bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ivory Tower Meets Smoke‐Filled Back Rooms of Politics: An Academic Perspective on Illinois' School Funding Debate
Authors: Mark Stephen T. , McGuire Therese J. , Merriman David F.
Published: November 2003

In anticipation of an upcoming legislative debate, in the early summer of 1996 public advocacy groups in Illinois contracted with the Institute of Government and Public Affairs of the University of Illinois to provide analysis of school funding reform proposals. The intent was to make the analysis and models widely available for use by government officials as well as concerned citizens. We prepared a report on options for Illinois to help focus the school funding discussion on the fundamental policy choices facing lawmakers. In this article, we summarize the process of and the university's contribution to the policy debate. Five illustrative alternatives to the current system are analyzed. While we think these options are of interest for their own sake, our primary goal in writing this article is to provide an example of how academic analysts can make a constructive contribution to heated political debate without advocating any particular plan.
Municipal Bond Issuance: Is There Evidence of a Principal‐Agent Problem?
Authors: Simonsen Bill , Hill Larry
Published: November 2003

Is there evidence of a principal‐agent problem in the municipal bond industry? Do public managers, either on their own or through private sector agents, act to increase their own utility at the expense of the public? This article examines municipal bond decisions in the context of principal‐agent theory based on data collected through a random sample survey of municipal bond issuers. Principal‐agent theory is not well developed in the public sector. In the municipal bond industry, however, we have evidence that it helps explain the actions of public managers and elected officials, in particular for pay to play and the importance of interest rates vis‐à‐vis relationships. These actions carry potential costs to citizens.
Prevalence and pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium andersoni in one Herd of Beef Cattle
Authors: Kváč M. , Vítovec J.
Published: November 2003

Over a 35‐week period from January to July 2002, a breed of Hereford beef cattle (H) and their hybrids were monitored. Five hundred and ninety‐nine individual fecal samples from calves and 96 samples from their mothers were examined. First excretion of Cryptosporidium andersoni oocysts in calves was found in the 9th week after the start of calving (a calf 63‐day old). The prevalence of C. andersoni in calves ranged from 11.1 to 92.9% depending on age. The mean prevalence in their mothers was found to be 43.8%. The size of oocysts was 8.48 ± 0.78 × 6.41 ± 0.59 μm. Infection intensity in calves ranged from 32 000 to 4 375 000 oocysts per gram (OPG) and in mothers from 78 000 to 2 552 000 OPG. Three cases of abomasal cryptosporidiosis slaughtered at the age of 81, 157 and 236 days were examined histologically and ultrastructurally [transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)]. Cryptosporidium infection of the abomasum was located in the upper half of the mucosal glands in the plicae spirales of the fundus, corpus and near the ostium omasoabomasicum. Cryptosporidia were not located in the glandular epithelium of the pars pylorica in the abomasum minimally 10 cm from pylorus. Histopathological changes in the site of cryptosporidial infection in the abomasum had a non‐inflammatory character and included distinctive dilatation of infected parts of the glands with atrophy and metaplasia of the glandular epithelial cells, goblet cell activation and mucus hyperproduction. The TEM revealed a relatively small number of Cryptosporidium life cycle stages attached to glandular epithelial cells. In SEM the inner mucosal abomasal surface appeared swollen but was never infected by cryptosporidia.
Exposure Time‐Dependent Bactericidal Activities of Amoxicillin AgainstActinobacillus pleuropneumoniae; anIn VitroandIn VivoPharmacodynamic Model
Authors: Tanigawa M. , Sawada T.
Published: November 2003

The pharmacodynamic effects of amoxicillin againstActinobacillus pleuropneumoniaeat exposure concentration above and below minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were evaluated in bothin vitroandin vivo.In vitro, the growth and morphological change ofA. pleuropneumoniaein culture medium was observed.In vivo, the efficacy of amoxicillin on experimentally inducedA. pleuropneumoniaeinfection in disease‐free pigs was evaluated. Fifteen pigs were divided into three groups (n = 5 per group). After the onset of clinical respiratory disease symptoms, 6 h post‐infection, amoxicillin sustained‐release injectable formulation was injected intramuscularly at 7.5 mg/kg/day (group I) and 15 mg/kg/day (group II). Then the serum concentration of amoxicillin was measured. An untreated infected group served as controls. In each amoxicillin administration group, if symptoms were not absent after 48 h, the pig was injected with the amoxicillin sustained‐release injectable formulation again using the same dosage.In vitro, the growth ofA. pleuropneumoniaeinhibited by amoxicillin exposure at the concentration above the MIC (1.28 × MIC), and the inhibition time was in directly proportion to the time of amoxicillin exposure. Moreover, all the cells were lysed. Whereas the bacterial growth inhibition at the amoxicillin exposure concentration below the MIC (0.25 × MIC) was not done, and the shape of cells were normal or long filamentous.In vivo, the group I clinical and pathological score was higher than the group II, and the group I weight gain was significantly less than the group II. Performance with respect to weight gain corresponded with clinical signs. The infected control group was severely affected with an 80% (4/5) mortality rate 24–96 h post‐challenge. The duration of time above MIC (T > MIC) of serum amoxicillin concentration in the group I was less than group II. The present studies suggest that amoxicillin has exposure time‐dependent bactericidal activity againstA. pleuropneumoniae.
Potential of Zoonotic Transmission of Non‐Primate Foamy Viruses to Humans
Authors: Bastone P. , Truyen U. , Löchelt M.
Published: November 2003

The zoonotic introduction of an animal pathogen into the human population and the subsequent extension or alteration of its host range leading to the successful maintenance of the corresponding pathogen by human‐to‐human transmission pose a serious risk for world‐wide health care. Such a scenario occurred for instance by the introduction of simian immunodeficiency viruses into the human population resulting in the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and the subsequent AIDS pandemic or the proposed recent host range switch of the SARS coronavirus from a presently unknown animal species to humans. The occurrence of zoonotic transmissions of animal viruses to humans is a permanent threat to human health and is even increased by changes in the human lifestyle. In this review, the potential of the zoonotic transmission of bovine, feline and equine foamy retroviruses will be discussed in the light of well‐documented cases of zoonotic transmissions of different simian foamy viruses to humans.
Removal of Hair Surrounding the Teat and Associated Bacterial Counts on Teat Skin Surface, in Milk, and Intramammary Infections
Authors: Silk A. S. , Fox L. K. , Hancock D. D.
Published: November 2003

The effectiveness of monthly removal of hair surrounding teats on the reduction of teat skin surface bacteria, and the incidence of intramammary infection (IMI), was studied for 10 months in a dairy farm. A split udder design was used where hair was removed on one side, left or right, with the other side serving as a control. Controls and treatment sides were randomly applied in a systematic fashion to 218 cows. Standard milking time pre‐ and post‐milking hygiene practices were applied to all udders during the trial. Collection of teat skin swab solutions preceded aseptic collection of milk samples, performed at monthly intervals, immediately prior to milking. Teat skin bacterial counts did not differ between control and treated teats. Incidences of IMI were similar for treatment when compared with control mammary quarters, as measured by total or by pathogen type. In a second study, the effect of hair removal on the bacterial content of milk was determined using 40 cows. Treatments and allocations were as described. Udder half milk, milk from both mammary quarters of each udder half, was combined and diverted into separate buckets. Buckets were thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between milkings. A portion of bucket milk was collected 24 h after removal of udder hair. The total milk bacterial counts, and counts of psychrotrophs and thermoduric organisms were not reduced by udder hair removal. Results do not suggest that removal of udder hair leads to an improvement in milk quality as determined by milk bacterial content in the herd studied.
Trainee nursery teachers’ perceptions of disruptive behaviour disorders; the effect of sex of child on judgements of typicality and severity
Authors: Maniadaki K. , Sonuga‐Barke E. J. S. , Kakouros E.
Published: November 2003

Background  Adults’ perceptions of children with disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs), which usually interfere with socialization and referral of children to mental health services, might differ according to the child's sex. Given the importance of (a) the interactions between these children and their educators, and (b) early identification and referral, the impact of the child's sex on adults’ perceptions is an important factor to consider.

Aim  To examine the role of gender‐related expectations in the identification and referral of childhood DBDs by trainee nursery teachers.

Sample  One hundred and fifty‐eight female trainee nursery teachers (mean age = 20 years) at the Department of Early Childhood Education in Athens.

Method  Trainee nursery teachers’ perceptions of male and female children with DBDs were explored using a Greek version of the Parental Account of the Causes of Childhood Problems Questionnaire. Eighty‐one participants answered questions about a set of disruptive behaviours ascribed to a boy and 77 about the same behaviour ascribed to a girl.

Results  DBDs ascribed to girls were considered to be no more severe or of greater concern than those ascribed to boys. Judgements of severity were related to concern in the same way for boys and girls. However, DBDs were regarded as less typical for girls than boys.

Conclusions  The child's sex affected trainee teachers’ judgements of typicality, but not severity, of children's behaviour problems. The implications of this finding for socialization practices and referral attitudes are discussed.
Social, cultural and environmental influences on child activity and eating in Australian migrant communities
Authors: Green J. , Waters E. , Haikerwal A. , O'Neill C. , Raman S. , Booth M. L. , Gibbons K.
Published: November 2003

Aim  This study set out to examine the socio‐cultural, familial and environmental factors influencing health, eating habits and patterns of physical activity contributing to child and adolescent overweight and obesity.

Methods  Semi‐structured, community‐based interviews were conducted with contrasting key informant three‐generation families; and generation by generation focus groups of grandparents, parents and children from four cultural communities in the state of Victoria, Australia. Purposive sampling occurred from Turkish, Greek, Indian and Chinese communities that have migrated to Australia within the last three generations (n = 160, eight families, 47 children aged 5–15 years, 29 parents, 42 grandparents).

Results  Evidence of two‐way influences on eating and physical activity across three generations was evident, with children reporting the greatest cross‐cultural diversity. A range of dietary restrictions was reported across all cultural groups. Efforts to foster healthy eating and lifestyle patterns within communities were evident. Parents, as a generation in particular, felt the need for more access to education and support regarding healthy limits for pre‐puberty and puberty stages.

Conclusion  There is a dynamic influence of culture on many aspects of family lifestyle across three generations. To achieve successful intervention design, childhood obesity researchers need to collaborate with diverse groups and communities. Considering the role and influence of extended family, a multigenerational, whole‐of‐community approach beyond that of parent and child populations ought to be considered.
A qualitative study, using focused interviews, of the information needs of families whose children's names are on a cerebral palsy register
Authors: Miller J. , Colligan J. , Colver A.
Published: November 2003

Background We were concerned that information held on a register of children with cerebral palsy was not being made available to contributing families, and that the existence and purpose of the register was not sufficiently understood.

Methods Focused interviews with 13 families selected by purposive sampling.

Results Many parents would like more information about the data on registers which include their child. They would also like to be more involved in the design of the register and its reports, but there are practical difficulties in making time available for such activity. Although parents were surprised that they had not already been given more information about the existence and purpose of the register, none were resentful that their child's name was on the register once they were reassured about confidentiality and database security. Parents also had general concerns unrelated to the register which were about their need to be treated as equals by professionals, to have more information about equipment and to have earlier and clearer diagnoses.

Conclusions Registers of children with uncommon conditions have well‐established roles in epidemiology, planning and research. By fully involving parents in ways suggested by this study, registers can also empower parents. The study should also provide reassurance to those who hold such registers without explicit consent that the requirement to now obtain consent should not create resentment or jeopardize completeness.
Agreement between adolescent self‐report and parent reports of health and well‐being: results of an epidemiological study
Authors: Waters E. , Stewart‐Brown S. , Fitzpatrick R.
Published: November 2003

Objective  To examine parent and adolescent agreement on physical, emotional, mental and social health and well‐being in a representative population.

Methodology  An epidemiological design was used to obtain parent–child/adolescent dyad data on comparable items and scales of a generic measure of health and well‐being, the Child Health Questionnaire (parent/proxy report 50 item, self‐report 80 item). Scale analysis included intraclass correlations (ICCs) to examine strength of parent–child associations and independent t‐tests for differences between adolescents (with or without an illness). Where there were significant differences in scale scores, analysis of variance and two sample t‐tests were used to examine the influence of social, demographic, health concern and school variables. Single items were examined for trends in response categories.

Results  2096 parent–adolescent dyads (adolescent mean age of 15.1 years, males 50%, maternal parent 83.2%, biological parent 93.5%). ICCs were strong. Overall, adolescents reported poorer emotional and social health, and clinically significant differences were observed for perceptions of general health (mean difference 8.1/100), frequency and amount of body pain (5.94/100), experience of mental health (5.14/100), and impact of health on family activities (12.43/100), which widen significantly for adolescents with illness. Social, health and school enjoyment and performance significantly widened parent–child differences.

Conclusions  All adolescents were much less optimistic about their health and well‐being than their parents, and were only in close agreement on aspects of health and well‐being they rated highly. Adolescent reports are more likely to be sensitive to pain, mental health problems, health in general and the impact of their health on family activities.
Indicators of children's development: considerations when constructing a set of national Child Health Indicators for the European Union
Authors: Köhler L. , Rigby M.
Published: November 2003

Background  In a recent project, commissioned by the European Union, a set of Child Health Indicators were identified and recommended for use in all Member States. In that work, by a group of European experts, children's development was one of the key areas that were reviewed to clarify its role in this set of indicators. This paper deals with neurological (in a broad sense), social and moral aspects of development; other aspects, such as nutrition and physical growth, mental health, quality of life were dealt with in other areas.

Methods  A number of methods are used to monitor children's neurodevelopment, to identify early deviations that could be treated or alleviated. Few tests fulfil basic criteria of screening and quality of evidence. For Child Health Programmes, developmental surveillance is instead recommended. As a proxy to social development, as part of children's process of adaptation into society, education indicators are recommended, such as suggested by OECD and UNICEF. Moral development is discarded as an indicator, because norms and values vary too much between countries.

Conclusion  For now the Child Health Indicators of Life and Development Project found no ground to recommend any particular method or combination of methods for a general monitoring of children's neurological, intellectual, language and moral development, and for including the results as national indicators of children's health and well‐being in EU. For social development, indicators in the educational area seem most promising, as they have been proposed and used by OECD and UNESCO. In an ambitious monitoring programme, these indicators could be included as determinants of children's health and development.
Annual growth rates in newly established populations of the butterfly Pararge aegeria
Authors: POLLARD E. , ROTHERY P. , YATES T.J.
Published: November 2003

1. The likelihood of range changes in the event of climate change makes study of the foundation and establishment of populations of particular relevance and interest.

2. The butterfly Pararge aegeria has expanded its range in Britain over many decades. Since 1985, ten monitored sites in eastern England have been colonized and the pattern of population growth examined.

3. Geometric annual growth rates in the establishing populations were initially, on average, three‐ to fourfold but subsequently declined. The decline provides possible evidence that density‐dependence limits final population densities, but other explanations are possible.
Temperature‐related fluctuations in the timing of emergence and pupation of Windermere alder‐flies over 30 years
Authors: ELLIOTT J. M.
Published: November 2003

Abstract.

From 1966 to 1995, dates were recorded when adult alder‐flies, Sialis lutaria L., were first seen (30‐year range: 23 April − 25 May), 50% of the maximum density occurred (4 May − 4 June), and maximum density occurred (11 May − 17 June) along 200 m of Windermere shore. These emergence dates occurred at similar temperatures, estimated by mean values for both the emergence date and the week prior to emergence. The latter was the least variable at 10.1 °C (95% CL ± 0.37) for start of emergence, 11.2 °C (± 0.49) for 50% maximum density, 14.2 °C (± 0.51) for maximum density.

Final‐instar larvae pupated in damp soil just above the water line. As laboratory temperatures were increased slowly from an initial 5 °C, the cumulative number of larvae leaving the water to pupate increased. A quadratic equation described this relationship from a threshold temperature of 7.2 °C to completion at 14.0 °C (50% point, 9.3 °C). The relationship between successful pupations and constant temperatures in the laboratory was well described by a quadratic equation with an optimum 14.9 °C (over 90% success) and no success outside the range 7–23 °C. A negative power‐function described the relationship between days required for pupation and temperature, ranging from c. 28 days at 8.2 °C to c. 4 days at 22.1 °C.

Dates for larvae leaving the lake to pupate were back‐calculated from dates for adult emergence, using the power‐function for pupation time. Mean temperatures for estimated dates on which larvae left the lake to pupate were less variable than those for adult emergence, being 7.5 °C (± 0.20) for the start of pupation, 9.4 °C (± 0.16) for 50% maximum density, 13.7 °C (± 0.16) for maximum density. These values are similar to those obtained in the laboratory and can be used to predict pupation and adult emergence for different temperature regimes.
Male size and survival: the effects of male combat and bird predation in Dawson’s burrowing bees, Amegilladawsoni
Authors: ALCOCK JOHN
Published: November 2003

1. Males of Dawson’s burrowing bee, Amegilla dawsoni, occur in two size classes, large majors and small minors. Major males compete aggressively for emerging females in completely exposed emergence areas, whereas minors often employ an alternative mating tactic, which involves rapid patrolling in the vegetated periphery of emergence areas.

2. Because major males wrestle violently with rivals on the ground, they experience greater wing wear and a higher risk of wing damage than minor males. In addition, males patrolling emergence areas and waiting on the ground for emerging females are more likely to be killed by predatory birds than are peripheral minors.

3. Measurements of longevity based on mark–recapture data suggest that majors are slightly shorter‐lived than minor males. If male–male combat and predators do reduce the lifespan of major males relative to minors, the effect would be to decrease the lifetime mating advantage of majors relative to minors.

4. Differential mortality could therefore be a factor in the maintenance of the two forms of males in this species.
Colonization of host patches following long‐distance dispersal by a goldenrod beetle, Trirhabda virgata
Authors: HERZIG ROOT ANN, L.
Published: November 2003

1. The arrival of the chrysomelid beetle Trirhabda virgata on isolated patches of its host Solidago altissima was closely monitored to determine how conspecific density and host condition influence colonization.

2. Experimental host patches, which were set on the roof of a four‐storey building located 0.7 km from the nearest naturally occurring hosts, were frequently colonized by beetles over a 2‐week dispersal period.

3. Females preferred lush host patches that were free from simulated Trirhabda chewing damage. Females colonized lush patches more often than defoliated patches at two spatial scales, when patches were 2 m and 25 m apart. Males did not show a strong preference for lush plants.

4. Males aggregated on plants that already contained adult conspecifics, apparently increasing their reproductive success. Females did not respond to the presence of adults on the patch.

5. Ninety‐five per cent of the females arriving on the isolated plants had mated before flying, indicating that lone females are able to colonize empty stands.

6. By avoiding heavily defoliated plants, females should dissipate local outbreaks and spread their offspring away from over‐exploited areas.
Influence of larvae of Gastrophysa viridula on the distribution of conspecific adults in the field
Authors: SCHINDEK RALF , HILKER MONIKA
Published: November 2003

1. Previous laboratory bioassays indicate that exocrine glandular secretions of larvae of Gastrophysaviridula repel conspecific adults and deter them from feeding and oviposition. The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of larvae of G. viridula on conspecific adults in the field.

2. Within the G. viridula population studied, two generations were observed in a year. Occurrence of the different developmental stages overlapped temporally.

3. Some individual plants of Rumex obtusifolius, the host of the G. viridula population studied, grew so close to each other that they were considered as a plant group. When investigating the spatial distribution of larvae and adults within such plant groups, larvae were rarely found on plant groups on which adults were feeding.

4. A field experiment revealed that adults avoided plants of R. obtusifolius infested by conspecific larvae of the second and third instar. Adults still avoided these damaged plants when larvae had left them for pupation.

5. Gastrophysaviridula avoided oviposition on leaves and plants infested by conspecific larvae. Larvae of the second instar significantly deterred oviposition when present at a high density (33.3 larvae/dm2), whereas larvae of the first instar did not deter oviposition of conspecifics at either density tested. The oviposition deterring effect was also observed when just exocrine glandular secretion of larvae of the second instar was applied to the leaves in amounts equivalent to a density of 33.3 larvae/dm2.

6. Availability of food (R. obtusifolius) largely exceeded its exploitation in each group of plants examined. This may be due to either the spatial separation of adults and larvae or the low population density observed on these plant groups.
Increased fecundity, as a function of multiple mating, in an arctiid moth, Utetheisa ornatrix
Authors: LAMUNYON CRAIG
Published: November 2003

1. Female Utetheisa ornatrix mate multiply and may receive up to thirteen spermatophores. Spermatophores provide the female not only with sperm but also with a nuptial gift of pyrrolizidine alkaloid that she transmits to the eggs, protecting them against predation. Thus, through multiple mating the female accrues nuptial gifts that add to the defence of her offspring.

2. Multiple mating in female U. ornatrix brings about increases in fecundity, but not in longevity or egg mass. These increases occur through the third mating; the fourth and fifth matings, however, have no additional effect on fecundity.

3. These results, taken with the fact that spermatophores are sizeable and are digested within the female, suggest that they bear nutritive gifts that the female uses in egg construction. Multiple mating thus allows females to accrue the resources to build additional eggs.

4. These results are discussed in relation to the potential benefits accruing to donating such gifts and to male and female mating strategies.
Progressive restriction of host plant exploitation along a climatic gradient: the willow psyllid Cacopsylla groenlandica in Greenland
Authors: HODKINSON IAN
Published: November 2003

1. Host plant selection by the endemic willow psyllid Cacopsylla groenlandica was studied at eight sites in three locations along a N–S climatic gradient in west Greenland.

2. C. groenlandica oviposited and developed on four willow species: Salix glauca, S. arctophila, S. uva‐ursi and S. herbacea. Development took place on female catkins of all species and on leaf shoots of S. glauca.

3. At sites in southern Greenland, C. groenlandica fully utilized all four willow species. However, there was progressive reduction of host plant species and tissues exploited as latitude increased, such that towards the northern limit of its range the psyllid became highly specialized, feeding only on female catkins of S. glauca, despite the presence of alternative hosts. Where plant growth was tightly constrained within a restricted growing season, the demands of synchronizing with more than one species may have become too great, resulting in specialization on a single host.

4. The probable mechanisms producing specialization were between‐species differences in host plant phenology, linked to variation in the growing season, set against the partially non‐overlapping geographical distribution patterns of the host willows.

5. A small degree of phenological asynchrony between host plants can be advantageous for the insect. Under favourable conditions the reproductive season can be extended by using a series of host plants with staggered phenologies. Some ‘early’ hosts also create predator‐free space. However, as asynchrony increases, the advantages disappear as the insect becomes unable to exploit the full range of host options.

6. The importance of host plant synchrony in the life histories of arctic insects is discussed.
Effects of temperature and season on egg size, hatchling size and adult size in Notiophilus biguttatus
Authors: ERNSTING G. , ISAAKS J.A.
Published: November 2003

1. Temperature‐induced egg size variation and its effects on successive life stages in the carabid beetle Notiophilus biguttatus were examined.

2. In the laboratory, across temperature regimes, egg size and number were inversely related; number of eggs and total egg mass were higher, but egg size was smaller at high temperatures.

3. Food intake rate was shown not to be involved in the temperature effect on egg size.

4. Within the higher temperature regimes, among females, egg size was negatively correlated with number of eggs and with total egg mass.

5. Data on egg mortality and egg development time did not explain why at low temperature eggs were larger than at high temperature.

6. Larvae hatching from eggs produced at a low temperature were heavier than larvae from eggs produced at a high temperature, irrespective of temperature during development.

7. In a prolonged outdoor experiment (January – July), encompassing the main breeding period of N. biguttatus, egg size decreased and both egg production rate and total egg mass increased in the course of the experiment.

8. In the field, an effect of seasonal change in temperature on adult body size was found; teneral beetles that had their juvenile period early in the season were larger than those that had their juvenile period later in the season.

9. The results of the study suggest a mechanistic explanation in which the egg size response to temperature follows from a difference in temperature sensitivity between two processes in oogenesis; adaptiveness of the temperature response was not clarified.
Persistent, localized outbreaks in the western tussock moth Orgyia vetusta: the roles of resource quality, predation and poor dispersal
Authors: HARRISON SUSAN
Published: November 2003

1. On stands of the abundant perennial lupins Lupinus arboreus and L. chamissonis on the California coast, the western tussock moth Orgyia vetusta Bdv. occurs as only a few localized populations, which are locally dense enough to defoliate the host plants and yet do not appear to spread.

2. To determine what limits the spatial distribution of this insect, and therefore its global abundance, experiments were performed at three sites, examining the roles of host‐plant quality, predator abundance, rates of predation and dispersal.

3. At no site did host quality, predator abundance or rates of predation vary spatially in a way that would explain the location of the outbreak. However, adult female tussock moths are flightless, and rates of long‐distance aerial dispersal (‘ballooning’) by first‐instar larvae were very low at all sites. Poor dispersal is the only consistent explanation for the limited distribution of the tussock moth.
The Pieris napi /bryoniae hybrid zone at Pont de Nant, Switzerland: broad overlap in the range of suitable host plants
Authors: PORTER ADAM
Published: November 2003

1. The butterflies Pieris napi and Pieris bryoniae hybridize in a narrow zone at ≈ 1200 m in the Alps and Carpathians of Europe. They feed as larvae on a variety of hosts in the Brassicaceae, and few host species occur on both sides of the hybrid zone.

2. Females were captured on either side of the hybrid zone at Pont de Nant, Switzerland, eggs obtained, and larvae were offered plants from nineteen species of Brassicaceae and Reseda lutea (Resedaceae).

3. Nine of the hosts were found to have eggs or larvae already on them. Only Capsella bursa‐pastoris and R. lutea were unsuitable.

4. Significant survivorship differences among suitable hosts were found. There was no interaction between butterfly species and host plant, which would indicate adaptation by these taxa to their respective suites of hosts.

5. Among suitable hosts, larvae of both taxa had higher mortality on plants with hairy leaves and on older plants beginning to senesce.

6. Differential selection on host use, if it occurs at all, is likely to be a very minor factor in the dynamics of the Pieris napi/bryoniae hybrid zone.
Nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in termites: an indicator of trophic habit along the gradient from wood‐feeding to soil‐feeding
Authors: TAYASU I. , ABE T. , EGGLETON P. , BIGNELL D. E.
Published: November 2003

1. Nitrogen and carbon stable‐isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) of body tissues, mound/nest materials and dietary substrates were determined in termite species with differing trophic habits, sampled from the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve, southern Cameroon.

2. δ15N of termite tissues was enriched gradually along a spectrum of species representing a trophic gradient from wood‐ to soil‐feeding. Species that could be identified from their general biology and from gut content analysis as feeding on well‐rotted wood or as wood/soil interface feeders showed δ15N intermediate between sound‐wood‐feeders and soil‐feeders. It is proposed that δ15N is therefore a possible indicator of the functional position of species in the humification process. Differences in δ13C were also observed between wood‐feeding and soil‐feeding forms.

3. High values of δ15N in soil‐feeding termites suggest that nitrogen fixation is of little importance in these species.

4. A wide range of isotope effects (the difference in isotope ratios between termites and their diet) was observed for both nitrogen (Δδ15N = –1.6 to + 8.8‰) and carbon (Δδ13C = –2.2 to + 3.0‰), which suggests a diversity of nutrient acquisition mechanisms within termites and diverse relationships between termites and their intestinal micro‐organisms.
Population structure of a monophagous moth in a patchy landscape
Authors: FÖRARE JONAS , SOLBRECK CHRISTER
Published: November 2003

1. The population structure of a monophagous noctuid moth, Abrostola asclepiadis, living on a patchily distributed perennial herb, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria is described. The study took place over 5 years at a landscape scale (about 12 km2).

2. Patch occupancy rates and population densities were studied in relation to patch size, degree of patch isolation, level of sun exposure and distance from the coast. In addition, flight tests in the laboratory were performed to estimate the potential dispersal capacity of the moth.

3. Occupancy rates were high and the likelihood of extinction depended on patch size. Small patches were less likely to be occupied than were large patches (> 10 m2). Sun‐exposed patches were occupied for a lower proportion of years than were shaded patches. No distance effects could be discerned at the spatial scale of study, presumably because the insect is a strong flier.

4. Population densities in occupied patches decreased with increasing patch size. Furthermore, insect densities tended to increase with distance from the coast. Density changes in patches were synchronized.

5. The studied insect population can be described as a ‘patchy population’sensu Harrison (1991) with spatially correlated population dynamics. These dynamics are superimposed on a landscape gradient.
Enemy‐free space and the feeding niche ofan aphid
Authors: HOPKINS GRAHAM , DIXON ANTHONY
Published: November 2003

1. The nymphs of the aphid Monaphis antennata occupy an unusual feeding niche, being restricted to the upper surfaces of leaves and petioles. The possibility that this is a predator‐avoidance strategy was investigated.

2. Nymphs could be induced to feed on the under surfaces of petioles and the mortality of these nymphs was then compared with the mortality of nymphs feeding from the upper surfaces when exposed to coccinellid predators.

3. Coccinellid larvae spent less time foraging on the upper surfaces of leaves and petioles than on the under surfaces of leaves and petioles.

4. The nymphs occupying the upper surfaces of petioles, the normal feeding position, were encountered by the coccinellids later and less often, and fewer were attacked compared with those occupying the under surfaces.

5. It is concluded that the feeding niche of the nymphs of this aphid is adaptive in that it reduces exposure to foraging predators and is the result of selection to occupy enemy‐free space.
Factors affecting host selection in an insect host–parasitoid interaction
Authors: SAIT S. M. , BEGON M. , THOMPSON D. J. , HARVEY J. A. , HAILS R. S.
Published: November 2003

1. Many parasitoids can develop successfully in different stages of the same host but the costs of parasitism may vary between the stages. The stage of host attacked has generally been determined when there is no choice, giving a misleading impression of host selection or preference.

2. The rate of parasitism by a solitary endoparasitoid, Venturia canescens, of each larval stage of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, was examined with and without a host refuge from parasitism. In addition, when given a choice of host stages, with and without a refuge, the influence of parasitoid age on host selection was examined.

3. Wasps were able to parasitize all except the first instar, but second instars experienced significantly reduced parasitism, in both refuge treatments, compared with third to fifth instars. Whilst parasitoid emergence was always significantly less when all host stages had a refuge, the reduction was only marginally significant when second instars were attacked.

4. When given a choice of second‐ and fifth‐instar larvae, wasps consistently parasitized more fifth instars, both with and without a refuge. Moreover, significantly fewer second‐instar larvae were parasitized in the presence of fifth instars than when presented alone to the wasps. This pattern of parasitism was unaffected by the increasing age of the parasitoids.

5. Host selection by V. canescens is discussed in terms of host–parasitoid population dynamics and structure.
Economic motivation for plant species preferences of pollen‐collecting bumble bees
Authors: RASHEED SALMAN , HARDER LAWRENCE
Published: November 2003

1. Pollen is an essential resource for bees as it provides the proteins needed for larval development and growth. Bumble bees typically collect pollen from a limited subset of the available plant species, indicating that bees perceive qualitative and/or quantitative differences between species. Because bumble bees typically exhibit different foraging behaviours when collecting pollen than when collecting nectar, and often visit different plant species, the economics of pollen collection are subject to unique benefits and costs.

2. The influences of pollen standing crop, grain volume, protein content and foraging costs on the choice of plant species by pollen‐collecting bumble bees were assessed. Pollen was collected from different plant species available to bees and these species were ranked according to eleven currencies that differentially incorporate these influences on foraging economics.

3. Comparison of observed preferences at three sites with species rankings based on foraging currencies revealed that bumble bees do not assess plant species based solely on intrafloral characteristics. Instead, pollen‐foraging bumble bees are sensitive to protein availability at the site as a whole as well as foraging costs, and forage in a manner that maximizes the site‐specific efficiency of protein collection (protein collected/energetic costs). Such behaviour would promote proper larval development while maximizing forager lifespan.
Aggregation facilitates larval growth in the neotropical nymphalid butterfly Chlosyne janais
Authors: DENNO ROBERT , BENREY BETTY
Published: November 2003

1. Larvae of Chlosyne janais (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) feed gregariously as early instars on the shrub Odontonema callistachyum (Acanthaceae). During the fourth instar, aggregations break up and larvae feed as solitary individuals.

2. The hypothesis that aggregation increases growth rate was tested by raising larvae on intact plants in the field in different group sizes and measuring their daily growth.

3. There was a striking effect of group size on larval growth whereby larvae more than doubled their weight gain by feeding in large rather than small aggregations on intact plants in the field.

4. This group‐feeding advantage was lost altogether if larvae were raised on excised leaves in the laboratory, suggesting that large aggregations may facilitate growth either by inducing a nutrient sink or by overwhelming an induced allelochemical response in the plant.

5. Although larval survival was higher in cages that excluded enemies than in exposed aggregations, there was no influence of group size (experimentally manipulated) on short‐term survival in the field. However, there was a weak positive relationship between short‐term survival and the size of naturally occurring larval aggregations in the field. These data provide mixed support for the notion that gregarious feeding promotes defence against natural enemies.

6. Although the group defence hypothesis warrants further investigation, feeding facilitation is clearly an important factor contributing to the aggregation behaviour of C. janais larvae.
Specific recognition and rejection of the H‐2‐deficient cell line LR.4 By C57BL/6J mice
Authors: Verastegui E. , Del Rio R. , Ortega V. , Alfaro G.
Published: November 2003

The humoral immune response developed by C57BL/6J mice against the β2‐microglobulin (β2m) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I‐ and class II‐deficient cell variant of L5178Y, LR.4, is strain specific, is not linked to a given haplotype and involves at least one antigenic determinant expressed on the cell membrane. Anti‐LR.4 antibodies can be detected in the serum and ascitic fluid of tumour‐bearing animals, and in the serum of mice immunized with mitomycin C (MC)‐treated cells. In vitro, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) cannot be induced under different experimental conditions. However, recognition and lysis of LR.4 axe mediated by an antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) mechanism in which natural killer (NK) cells extracted from the spleen of resistant or susceptible strains are the effector cells. The NK cells responsible for ADCC against LR.4 are not inducible with polyinosinic‐polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) and could represent a subset that is not detectable by conventional assays. In conclusion, the incapacity of BALB/c and possibly of other strains of mice to reject LR.4 is determined by the failure to mount a humoral immune response.
Altered peptide ligands: Prospects for immune intervention in autoimmune disease
Authors: Fairchild P. J.
Published: November 2003

It has long been accepted that the response of T cells to a protein antigen is strongly influenced by parameters governing processing and presentation of the immunodominant epitopes. Recent evidence has suggested, however, that subtle changes in the nature of the ligand itself may also affect the outcome of T‐cell receptor (TCR) ligation, necessitating a re‐evaluation of previously accepted paradigms of T‐cell activation. In particular, activation may no longer be regarded as an all‐or‐nothing event, but appears to involve both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. This revolution in our understanding has emanated from the recent discovery that analogues of immunogenic peptides, so‐called altered peptide ligands (APLs), may elicit a subset of normal activation events, or profoundly influence responses to the wild‐type epitope. As such, the potential offered by APLs for modifying the outcome of deleterious immune responses involved in autoimmunity has not passed unnoticed. Indeed, the design and exploitation of novel reagents based on the structure of auto‐antigenic epitopes has enjoyed some measure of success in the treatment of experimental models of autoimmune disease and holds promise for their exploitation within the clinical arena.
HLA‐DR4 SUBTYPE AND ‐B ALLELES IN DQB1*0302‐POSITIVE HAPLOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH IDDM
Authors: REIJONEN H. , NEJENTSEV S. , TUOKKO J. , KOSKINEN S. , TUOMILEHTO‐WOLF E. , ÅKERBLOM H. K. , ILONEN J. , GROUP THE CHILDHOOD DIABETES IN FINLAND STUDY
Published: November 2003

We determined the distribution of DR4 subtypes in 309 DQB1*0302‐positive haplotypes found in insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients and 70 control haplotypes present only in healthy family members. An increased frequency of DRB1*0401 allele (74.4% vs. 55.7%, P = 0.003) and a decrease of DRB1*0404 allele (23.6% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.0064) was revealed. A further analysis of extended haplotypes demonstrated strong linkages between various B alleles and DRB1*04 subtypes. HLA‐B39 was more frequent in DRB1*0404–DQB1*0302‐positive IDDM haplotypes compared with control ones (37.0% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.049), suggesting an involvement of the region telomeric to HLA‐DRB1 in the susceptibility to IDDM.
A NOVEL DRB1*0801 HAPLOTYPE CARRYING DRB3*0202 FOUND IN A GERMAN PEDIGREE
Authors: CHEN D.‐F. , PASTUCHA L. T. , ALBERT E. D. , SEIBERT I. , VOLGGER A. , YAO Z. , PEIN C.‐D. , TILLMANN H. L. , MANNS M. P. , STANGEL W.
Published: November 2003

DRB1*08 haplotypes have not been known to carry a DRB3 gene. We have found a patient suffering from liver disease who has a novel HLA haplotype of DRB1*0801 with DRB3*0202 as established by family segregation. These two genes were confirmed by sequencing. DR8 and DR52 antigen specificities were serologically detected, indicating expression of these genes.
FUNCTION AND SPECIFICITY OF HUMAN NATURAL KILLER CELL RECEPTORS
Authors: MORETTA A. , PAROLINI S. , CASTRICONI R. , BOTTINO C. , VITALE M. , SIVORI S. , MILLO R.
Published: November 2003

In humans, natural killer lymphocytes express HLA class I‐specific inhibitory receptors belonging to at least two different molecular families. The first is represented by members of the Ig superfamily that are involved in the recognition of different groups of HLA class I alleles, and the second is represented by a molecular complex formed by CD94 and NKG2A that displays a broad specificity for various class I molecules including the ‘non‐classical’ HLA‐G molecules. In addition to the inhibitory receptors, a series of activating receptors has been identified. Some display the same specificities as the corresponding inhibiting receptors and can be viewed as HLA class I‐specific activating receptors. Another group of activating receptors appear to be involved in the cytolytic activity against HLA‐‘negative’ target cells. These receptors are clearly non‐MHC specific and, under physiological conditions, their function is suppressed by the HLA class I‐specific inhibitory receptors.
HLA AND ELEPHANTIASIS REVISITED
Authors: YAZDANBAKHSH M. , ABADI K. , DE ROO M. , VAN WOUWE L. , DENHAM D. , MEDEIROS F. , VERDUIJN W. , GIPHART G. M. TH. SCHREUDER† R. SCHIPPER† M. J. , DE VRIES R. R. P.
Published: November 2003

A recent case‐control study in Indonesia suggested that the course of Brugian filariasis and in particular resistance to the development of elephantiasis was associated with certain HLA class II alleles. In order to see whether these data could be confirmed we conducted a similar study in another Indonesian population from South Sulawesi. We could not confirm our earlier results and therefore concluded that HLA‐DR and ‐DQ alleles are at least not strongly associated with progression to elephantiasis in Brugian filariasis. The complete data are presented also for anthropological reference purposes.