bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preferred orientation of calcite in the ratite and tinamou eggshells
Authors: Silyn‐Roberts H. , Sharp R. M.
Published: August 2010

Using X‐ray diffractometry, the development of preferred orientation was studied in one species from each of the extant ratite families, from two moas and two tinamous and, as a preliminary comparison, from representative species from 16 of the other carinate orders. A preferred orientation begins to develop immediately after the start of shell deposition, and in all shells studied was one in which the (001) planes tend to lie parallel to the shell surface. The degree of (001) texture that develops in the ratite and tinamou shells is greater than that developed in the other carinate orders. Development in the ostrich, kiwi and tinamou is uninterrupted so that there is a very high degree of (001) preferred orientation at the exteriors of the shells. In the Emu, cassowary, rhea and the two moa species, a very high degree of (001) texture reverses gradually within the central layer of the shell, and in some species this is accompanied by the development of a very weak (104) preferred orientation. The weak (001) textures observed in the shells of the 20 species from the carinate orders other than the Tinamiformes develop slowly and without interruption through the shell; in four species a weak (104) texture develops simultaneously to that of the (001), forming a double texture similar to that already reported in the majority of shells of the domestic fowl.
The comparative breeding biology of magpies Pica pica in an urban and a rural habitat (Aves: Corvidae)
Authors: Eden S. F.
Published: August 2010

The breeding biology of magpies in an adjacent urban and rural area in the same year was compared. Breeding commenced earlier in the urban habitat. This was attributed to the earlier availability of invertebrate food in the urban habitat as a result of higher urban ambient temperature. Hatching success and the amount of nest predation were lower in the urban area than in the rural area. Low levels of nest predation in urban areas were due to reduced human predation and probably to the relatively low numbers of many natural predators. Differences in the nest tree species utilized also influenced the probability of human predation. Despite these differences in the causes of egg and chick mortality, the number of young reared to 14 days of age per nest was similar in both habitats.
Aspects of worker reproduction in four social wasp species (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Authors: Ross Kenneth G.
Published: August 2010

The question of male production by workers in social wasp colonies (Vespinae) has long concerned researchers. Its occurrence would suggest that queen control of colony reproduction is not absolute and that the evolution and maintenance of eusociality in vespines may have been promoted through direct reproductive ability of the worker caste. Dissections of over 3,300 workers from 34 Paravespula and Vespula colonies failed to reveal a significant contribution to male production by workers in most colonies. In those colonies which did contain ovary‐developed workers, the wasps tended to be larger than their nestmates in two of the species. On the other hand, ovary‐developed workers could not be characterized as specializing in intra‐ or extranidal tasks in any species. The onset of worker ovarian development was associated with increased size of nests and occurred predominantly in late‐season colonies. The near‐complete sterility of workers through most of the season suggests that models invoking mutualism and characterizing workers as ‘hopeful reproductives’ cannot explain the maintenance of eusociality in vespine wasps.
The genus Prosorhochmus Keferstein, 1862 (Hoplonemertea)
Authors: GIBSON RAY , MOORE JANET
Published: August 2010

A diagnosis of the monostiliferous hoplonemertean genus Prosorhochmus is provided and the type‐species, P. claparedii, is redescribed and illustrated from Plymouth and Anglesey material; the identification is related to Keferstein's (1862) original description. The taxonomic status of the remaining five species is re‐evaluated. It is concluded that P. korotneffi and P. delagei are synonymous with P. claparedii, but that neither the generic nor specific position of P. viviparus, P. albidus or P. subterraneus can, at present, be determined. The importance of the genus Prosorhochmus to studies on the origins of terrestrial nemerteans is discussed.
Horizontal variations in associations of zooplankton in Lake Kariba
Authors: GREEN J.
Published: August 2010

The horizontal distribution of the zooplankton in Lake Kariba was sampled by means of vertical hauls using 55 and 250 μm meshed nets. Crustacea were sparse in the main lake, but increased dramatically in the very shallow water at the end of Crocodile Creek. The composition of the zooplankton is influenced by the presence in the main lake of the Tanganyika sardine, Limnothrissa miodon, and by the large size of the dominant diatom in the phytoplankton. In the creeks the distribution can be explained by the zooplankton occurring in open spaces into which planktivorous fish do not enter because of the possibility of predation by Tiger fish (Hydrucyori) and birds.

The systematic composition of the zooplankton in L. Kariba is reviewed and compared with two natural lakes and another man‐made lake. It is concluded that the zooplankton and the fishes in L. Kariba have reached approximately the specific diversity that one would expect from a similar sized natural lake in the same geographical area.
Bivariate and multivariate growth allometry: statistical and biological considerations
Authors: Shea Brian T.
Published: August 2010

Bivariate and multivariate analyses of 55 cranial dimensions were completed on ontogenetic series of Pygmy chimpanzees (Pan paniscus), Common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla). Subanalyses described here were specifically designed to compare and crosscheck quantitative assessments of relative growth as determined using the bivariate and multivariate (principal components analysis—PCA) approaches. Results indicate a strong concordance between the bivariate and multivariate patterns, empirically supporting the claim that PCA provides an effective multivariate approach to analysing growth allometry. Comparison of bivariate and multivariate results also suggests that in multi‐group PCA, the first component summarizes shape variation resulting from the sharing and extension of common patterns of growth allometry, while the second and subsequent components summarize shape variation resulting from divergent growth trajectories, reflected in bivariate comparisons as either vertical shifts and/or slope differences. Examination of non‐normalized first component loadings, plus a comparison with estimates of logarithmic growth in the cranial dimensions, reveals that the non‐normalized loadings are proportional to coefficients of specific growth. This finding further links the bivariate and multivariate approaches, grounding both in Huxley's theoretical notions of multiplicative and relative growth.
Water uptake and morphological changes during recovery from anabiosis in the plant‐parasitic nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci
Authors: WHARTON D. A. , BARRETT J. , PERRY R. N.
Published: August 2010

The changes in water content and structural organization that occur during the rehydration of the anabiotic 4th‐stage juveniles of the plant‐parasitic nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci are described. Morphological changes include the coalescence of lipid droplets and the appearance of a hyaline layer beneath the cuticle. Changes in diameter are mainly responsible for volume changes. Changes in the appearance of the hyaline layer suggests that the muscle cells undergo some sort of repair process before activity resumes.
Temporal patterns of circulating LH and steroid hormones in a brood parasite, the Brown‐headed cowbird, Molothrus afer.
Authors: Dufty A. M. , Wingfield J. C.
Published: August 2010

The breeding behaviour of female Brown‐headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, is remarkably distinct from that of females of most other passerine species. Cowbirds are brood parasites that do not build nests, incubate eggs or feed young. Instead, they have an extended egg‐laying stage, and deposit eggs in the nests of hosts within large breeding territories that are defended from other female cowbirds. In this communication, we report the changes in plasma levels of circulating hormones and in morphological characteristics that occur in free‐living female Brown‐headed cowbirds over a breeding season.

Plasma LH in female cowbirds increases at the onset of breeding and remains elevated for approximately eight weeks, at which time levels decline to basal values. This pattern is similar to that of follicle development, and is consistent with the prolific reproductive output by individuals of this species. Circulating E, levels are quite variable and do not demonstrate any discernible pattern, while plasma B is elevated during the egg‐laying period and declines subsequently.

Testosterone titre (T) is highest early in the breeding season, when territorial interactions are generally most frequent. T levels decline slowly thereafter, reaching their lowest values at the season's end. Plasma DHT levels are slightly higher than those for T; DHT exhibits little change until late in the breeding season, when it declines. Fat scores are highest prior to egg laying, and fat reserves diminish as the breeding season progresses. In contrast, body weight increases during the reproductive season, probably as a result of developing eggs in the ovary. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that temporal patterns of hormone secretion are correlated with the expression of social systems.
Oozooid development and budding in the polyclinid ascidian, Parascidia flemingii (Urochordata)*
Authors: Nakauchi Mitsuaki
Published: August 2010

The life history of the polyclinid ascidian, Parascidia flemingii was studied in the laboratory from its larval stage to the blastozooid stage. This species is like Circinalium concrescens (Sidnyum turbinatum?) in its external appearance. The present study showed, however, that they were different from each other in 1) larval size, 2) larval activity, 3) spot formation in the adult, and 4) mode of budding. Budding of oozooids occurred 19–32 days after metamorphosis, and 2–8 strobilae were formed in the abdomen and postabdomen. Mother zooids have four stigmata1 rows and two atrial languets, blastozooids having 5–8 stigmata1 rows and a simple languet.
Adaptations to a diet of nectar and pollen in the marsupial Tarsipes rostratus (Marsupialia: Tarsipedidae)
Authors: Richardson K. C. , Wooller R. D. , Collins B. G.
Published: August 2010

The mouse‐sized marsupial Tarsipes rostratus, endemic to south‐western Australia, feeds almost exclusively on nectar and pollen. Its tongue has long filiform papillae at the tip and shorter compound papillae over much of the upper surface. These collect nectar and pollen when the long tongue, stiffened by a keratinized keel, is protruded into flowers or over pollen presenters. Pollen is scraped from the papillae by a series of combs on the roof of the mouth. A large diverticulum, off the main chamber of the stomach, may store nectar in times of surplus. Pollen is not digested in the stomach but during passage down the simple intestine, which does not have a caecum. In captive animals, pollen passed through the gut in about six hours and the percentage of grains voided which had lost their contents was related to time spent in the gut. The digestion process remains unresolved but probably takes place through the apertures in the shells of pollen grains. Tarsipes ingests large numbers of pollen grains whose contents probably provide necessary nutrients absent from nectar.
Description of the heart and associated blood vessels in larval lampreys
Authors: Percy Lord Richard , Potter I. C.
Published: August 2010

Examination of dissections and reconstructions made from serial sections and observations of blood flow in small transparent animals have been used to describe the heart and associated blood vessels in the larva (ammocoete) of all three living families of lampreys. Particular emphasis has been placed on describing the condition in ammocoetes spanning the complete range in larval body size and on resolving the serious descriptive and nomenclatural anomalies in the literature. During early larval life (7‐30 mm), the sinus venosus becomes almost entirely separated from the liver by a collagenous barrier which develops on the anterior face of the latter organ. However, at no stage in larval life is a transverse septum developed between the pericardial and perivisceral cavities. The four chambers of the heart (sinus venosus, atrium, ventricle and conus arteriosus) are separated by valves, each of which has a pair of leaflets which open and close. The junctions of the left anterior and posterior cardinal veins and of the right anterior and posterior cardinal veins are united transversely where they meet the right and left descending ducts of Cuvier. Since this allows the lateral transfer of blood between the right and left sides of the cardinal veins, it presumably facilitates the distribution of different volumes of blood to the different‐sized ducts of Cuvier. The large right duct passes dorsoventrally straight into the sinus venosus, while the smaller and slightly more posterior left duct descends in a channel on the anterior face of the liver, from which it receives further blood before finally entering the sinus venosus below the level of entry of the right duct. In 47% of animals examined, the more dorsal region of the left duct also passed straight into the sinus venosus at a level comparable with that of the right duct. In addition to the ducts of Cuvier, the sinus venosus receives blood directly from a single ventral hepatic vein and a single inferior jugular vein. Except in very young ammocoetes (< 12 mm), the dorsal aorta, and the anterior mesenteric artery which arises from its dorsal surface, curve to the right in the cardiac region of the trunk. This shift in location, which parallels that described for fossil osteostracans, permits the oesophagus to be suspended above the heart by vertical strands of connective tissue hanging from the mid‐ventral surface of the notochord.
Reproduction of Mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in relation to density and physical condition
Authors: AngerbjÖrn Anders
Published: August 2010

Population estimates of Mountain hares were done on three islands off the west coast of Sweden. Three different relative measures of hare reproduction were negatively related to density. Most of this relationship was accounted for through a positive correlation with body condition. However, there was no significant density trend in litter size or number of litters. The start of the reproductive season each year was related to mean air temperature during spring, so when spring was early so was conception.
Food habits, energetics, and the reproduction of marsupials
Authors: McNab Brian K.
Published: August 2010

Basal rate of metabolism in marsupials and in eutherian mammals is principally correlated with body mass, food habits and activity. Feeding on fruit, the leaves of woody plants, or invertebrates is associated with low basal rates, especially at large masses, in both groups of mammals. These foods lead to low basal rates because they are seasonally unavailable, are indigestible, or need to be detoxified. The depression in basal rate associated with frugivory and folivory is increased when coupled with sedentary, arboreal habits in both marsupials and eutherians. In contrast, eutherians that feed on vertebrates or herbs generally have high basal rates, while marsupials that eat these foods do not have high basal rates. These foods permit high basal rates, which are exploited by eutherians because high basal rates in these mammals lead to high rates of reproduction. Marsupials have, at best, a limited correlation of reproduction with rate of metabolism, so that feeding on vertebrates or herbs does not lead to high basal rates in these mammals. This difference between marsupials and eutherians in the coupling of reproduction to energetics has at least two ecological consequences. 1) Marsupials generally do not tolerate cold‐temperate environments because they do not accelerate growth and development to complete reproduction within a short spring and summer. 2) Marsupials coexist with ecologically similar eutherians as long as marsupials have food habits that are correlated with low rates of metabolism in eutherians (i.e. they feed on fruit, the leaves of woody plants, or invertebrates), but they tend to be displaced by eutherians when marsupials have food habits that are associated with high rates of metabolism in eutherians (i.e. when they feed on vertebrates and, probably, herbs).
Breeding performance of kestrels at Eskdalemuir, south Scotland
Authors: Village Andrew
Published: August 2010

The performance of 144 pairs of European kestrels breeding in upland young conifer plantations was studied from 1976 to 1979. Laying started between 15 April and 1 June, and was 14 days later, on average, in the poor vole year of 1977 than in the other years. Some 38% of pairs failed to fledge young, mainly because they deserted clutches during incubation. The proportion of pairs that failed was positively correlated with total rainfall in May, but apparently not with estimated spring vole numbers. There was a marked seasonal decline in both clutch size and the probability of breeding successfully, so that early laying pairs fledged 2.7 times as many young per attempt as did late pairs. Within years, there was considerable variation in the laying date between pairs. On the available data, environmental factors, such as the habitat or vole numbers around the nest, appeared to have less influence on this variation than did the age of the pair members, their pairing date or their previous breeding experience.
Socio‐ecology of Bat‐eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis)
Authors: Malcom J. R.
Published: August 2010

Bat‐eared foxes were studied for eight months at four sites in Kenya and Tanzania with the main study in the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Eleven foxes were caught and four fitted with radio‐collars. Foxes in Masai Mara feed mainly on ants and termites. They showed a marked preference for short grass habitat, and their range expanded when wildebeest lowered grass height by grazing and trampling. Foxes lived in groups (x̄= 2.8) with overlapping home ranges, and relations between groups were usually amicable. Foxes gave birth from September‐December and all members of the group provided some care to the cubs.

A review of Bat‐eared fox ecology from other studies reveals a consistent picture of this aberrant insectivorous canid. The species foraging strategy involves locating social insects by sound in short grass areas. The species is able to find suitable habitat and multiply rapidly. Although usually living in monogamous pairs, reports of polygyny, and non‐reproductive males in groups also exist. Living in groups may increase each fox's chance of feeding on insect swarms, and also provides protection from predators.
The functional significance of the pterygomaxillary ligament in Xenopus Iaevis (Amphibia: Anura)
Authors: Shaw J. P.
Published: August 2010

A pterygomaxillary ligament, which runs postero‐inferiorly from the posterior end of the maxilla to the pterygoid, is described macroscopically and microscopically in the aquatic anuran amphibian Xenopus laevis (Daudin). The quadratojugal is absent in this species, and consequently the short maxilla has no posterior articulation and is potentially mobile. However, the pterygomaxillary ligament limits upward and lateral displacement of the maxilla when pressure is applied upwards during closure of the lower jaw. The ligament absorbs forces applied to the posterior end of the maxilla and permits their dissipation via the pterygoid to the neurocranium.
Preferred orientation of calcite in the Aepyornis eggshell
Authors: Silyn‐Roberts H. , Sharp R. M.
Published: August 2010

Using X‐ray diffractometry, the development of preferred orientation of the calcite was studied in the Aepyornis eggshell. As in the shells of the extant ratite species, a high degree of texture develops in which the (001) plane lies parallel to the shell surface. This texture then decreases gradually throughout the outer half of the shell.
Bone crushing carnivores and their significance to osteodystrophy in griffon vulture chicks
Authors: Richardson P. R. K. , P. J. Mundy  , Plug I.
Published: August 2010

The natural removal of 89 ungulate carcasses by predators and scavengers was monitored in various wildlife reserves and ranching areas of South Africa. Carnivores responsible for the bone remains were determined. Spotted hyaenas and, to a lesser extent, Brown hyaenas, were the only carnivores that regularly chewed bones. When hyaenas were absent, months of weathering were required before the smaller bones became disarticulated and able to be removed by vultures. The bone‐collecting behaviour and related aspects of breeding of two species of griffon vulture were studied at five different nesting colonies in southern Africa—one Cape vulture colony and one White‐backed vulture colony in or near wildlife reserves, as well as two Cape vulture colonies and one White‐backed vulture colony in ranching land. A total of 2825 bones was found in or below the vulture nests. These bones were categorized and measured. Hyaena‐produced bone fragments were found only in the colonies in the wild areas—none of the 387 chicks examined here had osteodystrophy (metabolic bone disease). By contrast, in the ranching areas, vultures collected larger and less fragmented bones. Many Cape vulture chicks had osteodystrophy (130 of 1917 examined), as did two White‐backed vulture chicks (of 196 examined). In 1977, artificial feeding stations, ‘restaurants’ where carcass skeletons were crushed, were established for Cape vultures. Since then, the incidence of osteodystrophy has declined from 17% to 2–5% in 1983. It is clear that bone fragments are an essential dietary requirement, providing calcium for correct skeletal growth of griffon vulture chicks.
Main arteries to the female reproductive organs in the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
Authors: Onyeanusi B. I. , Ema A. N. , Ojo S. A.
Published: August 2010

The helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris, is a member of the Galliformes (King & McLelland, 1975). This order includes the domestic fowl, Callus domeslicus, which has undoubtedly dominated research studies in poultry production generally. Many of the anatomical studies in birds have been carried out using the domestic fowl, with comparatively little mention of other genera. Although the genera in the Galliformes have very many similarities, few anatomical differences have been shown to exist. For example, Crowe & Crowe (1979) have found some striking differences between the blood supply to the head and neck of the guineafowl and the domestic fowl.

The guineafowl has become a popular poultry bird in Nigeria, and has been said to rank second to the domestic fowl, despite its seasonal breeding pattern. The further improvement of this genus in our poultry production has necessitated increased studies into its nutritional requirements, management procedures and disease prevalence. In line with this improvement is the need for anatomical data on the female reproductive organs as a basis for the breeding and selection programme. The aim of this study is to describe the macroscopic arterial blood supply to the reproductive organs of the guineafowl.
Do Wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus, use dropping boards?
Authors: Wolton Robert J.
Published: August 2010

The White‐footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, a morphologically and ecologically similar species to the Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (L.), preferentially deposits faeces on dropping boards, that is on artificial, clean, flat surfaces (Emlen, Hine, Fuller & Alfonso, 1957). Since such behaviour has clear scent‐marking implications and can also be used to provide a ready index of population size, it was judged of interest to discover whether it is exhibited by Wood mice.
Incidence of healed fracture in the skeletons of birds, molluscs and primates
Authors: Brandwood A. , Jayes A. S. , Alexander R. Mcn
Published: August 2010

The incidences of healed fracture in the limb bones of birds and the shells of molluscs were estimated by the examination of samples of bones and shells. The results are compared to published data on fracture incidence in molluscs and in primates and other mammals. The relationship between observed incidence of healed fracture, costs of growth and use of the skeleton, and the costs associated with its failure are discussed in terms of a theory of factors of safety.
The functional morphology of the organs of feeding and digestion of the hydrothermal vent bivalve Calyptogena magnifica (Vesicomyidae)
Authors: Morton Brian
Published: August 2010

The discovery, around Galapagos Rift hydrothermal vents, of an unique community of animals dependent upon the chemoautotrophic oxidation of hydrogen sulphide by bacteria, has aroused wide interest. In the gutless pogonophoran Riftia pachyptila. trophosomal symbiotic bacteria are thought to be principally responsible for this unique form of nutrition. Similar symbiotic bacteria have been postulated for the ctenidia of the Rift clam Calyptogena magnifica. Such a mode of nutrition was deemed necessary since Calyptogena was thought not to possess ctenidial food grooves, thereby making normal filter‐feeding impossible. This study reports upon the anatomy of a specimen of C. magnifica and demonstrates the presence of narrow ctenidial food grooves and the normal bivalve complement of feeding and digestive organs. Using a variety of general bacterial and DNA specific stains, no evidence of symbiotic intracellular bacteria has been found in the ctenidia (or any other tissues). It is concluded that C. magnifica is principally a filter feeder, albeit with modification for collecting and processing a diet of bacterial cells, with the possibility (as in all bivalves) of direct absorption. High chemoautotrophic activity levels in the ctenidia probably result from entrapment of vent water bacteria collected during filter feeding.
Sevoflurane: Approaching the Ideal Inhalational Anesthetic A Pharmacologic, Pharmacoeconomic, and Clinical Review
Authors: Delgado‐Herrera Leticia , Ostroff Randall D. , Rogers Sharon A.
Published: August 2010

Sevoflurane is a safe and versatile inhalational anesthetic compared with currently available agents. Sevoflurane is useful in adults and children for both induction and maintenance of anesthesia in inpatient and outpatient surgery. Of all currently used anesthetics, the physical, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic properties of sevoflurane come closest to that of the ideal anesthetic (200). These characteristics include inherent stability, low flammability, non‐pungent odor, lack of irritation to airway passages, low blood:gas solubility allowing rapid induction of and emergence from anesthesia, minimal cardiovascular and respiratory side effects, minimal end‐organ effects, minimal effect on cerebral blood flow, low reactivity with other drugs, and a vapor pressure and boiling point that enables delivery using standard vaporization techniques. As a result, sevoflurane has become one of the most widely used agents in its class.
Neuroprotective Profile of Enoxaparin, a Low Molecular Weight Heparin, in In Vivo Models of Cerebral Ischemia or Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats: a Review
Authors: Stutzmann Jean‐Marie , Mary Veronique , Wahl Florence , Grosjean‐Piot Odile , Uzan André , Pratt Jeremy
Published: August 2010

The development of treatments for acute neurodegenerative diseases (stroke and brain trauma) has focused on (i) re‐establishing blood flow to ischemic areas as quickly as possible (i.e. mainly antithrombotics or thrombolytics for stroke therapy) and (ii) on protecting neurons from cytotoxic events (i.e. neuroprotective therapies such as anti‐excitotoxic or anti‐inflammatory agents for stroke and neurotrauma therapies). This paper reviews the preclinical data for enoxaparin in in vivo models of ischemia and brain trauma in rats. Following a photothrombotic lesion in the rat, enoxaparin significantly reduced edema at 24 h after lesion when the treatment was started up to 18 h after insult. Enoxaparin was also tested after an ischemic insult using the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model in the rat. Enoxaparin, 2 × 1.5 mg/kg i.v., significantly reduced the lesion size and improved the neuroscore when the treatment was started up to 5 h after ischemia. Enoxaparin, administered at 5h after insult, reduced cortical lesion size in a dose‐dependent manner. In permanent MCAO, enoxaparin (5 and 24 h after insult) significantly reduced lesion size and improved neuroscore. A slight and reversible elevation of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) suggests that enoxaparin is neuroprotective at a non‐hemorrhagic dose. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often accompanied by secondary ischemia due in part to edema‐induced compression of blood vessels. When enoxaparin, at 0.5 mg/kg i.v. + 4 × 1 mg/kg s.c., was administered later than 30h after TBI, it significantly reduced edema in hippocampus and parietal cortex. At one week after TBI the lesion size was significantly reduced and the neurological deficit significantly improved in enoxaparin treated animals. Finally, the cognitive impairment was significantly improved by enoxaparin at 48 h to 2 weeks after TBI. The anticoagulant properties of unfractionated heparin and specifically enoxaparin can explain their anti‐ischemic effects in experimental models. Furthermore, unfractionated heparin and specifically enoxaparin, have, in addition to anticoagulant, many other pharmacological effects (i.e. reduction of intracellular Ca2+ release; antioxidant effect; anti‐inflammatory or neurotrophic effects) that could act in synergy to explain the neuroprotective activity of enoxaparin in acute neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we demonstrated, that in different in vivo models of acute neurodegenerative diseases, enoxaparin reduces brain edema and lesion size and improves motor and cognitive functional recovery with a large therapeutic window of opportunity (compatible with a clinical application). Taking into account these experimental data in models of ischemia and brain trauma, the clinical use of enoxaparin in acute neurodegenerative diseases warrants serious consideration.
The 14th Annual Meeting of the Winter Conference on Neural Plasticity Moorea, French Polynesia February 22 – March 02, 2002
Authors: Petit Ted L.
Published: August 2010

The 14th Annual Meeting of the Winter Conference on Neural Plasticity was held in Moorea, French Polynesia from February 22 – March 02, 2002. The Conference was attended by approximately 80 participants from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, New Zealand and the United States. Most of the participants were neuroscientists from universities and basic research departments of applied institutions. The primary focus of the conference is to annually review recent advances in the area of neural plasticity from multi‐disciplinary and lifespan perspectives. There was an initial “New Concepts Session” and nine scientific sessions each lasting two hours.
Development of the Nitrone‐Based Spin Trap Agent NXY‐059 to Treat Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Lapchak Paul A. , Araujo Dalia M.
Published: August 2010

The only current FDA‐approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke is thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). However, there are numerous shortcomings to tPA treatment including an increased incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and a short therapeutic window (3–6 h). In recent years, studies have attempted to identify new therapeutics that might be neuroprotective following ischemic strokes. Free radical scavenging spin trap agents have been proposed as potential candidates for stroke therapy because of the hypothesized role of free radicals in the progression of stroke and ischemia‐induced neurodegeneration. Novel spin trap agents like (disodium‐[(tert‐butylimino) methy1] benzene‐1,3‐disulfonate N‐oxide (NXY‐059) are of particular interest, not only because they are broad‐spectrum nitrone‐based free radical scavengers, but also because of their safety profile in humans. Moreover, the rationale for developing NXY‐059 for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke is further supported by the drug's reported neuroprotective effects. In addition, NXY‐059 may represent a useful adjunct stroke therapy to tPA, since preclinical studies have demonstrated that NXY‐059 increases the therapeutic window for tPA and lowers the occurrence of tPA‐induced ICH.
Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology of Cyamemazine: Anxiolytic Effects and Prevention of Alcohol and Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome
Authors: Bourin Michel , Dailly Eric , Hascöet Martine
Published: August 2010

Several studies have suggested that the antipsychotic compound, cyamemazine, possesses anxiolytic properties in humans. The original pharmacological profile of cyamemazine (D2, 5‐HT2A, 5‐HT2C, and 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist), which was established by binding, microdialysis and behavioral studies, is consistent with these observations. In the light/dark exploration test, cyamemazine demonstrated anxiolytic‐like activity by acute, but not chronic administration. By chronic administration, however, cyamemazine increased the time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze (EPM) test demonstrating anxiolytic‐like activity. The discrepancy between the results obtained in these tests by acute and chronic administration, could be due to a combination of dopamine D2 receptor antagonism with antagonism of the 5‐HT2C and 5‐HT3 receptors. The action of cyamemazine on both the dopaminergic system and 5‐HT3 receptors could also explain the activity of cyamemazine in the management of alcohol withdrawal demonstrated in preclinical studies. This potential indication for cyamemazine and its activity in benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome have recently been investigated in clinical trials and the results of these studies are presented in this review.
Comparing a Traditional IRA and a Roth IRA: Theory Versus Practice
Authors: Adelman Saul W. , Cross Mark L.
Published: August 2010

Abstract

Financial planners often advise their clients to first take advantage of employer‐sponsored 401(k) plans, especially those with matching employer contributions. They often recommend next that clients consider a traditional or Roth IRA, depending on their current eligibility and tax bracket. Generally, the traditional IRA tends to be preferable to the Roth IRA if one expects to be in a lower tax bracket during the retirement versus the contribution years. This preference could be impacted by the theoretical or the practical assumptions one could make as to the tax bracket effect, minimum distribution requirements, and the impact of withdrawals on the amount of Social Security benefits taxed. This research compares the traditional and the Roth IRA, examining both the theoretical and practical assumptions of client behavior. The results indicate that the best choice between the types of IRAs depends on whether the investor's actual behavior is consistent with theory or practice.
Oral ivermectin for head lice: a comparison with 0.5 % topical malathion lotion
Authors: Nofal Ahmad
Published: August 2010

Background: Reports of treatment failure of head lice have become increasingly common. Oral ivermectin has been proposed as a potential alternative for the treatment of head lice infestation. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of oral ivermectin with topical malathion lotion in the treatment of head lice.

Patients and methods: Eighty apparently healthy children with head lice infestation were randomly assigned to 2 groups, with 40 patients in each. The first group received oral ivermectin as a single dose of 200 μg/kg and the second group received single topical application of malathion lotion 0.5 %. Follow up visits were done at days 8, 15 and 29. A second dose of either drug was given at day 8 in case of treatment failure.

Results: After a single dose, complete cure was achieved in 77.5 % and 87.5 % of ivermectin and malathion groups respectively. After the second dose for nonresponders, the cure rate increased to 92.5 % in the ivermectin group and 95 % in the malathion group. No major adverse effects were observed in either group.

Conclusions: Oral ivermectin is a promising effective approach for the treatment of head lice and could be an ideal substitute for conventional pediculicides.
Specific cleavage of the DNase‐I binding loop dramatically decreases the thermal stability of actin
Authors: Pivovarova Anastasia V. , Khaitlina Sofia Yu. , Levitsky Dmitrii I.
Published: August 2010

Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the thermal unfolding of actin specifically cleaved within the DNaseI‐binding loop between residues Met47‐Gly48 or Gly42‐Val43 by two bacterial proteases, subtilisin or ECP32/grimelysin (ECP), respectively. The results obtained show that both cleavages strongly decreased the thermal stability of monomeric actin with either ATP or ADP as a bound nucleotide. An even more pronounced difference in the thermal stability between the cleaved and intact actin was observed when both actins were polymerized into filaments. Similar to intact F‐actin, both cleaved F‐actins were significantly stabilized by phalloidin and aluminum fluoride; however, in all cases, the thermal stability of the cleaved F‐actins was much lower than that of intact F‐actin, and the stability of ECP‐cleaved F‐actin was lower than that of subtilisin‐cleaved F‐actin. These results confirm that the DNaseI‐binding loop is involved in the stabilization of the actin structure, both in monomers and in the filament subunits, and suggest that the thermal stability of actin depends, at least partially, on the conformation of the nucleotide‐binding cleft. Moreover, an additional destabilization of the unstable cleaved actin upon ATP/ADP replacement provides experimental evidence for the highly dynamic actin structure that cannot be simply open or closed, but rather should be considered as being able to adopt multiple conformations.

Structured digital abstract

 MINT‐7980274: Actin (uniprotkb:P68135) and Actin (uniprotkb:P68135) bind (MI:0407) by biophysical (MI:0013)
Refugees: Challenges to Protection
Authors: Goodwin-Gill Guy S.
Published: August 2010

By the end of the year 2000, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will have been in existence for 50 years –which is probably some sort of record for an organization originally set up with just a three-year mandate.

There were many reasons for so limiting the successor agency to the International Refugee Organization, but it is doubtful whether anyone seriously thought that refugee problems would be resolved so quickly, or indeed that UNHCR would develop into the highly operational, visible and extensively funded entity that we see today. Fifty years of experience nevertheless suggests that it is high time for an audit, for an evaluation of strengths, weaknesses and achievements, and a little strategic thinking about the future.
Forced Migration and Professionalism
Authors: Martin Susan F.
Published: August 2010

The complexity of forced migration calls for significant expertise with regard to prevention, responses and solutions. This article describes efforts since the early 1980s to professionalize the field. Professional development requires, at a minimum, that three things be in place: training; standards to govern professional competence; and a process for evaluation and improvement. Professional development must take into account the increasing complexity of humanitarian crises; changing notions of sovereignty that permit new solutions; changing mandates and responsibilities of organizations concerned with forced migration; and technological and communications innovations that enable new approaches to forced migration and professional training.
Asian American Interracial and Interethnic Marriages: Differences by Education and Nativity
Authors: Qian Zhenchao , Blair Sampson Lee , Ruf Stacey D.
Published: August 2010

Using the 1990 U.S. census data, we apply log-linear models to examine Asian Americans' interracial marriage with whites and interethnic marriages between Asian ethnic groups. Japanese and Filipino Americans are most likely to marry whites, followed by Chinese and Korean Americans. Southeast Asian and Asian Indian Americans are least likely to marry whites. We further explore how interracial marriage differs by couples' educational and nativity combinations. The impact of educational attainment, generally, is very strong but is modest for Japanese Americans, the most assimilated group, and for Southeast Asian Americans, the least assimilated group. Interracial marriage is more likely for native than for immigrant couples, but immigrants marrying natives are more likely to marry whites than persons of their own ethnic group. Interethnic marriage between Asian ethnic groups is limited to several ethnic groups, but is much more frequent among natives than among immigrants. Japanese and Chinese Americans, who have lived in the United States for several generations, have the highest rate of interethnic marriage. We have shown two forms of integration for Asian Americans – integration into mainstream society through interracial marriage for both immigrants and natives and integration into Asian American pan-ethnicity through interethnic marriage for later-generation natives.
Migration in Namibia: Combining Macro and Micro Approaches to Research Design and Analysis
Authors: Frayne Bruce , Pendleton Wade
Published: August 2010

In adopting a framework that applies both macro and micro variables to the study of migration in Namibia, the analysis of the findings of the Namibia Migration Project emphasizes the utility of combining different scales and methods of data collection in terms of explaining migration dynamics and extending trends and patterns to future scenarios. It is argued that the contextual and explanatory macro factors such as political history, poverty, population, environment, epidemics and culture are crucial to the understanding and interpretation of the micro data collected through the standardized questionnaire survey and the case study material. Equally important is the iterative relationship that the macro/micro approach fosters in the research design and in the analysis of the data between the macro and micro scales of investigation.
Testing the Effects of Collectively Expected Durations of Migration: The Naturalization of Mexicans and Cubans
Authors: Aguirre Benigno E. , Saenz Rogelio
Published: August 2010

This study tests a hypothesis that Mexican foreign-born immigrants who came to the United States for economic reasons naturalize less often than Cubans who immigrate for political reasons. It uses information from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Latino Sample, a national sample of 7,453 respondents from the 1989 Latino National Political Survey (LNPS) and the 1990 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Ordinal logistic regression is used to examine the hypothesis. The results indicate that while more Mexicans plan to apply or have applied for naturalization, proportionately more Cubans than Mexicans have naturalized. Cuban political immigrants who came to the United States during the first half of the 1960s naturalize more often than their Mexican counterparts. However, the effect of ethnic identity on naturalization is mediated by a number of other predictors of naturalization such as gender, race, urban residence, socioeconomic status and acculturation.
Language as Both Human Capital and Ethnicity
Authors: Pendakur Krishna , Pendakur Ravi
Published: August 2010

In this study, we estimate earnings differentials for knowledge of thirteen minority languages in Canada's three largest urban areas. We find that conditional on knowledge of a majority language, knowledge of a minority language is associated with lower earnings. However, the negative differential diminishes for those languages with large local populations. This suggests a positive human capital effect which is for the most part swamped by a negative factor. We argue that this factor is a reflection of ethnicity operating either through ethnolinguistic labor market enclaves or labor market discrimination against minorities.
Being Well vs. Doing Well: Self-Esteem and School Performance among Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Racial and Ethnic Groups
Authors: Bankston Carl L. , Zhou Min
Published: August 2010

It has frequently been suggested that the academic achievement of minority students may be hindered by low self-esteem in a white-dominated society. Some researchers and theorists, however, have questioned such assumptions. The self-esteem-academic achievement issue is further complicated by the relatively strong performance of children of immigrants in general, and of children of Asian immigrants in particular. A substantial literature suggests that these children face insecurities and difficulties that are inconsistent with high self-esteem. In examining data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we find that Asians do show the lowest levels of reported self-esteem of the major racial/ethnic groups, but also the highest grade-point averages. Black adolescents, on the other hand, show the highest levels of reported self-esteem, but show relatively low grade-point averages. In further examination, we demonstrate that despite this apparent inconsistency between school performance and reported self-esteem, the two do have a positive relationship. Immigrant parental status, we suggest, has a complex relationship to school performance and psychological well-being that can help to explain the apparent paradox.
Immigrant Incorporation and Sociocultural Transnationalism
Authors: Itzigsohn José , Saucedo Silvia Giorguli
Published: August 2010

This article analyzes sociocultural transnational linkages among Colombian, Dominican, and Salvadoran immigrants in the United States. It emphasizes the importance of comparative analysis and yields three main findings. First, participation in any particular transnational activity is low, but participation over all the different forms of transnational practices is extended. Second, the process of incorporation does not weaken transnational participation. Third, there is more than one causal path that can account for the rise of transnational sociocultural practices. The different paths can be explained by reference to the context of reception and the mode of incorporation of each group.