition. The SLPP, however, can ill-afford to bask in electoral triumph or ignore the festering problems of rampant official corruption and mass poverty that led to armed conflict in the 1990s. Tackling the problem of corruption and mass deprivation may hold the key to democratic consolidation, but it is doubtful whether the SLPP, as presently constituted, is capable of leading the fight against these scourges. The SLPP may be reaching out to become a national party but it still remains an unreconstructed patronage outfit that is unresponsive to popular currents and mass aspirations.
Kenyan civil society: bridging the urban–rural divide?
Authors: Orvis Stephen
Published: May 2003

While African civil society seemed a beacon of hope for democracy in the early 1990s, by the end of the decade many scholars had come to view it as extremely weak, lacking a domestic constituency and therefore any significant political or civic impact. Critics have been particularly concerned about urban-based ‘democracy and governance’ NGOs' limited influence on and connection with the rural majority of the citizenry. This article examines this question in Kenya, looking at four NGOs that have used civic education and paralegal programmes to establish a rural presence. Based on a survey of participants, it concludes that although the programmes are relatively new, they have begun to have a measurable impact on citizen understanding of politics, and have given the NGOs a noticeable rural presence. They have done so, however, by relying on ethnic, clan, partisan and other ‘non-civil’ networks to build supporters.
Witchcraft and transnational social spaces: witchcraft violence, reconciliation and development in South Africa's transition process
Authors: Kohnert Dirk
Published: May 2003

The strange collusion between occult belief systems and different trans-national social networks, embedded in specific transformations of local and global modes of production, results in unique but reinforcing modifications of witchcraft belief, its underlying structures and its impact on the process of democratisation. The amazing range of possible results has been indicated by the analysis of two outstanding examples of witchcraft violence in South Africa in times of transition: in the former homelands of Venda and Lebowa, seemingly ‘traditional’ elements of witchcraft accusations, mediated by a misguided struggle for liberation, stimulated the sympathetic attention of stakeholders beyond the local setting. On the other hand, the occult base of violence in the Transkei became so blurred by involvement of ‘modern’ elements of globalised markets of violence that it was hardly visible any more, although under cover its repressive effects were still very much alive. These different roots of witchcraft violence had serious repercussions on conflict resolution and genuine reconciliation, the base for any sustainable democratisation and development.
State provision down, offspring's up: the reverse substitution of old-age care in Sweden
Authors: JOHANSSON LENNARTH , SUNDSTRÖM GERDT , HASSING LINDA B.
Published: May 2003

Substitution among the providers of old-age care has usually meant a process whereby the state ‘takes over’ what families used to do, but during the 1980s and 1990s, both home help and institutional care were cut back substantially in Sweden as elsewhere. Comparable, nationally representative surveys in Sweden of the provision of care for older people living in the community enable analysis of the effects of these cutbacks on the sources and patterns of care. It emerges that increased inputs from families match the decline of public services, that is, a ‘reverse’ substitution has recently been taking place. Local studies, of older people who have been followed over time as the provision of home help has changed, support these conclusions. Of the increased informal care, most has been provided by daughters, but sons have also contributed. A problematic aspect of these shifting patterns of care is that an increasing number of family carers with increasingly heavy care commitments are now without formal or informal support, whereas in the recent past many could expect their responsibilities to be shared with the state. The evidence from this study also calls into question common metaphors and assumptions about the assumed interdependence between informal care and public services for older people, and challenges the so-called substitution thesis.
Formal and informal care for people with dementia: variations in costs over time
Authors: SCHNEIDER JUSTINE , HALLAM ANGELA , ISLAM M. KAMRUL , MURRAY JOANNA , FOLEY BETH , ATKINS LOUISE , BANERJEE SUBE , MANN ANTHONY
Published: May 2003

The services used by people with dementia and their carers were measured at three time points over 17 months. This analysis is unusual in that both informal care and formal inputs were costed. The costs estimates for informal inputs developed here may be applied to other data sets. Two hypotheses to explain the inter-relationship between informal and formal care inputs, substitution and supplementation, were compared in analysing the data. This paper explores the variations in costs according to the living arrangements of the people with dementia, by level of dependency and over time, and finds systematic differences. The costs of the inputs from co-resident carers consistently exceeded the costs of formal services, with informal care constituting up to 40 per cent of the total costs burden for dementia care. When informal inputs were included, non-domestic residential care emerged as less, not more, costly than care in the community. There was a shift in costs burden from health services to social services over time as more people moved into non-domestic settings. Multivariate analyses identified several predictors of informal and formal care costs: physical disability, level of cognitive impairment, living in non-domestic settings, and formal care provided. Non-domestic care predicted lower inputs of both formal and informal services. Dementia level was positively associated with informal inputs. Physical frailty was associated with more formal care, but less informal care. More formal service inputs predicted higher informal care inputs. There is evidence of supplementation of informal care by formal services in the early stages of care, followed by substitution as the person with dementia enters residential care.
Assisting friendships, combating loneliness: users' views on a ‘befriending’ scheme
Authors: ANDREWS GAVIN J. , GAVIN NOEL , BEGLEY SHEILA , BRODIE DAVID
Published: May 2003

Loneliness and isolation can be a major cause of unhappiness and can contribute towards depression and mental illness in older age. These associations are recognised by academics, policy makers and older people's representative organisations alike in several countries, and many corrective ad hoc and country-specific initiatives have been supported. This study examines the opinions of the users of a local home-visiting befriending service in the United Kingdom. The befrienders are volunteers, and most users were introduced to the service by female relatives or health service professionals. Positive opinions of the service predominated, and users placed a high value on the reliability of their befrienders. The service provided the users with an opportunity to develop a new bond, and many reported friendly reciprocity, which they recognised as an ingredient of ‘real’ friendship. These friendships sometimes developed beyond the agreed rules and remits of the ‘formal’ service, and incorporated various forms of supplementary assistance and social activities. The paper demonstrates the value of befriending services and examines carefully the aspects of their implementation that required exceptional sensitivity.
Selected research published in Spain 1999–2002
Authors: Porte Graeme K.
Published: May 2003

In this first of a series of country-specific reviews of published research, my aim has been to highlight current lines of research in Spain which are either new in themselves or have taken their starting-point from existing international research agendas. In the preparation for this review more than one hundred papers were reviewed from over forty journals, conference proceedings, and books edited during the period 1999–2002. Inevitably, however, a ‘selection’ of recent research is just that. Demands of space are, of course, paramount but – in the light of the sheer volume of work published in Spain over the period – some kind of personal criterion inevitably needed to be used for the inclusion or otherwise of a paper. I have decided primarily to highlight experimental or quasi-experimental research which, though it might be based on, or targeted at, a local population or context, also has considerable interest for the wider readership of Language Teaching. Such a decision is not meant to imply a personal preference for such research over other kinds; rather I wished on this occasion to highlight what I perceive as a recent increase in interest in Spain in such studies. Many national university PhD programmes now include the production of an original piece of experimental research as an obligatory requirement of the course, and much of the research cited below has its origins therein. Conversely, this has meant that other, equally valid and commendable, published work has had to be omitted or mentioned only in passing. Amongst these are the numerous on-going reports on locally-initiated and government-funded research projects which are currently operating in many higher-education establishments, as well as teaching and learning materials production carried out with European Union (EU) initiatives. For example, current and recent LINGUA and COMENIUS projects in which there has been considerable Spanish representation include PINOCCHIO (the production of Italian language and culture materials for use in mainstream secondary education – University of Seville), SUBJECT PROJECTS (the production of plurilingual didactic tools for use in European secondary schools – University of the Basque Country), ARTEMIS (the creation of an advanced communicative course for L2 Greek–University Complutense of Madrid), and LEARNER AUTONOMY (an inventory of training needs and current practices for the teaching of learner autonomy in foreign language (FL) teacher training–University of Granada).
Law in action, law in books: the practicality of medieval theft law
Authors: IRELAND RICHARD W.
Published: May 2003

This article approaches the medieval law of theft from a ‘functional’ perspective. It seeks, that is, to consider the rules of law principally in relation to the social circumstances which give rise to them and upon which they, in turn, have an impact. Concentrating primarily upon material from England and Wales, the essay considers general issues of definition, jurisdiction and proof in the law of the middle ages before concentrating specifically upon the rules respecting theft. The ideas of manifest and non-manifest theft are explored in an attempt to discover why the law distinguished between them. Potential difficulties concerning the bringing of theft actions and the defences which might be offered to them are also examined and related to the practical world in which perpetrators and victims of theft found themselves. Finally, the possible tension between the satisfaction of the demands of the individual victim and the wider desire to maintain public order is investigated.
Wealth distribution and litigation in the medieval Italian countryside: Castel San Pietro, Bologna, 1385
Authors: DEAN TREVOR
Published: May 2003

The aim of this paper is to combine two types of source that are usually kept apart in the study of the Italian later Middle Ages: direct tax assessments and local court records. The purpose of putting these two sources together is to discover more about the operation of the local vicariate courts (another neglected element of Italian states) and about wealth distribution and litigation in the Italian countryside. The tax assessments are first analysed for what they reveal of agriculture, migration and wealth, then the court records for the identity of plaintiffs and defendants, and the nature of pleas. To interpret the resulting pattern of debts and credit, cooperation and conflict, concepts from English medieval historiography are used to explore the relationship between debtors and creditors.
Influences of habitat features and human disturbance on use of breeding sites by a declining population of southern fur seals (Arctocephalus australis)
Authors: Stevens Monica A. , Boness Daryl J.
Published: May 2003

Southern fur seals Arctocephalus australis in Peru have declined gradually over the past decade, and declined dramatically (72%) as a result of low food availability during the severe El Niño in 1997–98. In 1999, seals abandoned some historically important breeding sites. This is particularly alarming because new sites were not colonized. Our objective was to examine how habitat features and human disturbance influenced whether sites were currently used, abandoned or apparently not used in the past by fur seals for breeding. Data were collected on 14 variables at 70 potential breeding sites at three guano reserves in Peru. Discriminant analysis revealed significant multivariate differences among sites currently used for breeding, abandoned sites and unused sites (F=5.97, P<0.00001), and the model classified 74% of sites correctly. Currently used sites were less likely to have human disturbance and more likely to have offshore islands, stacked rocks, tide pools and abundant shade. Separate discriminant analyses for each reserve produced similar results. Habitat associated with thermoregulation (e.g. shade or pools) may be more important to fur seals in Peru, which breed at lower latitudes and are at greater risk of overheating on land than other populations. Habitat with minimized human access may be especially important to seals in small populations in which individuals may perceive themselves as more vulnerable because of decreased vigilance and dilution effects. Seals in our study selected breeding habitat with stacked rocks, which create shade and tide pools for thermoregulation and make human access difficult; but pups might suffer higher mortality in this habitat. We hypothesize that fur seals in Peru may exhibit an Allee effect, whereby suitability of habitat varies with population abundance.
Morphological changes in a British mammal as a result of introductions and changes in landscape management: the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Authors: Hale Marie L. , Lurz Peter W. W.
Published: May 2003

British red squirrel populations have been subject to landscape management practices resulting in large‐scale fragmentation and defragmentation of habitat, as well as numerous historical introductions of closely related subspecies. This unique population history allowed us to examine: (1) the morphological changes to a rare native species probably caused by hybridization with introduced subspecies; (2) the impact of landscape management, specifically reforestation, on the spread of these morphological changes across the north of England. British red squirrels represent a peripheral population of Sciurus vulgaris, which is regarded as a separate subspecies (S. v. leucourus) to populations found on the European continent. British populations are in danger of extinction because of the introduction of the North American grey squirrel S. carolinensis. Repeated translocation of continental European S. vulgaris individuals to Britain over 150 years may be responsible for an alteration of the morphological characteristics of populations compared to the original subspecies description. The majority of examined populations possessed the coat colour characteristics associated with continental European subspecies. Only populations in the western region of Cumbria possessed coat colour characteristics similar to the described subspecies S. v. leucourus. Changes to landscape connectivity in Britain during the 1980s greatly altered dispersal patterns, resulting in an increase of gene flow from populations in the north‐east of England and the Borders into Cumbria. The morphological characteristics of the Cumbrian population also changed over this period, from traits similar to the British subspecies before 1980, to traits similar to the continental European subspecies after 1980. This study demonstrates the threat landscape management practices and the introduction of closely related subspecies can present to rare peripheral populations.
Feeding ecology of the bat Eptesicus fuscus: ‘preferred’ prey abundance as one factor influencing prey selection and diet breadth
Authors: Agosta Salvatore J. , Morton David , Kuhn Kellie M.
Published: May 2003

Factors influencing prey selection by insectivorous bats are poorly understood but may be related to interspecific differences in echolocation call structure. The diet of Eptesicus fuscus was compared with prey abundance across a foraging season to examine prey selection by a bat species which has an echolocation call dominated by a frequency‐modulated (FM) component. Guano samples were collected on 18 occasions from a single colony between May and September 2000. Abundance of aerial insects was measured using a black‐light trap on nights when guano was collected. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses that E. fuscus: (1) does not take prey in proportion to their relative abundance; (2) forages preferentially for beetles in a manner predicted by foraging theory. Relative abundance (= proportion in relation to other prey types) of prey in trap samples was not a good predictor of prey in the diet across periods or within periods, which suggests selective foraging. Beetles (42–96% of the diet by per cent volume) were consistently eaten in higher proportions than their relative abundance. The absolute abundance of beetles (= abundance irrespective of the abundance of other prey types) explained 60% of the variation in beetle use with more beetles eaten when they were abundant. Absolute beetle abundance explained 66%, 53% and 47% of the variation in the use of three other prey types, with more of these prey eaten when beetle abundance was low. Finally, absolute beetle abundance explained 60% of the variation in diet breadth, which increased when beetle abundance was low. Our results agree with predictions derived from foraging theory and support the hypothesis that E. fuscus forages selectively for beetles, consuming a wider variety of prey when beetle abundance is low. These results are similar to those found for the greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum which has an echolocation call dominated by a constant‐frequency (CF) component, and suggest that some FM bats may discriminate among prey taxa, at least at the ordinal level.
Rodents on tropical land‐bridge islands
Authors: Lambert Thomas D. , Adler Gregory H. , Riveros C. Mailen , Lopez Lawrence , Ascanio Rafael , Terborgh John
Published: May 2003

The results are reported of a survey of rodents on 10 forested land‐bridge islands ranging in size from 0.2 to 350 ha in the state of Bolívar, Venezuela. The islands were contained within a lake formed c. 12 years before the study by the damming of the Caroni River for hydroelectric power. Rodents were sampled on each island by live‐trapping along transects that sampled all available habitat types on each island, and microhabitat structure was measured at each trap station. A total of 674 captures of 359 individuals of six species of rodents was recorded. Species composition changed from the largest to the smallest islands, and small and medium islands (0.2–11 ha) displayed the typical effects of insularity, with fewer species and increased abundances and biomass. The largest island (350 ha) seemed to function more like a mainland. Most species were associated with a suite of microhabitat variables. It is suggested that release from top‐down control by predators was responsible for higher abundances and biomass on the smaller islands and that predators moving between large islands and other nearby landmasses help maintain a mainland community structure on large islands. However, changes in species composition on smaller islands may be the result of patchy occurrences of some species before isolation, changes in microhabitat structure following isolation, and species‐specific microhabitat requirements.
The role of setts in badger (Meles meles) group size, breeding success and status of TB (Mycobacterium bovis)
Authors: Rogers L. M. , Forrester G. J. , Wilson G. J. , Yarnell R. W. , Cheeseman C. L.
Published: May 2003

This paper examines the relationship between the number of occupied setts in a badger social group territory and badger group size, breeding success, and status of infection with Mycobacterium bovis (TB). The data used were from a long‐term epidemiological and ecological study of a high‐density population of badgers Meles meles in south‐west England. The number of occupied setts in a social group was significantly and positively related to the number of badgers caught in the social group, so that as a social group increases in size, badgers occupy more of the available setts. This relationship remained significant when numbers of adults, adult males and adult females were examined. The number of breeding females, number of cubs and sex ratio was not related to the number of occupied setts in a social group. It is possible that the advantages to breeding females of a larger number of setts available to breed in might be outweighed by the increased aggression found in larger groups. The TB score for prevalence and for incidence of social groups was significantly and positively related to the number of occupied setts in a social group, such that the more occupied setts there were in a territory, the higher the TB index of the group. Possibly the setts themselves contribute to the persistence of TB within social groups, or badgers infected with TB might show a difference in behaviour from uninfected badgers resulting in their increased use of outlying setts.
The Jurassic gabbroic intrusions of Utpostane and Muren: insights into Karoo-related plutonism in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
Authors: VUORI SAKU K. , V. LUTTINEN ARTO
Published: May 2003

Middle Jurassic continental flood basalts of Vestfjella, western Dronning Maud Land are cut by gabbroic intrusions that represent rare exposures of Karoo-related mafic plutons in Antarctica. The gabbros and numerous associated dolerites indicate high magmatic activity along the continental margin of Dronning Maud Land during the break-up of Gondwana. The scattered nunataks of Utpostane (∼25 km2) are dominated by olivine gabbronorite and olivine mela-gabbronorite, which can be grouped into four zones. The Utpostane intrusion exhibits inclined sheet-like geometry, is at least ∼3 km thick and shows moderate enrichment of incompatible element contents from its base towards the exposed roof contact (e.g. Zr from ∼15 to ∼60 ppm). High MgO contents (∼8–36 wt%) indicate that the parental magma of Utpostane was more primitive than a typical Karoo tholeiite (MgO ∼6 wt%). At Muren, gabbroic outcrops record a cross section of a ∼1.3 km thick inclined sheet-like intrusion. The intrusion can be divided to two main units, the upper and lower zones, which are dominated by olivine gabbro and gabbronorite, respectively. Parental melts of the geochemically differentiated upper zone and the homogeneous lower zone of Muren were typical low-MgO Karoo tholeiites, but they were chemically distinct and were emplaced as separate magma pulses.
Galactic energy and its role in a changing Earth
Authors: VAUGHAN ALAN P.M.
Published: May 2003

Proposed climate change mechanisms are many and various but generally attributable to our part of the solar system. They usually focus on temperature changes driven either by local processes such as variations in oceanic circulation, or, levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, or by global processes such as variations in received solar energy linked to changes in the parameters of the Earth's rotation and orbit or solar activity. However, two recent papers have suggested that we may need to look outside the Earth System and even outside our local planetary system for the possible origins of climate change, both on a decadal scale and over longer timescales of hundreds of millions of years. In each case, the galactic cosmic ray flux and its potential effects on cloud formation is considered to be the culprit.
The distribution and current status of New Zealand Saddleback
Philesturnus carunculatus
Authors: Hooson Scott , Jamieson Ian G.
Published: May 2003

This paper reviews and updates the distribution and status of two geographically
distinct subspecies of New Zealand Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus, a New
Zealand forest passerine that is highly susceptible to predation by introduced mammals
such as stoats and rats. The recovery of the North Island and South Island saddleback
populations has been rapid since translocations to offshore islands free of exotic predators
began in 1964, when both subspecies were on the brink of extinction. South Island saddlebacks
have gone from a remnant population of 36 birds on one island to over 1,200 birds spread among
15 island populations, with the present capacity to increase to a maximum of 2,500 birds.
We recommend that South Island saddleback be listed under the IUCN category of Near Threatened,
although vigilance on islands for invading predators and their subsequent rapid eradication is
still required. North Island saddlebacks have gone from a remnant population of 500 birds on
one island to over 6,000 on 12 islands with the capacity to increase to over 19,000 individuals.
We recommend that this subspecies be downgraded to the IUCN category of Least Concern.
The factors that limited the early recovery of saddlebacks are now of less significance with
recent advances in predator eradication techniques allowing translocations to large islands
that were formerly unsuitable. The only two predators that still cohabit some islands with
saddleback are Pacific rats or kiore Rattus exulans and Weka Gallirallus australis,
a flightless native rail. Although North Island saddlebacks coexist with kiore, South Island
saddlebacks do less well in their presence, possibly because the relict population had no previous
history with this species of rat. The impact of Weka as predators of saddlebacks is less clear,
but population growth rates appear to be slowed in their presence. It is recommended that while
current recovery strategies involving island habitat restoration and translocations be maintained,
management effort should also be directed towards returning saddlebacks to selected, “mainland
island” sites, where introduced pests are either excluded by predator-proof fences or
controlled at very low levels by intensive pest management.
Conservation options for the Critically Endangered Seychelles Black Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone corvina
Authors: Currie Dave , Hill Mike , Millett James , Bristol Rachel , Nevill John , Shah Nirmal J.
Published: May 2003

Seychelles Black Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone corvina is found almost exclusively on the 10 km2 island of La Digue. It is currently considered the second rarest endemic bird in the Seychelles, using the criteria of total population and number of discrete populations. Research reassessing the habitat requirements of the flycatcher was conducted on La Digue from 1999 to 2001. This work was conducted in parallel with assessment and ranking of the suitability of medium-sized islands of the inner Seychelles archipelago for avian ecosystem restoration, using biological, geographical and anthropogenic criteria. Predator eradications on several islands have led to a reduction in the range of alien predators, and future eradications are planned. These developments combined with the findings of recent ecological research and a novel assessment of many islands in the archipelago have led to the opportunity for a reassessment of conservation options for Seychelles Black Paradise-flycatcher. This paper discusses and prioritizes strategies to increase the range and total population and hence improve the conservation status of this species.
Molecular markers contribute to a breeding programme of the extinct-in-the-wild Alagoas Curassow Mitu mitu and confirm the validity of the species
Authors: Tramontini Grau Erwin , Luiz Pereira Sérgio , Fábio Silveira Luís , Wajntal Anita
Published: May 2003

Alagoas Curassow Mitu mitu is considered extinct in the wild, having previously inhabited a small area in north-eastern Brazil that has since been replaced by sugar cane farms. Around 50 birds possessing morphological features of this species are still alive in captivity in Brazil, all being descendants from a breeding programme started in 1979, using offspring from a single male and two females captured from the wild. However, this captive population also includes some hybrids with the congeneric Razor-billed Curassow M. tuberosa and their descendants. Furthermore, the validity of Alagoas Curassow as a species is questionable. We used two molecular markers to study the validity of this taxon as a species, to detect potential hybrids present in the stock, and to estimate genetic variability among the remnant specimens. The analysis of 760 base pairs from mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region sequences revealed that at least three of the 20 birds analysed had sequences identical to those of Razor-billed Curassow. The other 17 birds presented sequences that diverged 2.6% from Razor-billed Curassow. Moreover, a sample from an Alagoas Curassow museum skin collected from the wild in 1951 had cytochrome b sequences identical to those of the 17 birds. These results confirm the Alagoas Curassow as a valid species. DNA fingerprinting profiles of the 20 descendants from the Alagoas Curassow breeding population showed that this group of birds is depauperate in genetic variability. There was an increase in genetic variability of birds born after 1990, attributed to the hybrid mating of Alagoas Curassow with Razor-billed Curassow. We suggest that birds born before 1990 should be handled separately from the others. However, if a decrease in chick harvest among birds of this group is detected due to inbreeding depression or ageing, cross-breeding between this group and the group of birds most closely related to it should be considered in order to enrich the progeny with the Alagoas Curassow genome.
Home range size, habitat use and nesting success of Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis on agricultural land in northern India
Authors: Iqubal Perwez , Mcgowan Philip J.K. , Carroll John P. , Rahmani Asad R.
Published: May 2003

Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis is considered Vulnerable to extinction as its native grassland habitat is converted to agricultural land. However, there are virtually no life history data available to allow the impact of these changes on the species to be assessed. Thirteen birds were radio-tracked during the breeding season on agricultural land near Dudwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh, northern India. The study area was dominated by sugar-cane fields, but also contained other crops and natural wet grassland. Home range size varied from 273 m2 to 2,687 m2 and was significantly correlated with tracking duration. We did not detect significant patterns in overall use of habitats at either the home-range level (P = 0.14) or at the radio-location level (P = 0.13). However, some individual habitats appeared to be used in proportions that differed from random expectations. At the home range level, birds appeared to favour tall sugar-cane and grassland whilst at the individual location level, grassland and wet areas were most used. Radio-tagged birds made six nests, of which only two hatched young. One was in an old sugar-cane field and the other on grassland. Although we did not detect statistical significance, we believe that developing an appropriate management regime for this species is so urgent that the results are sufficient to manage adaptively the species' habitat at least on an experimental scale. These data suggest that a matrix of habitats, including agricultural land, can supply the necessary components to satisfy the various requirements of Swamp Francolin. However, some natural grassland habitat associated with wet areas appears to be critical. The crucial challenge is to make sure that agricultural landscapes have these habitats present in the right proportions and spatial arrangements to support viable populations of Swamp Francolin.
Equational properties of mobile ambients
Authors: GORDON ANDREW D. , CARDELLI LUCA
Published: May 2003

The ambient calculus is a process calculus for describing mobile computation. We develop a
theory of Morris-style contextual equivalence for proving properties of mobile ambients. We
prove a context lemma that allows derivation of contextual equivalences by considering
contexts of a particular limited form, rather than all arbitrary contexts. We give an activity
lemma that characterises the possible interactions between a process and a context. We
prove several examples of contextual equivalence. The proofs depend on characterising
reductions in the ambient calculus in terms of a labelled transition system.