bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of the arthropod stomatogastric nervous system in moulting behaviour and ecdysis
Authors: Ayali Amir
Published: January 2009

A possible role of the insect stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) in ecdysis was first implied in early studies reporting on internal air pressure build-up in the digestive tract and air swallowing during ecdysis. The frontal ganglion, a major component of the insect STNS, was suggested to play an important part in this behaviour. Recent neurophysiological studies have confirmed the critical role of the STNS in the successful completion of both larval and adult moults in insects. In aquatic arthropods, though much less studied, the STNS plays an equally important and probably very similar role in water swallowing. Water uptake is instrumental in splitting the crustacean cuticle and allowing successful ecdysis. Current data are presented in a comparative view that contributes to our understanding of the role of the STNS in arthropod behaviour. It also sheds light on the question of homology of the STNS among the different arthropod groups. New insights into the neurohormonal control of ecdysis, related to the STNS in both insects and crustaceans, are also presented and comparatively discussed.
Control and function of arm swing in human walking and running
Authors: Pontzer Herman , Holloway John H. , Raichlen David A. , Lieberman Daniel E.
Published: January 2009

We investigated the control and function of arm swing in human walking and running to test the hypothesis that the arms act as passive mass dampers powered by movement of the lower body, rather than being actively driven by the shoulder muscles. We measured locomotor cost, deltoid muscle activity and kinematics in 10 healthy adult subjects while walking and running on a treadmill in three experimental conditions: control; no arms (arms folded across the chest); and arm weights (weights worn at the elbow). Decreasing and increasing the moment of inertia of the upper body in no arms and arm weights conditions, respectively, had corresponding effects on head yaw and on the phase differences between shoulder and pelvis rotation, consistent with the view of arms as mass dampers. Angular acceleration of the shoulders and arm increased with torsion of the trunk and shoulder, respectively, but angular acceleration of the shoulders was not inversely related to angular acceleration of the pelvis or arm. Restricting arm swing in no arms trials had no effect on locomotor cost. Anterior and posterior portions of the deltoid contracted simultaneously rather than firing alternately to drive the arm. These results support a passive arm swing hypothesis for upper body movement during human walking and running, in which the trunk and shoulders act primarily as elastic linkages between the pelvis, shoulder girdle and arms,the arms act as passive mass dampers which reduce torso and head rotation, and upper body movement is primarily powered by lower body movement.
Estimating energy expenditure of animals using the accelerometry technique: activity, inactivity and comparison with the heart-rate technique
Authors: Green J. A. , Halsey L. G. , Wilson R. P. , Frappell P. B.
Published: January 2009

Several methods have been used to estimate the energy expenditure of free-ranging animals. A relatively new technique uses measures of dynamic body acceleration as a calibrated proxy for energy expenditure and has proved an excellent predictor of energy expenditure in active animals. However, some animals can spend much of their time inactive and still expend energy at varying rates for a range of physiological processes. We tested the utility of dynamic body acceleration to estimate energy expenditure during a range of active (locomotion, eating) and inactive (digesting, thermoregulating)behaviours exhibited by domestic chickens. We also compared this technique with the more established heart-rate method for estimating energy expenditure. During activity, the error of estimation using body acceleration was very similar to that from the heart-rate method. Importantly, our results also showed that body acceleration can be used to estimate energy expenditure when birds are inactive. While the errors surrounding these estimates were greater than those during activity, and those made using the heart-rate method, they were less than those made using interspecific allometric equations. We highlight the importance of selecting a methodology that is appropriate for the life-history of the subject animal. We suggest that, to achieve the greatest possible accuracy and precision when estimating energy expenditure in free-ranging animals, the two techniques should be combined, and both heart rate (fH) and dynamic body acceleration could be included as covariates in predictive models. Alternatively, measures of acceleration can be used to ascertain which behaviour is being exhibited at each moment and hence which predictive model should be applied.
Do hospitals practice cream skimming?
Authors: Friesner Daniel L , Rosenman Robert
Published: January 2009

‘Cream skimming’ refers to choosing patients for some characteristic(s) other than their need for care, which enhances the profitability or reputation of the provider. Under capitation or other fixed payment schemes, this often means choosing less ill patients. We present a new methodology to measure cream skimming by hospitals. Our approach also provides a measure of a hospital's gain in productive efficiency by caring for patients with lower illness severity. Using a panel of Washington state hospitals, we find evidence that hospitals do practice cream skimming. However, we find little evidence to suggest that cream skimming varies by hospital size, profit status or time.
Using the balanced scorecard in the development of community partnerships
Authors: Tsasis Peter , Owen Susan M
Published: January 2009

The benefits of community partnerships have been well established in the health service literature. However, measuring these benefits and associated outcomes is relatively new. This paper presents an innovative initiative in the application of a balanced scorecard framework for measuring and monitoring partnership activity at the community level, while adopting principles of evidence-based practice to the partnership process. In addition, it serves as an excellent example of how organizations can apply scorecard methodology to move away from relationship-based partnerships and into new collaborations of which they can select – using a formal skill and competency assessment for partnership success.
What do we know? Limitations of the two methods most commonly used to estimate the length of the prospective wait
Authors: Armstrong Paul W
Published: January 2009

Health service researchers, policy analysts and other commentators have overlooked the limitations of existing approaches to the estimation of waiting times. If urgent cases are given priority, there are no instances when census-based data can supply accurate estimates of the length of the prospective wait. But there are three occasions when event-based data supply accurate estimates of the prospective wait of those who chose to enrol and we can predict the direction of error when the relevant conditions are violated if we know whether the list was open or closed, and whether it grew in size or shrank. Without this additional information, we cannot determine whether the changes we observe over time or the differences we see between one list and the next are spurious or not. The period life-table provides a timely and bias-free alternative to the existing cross-sectional approaches for a modest increase in the complexity of calculation.
Knowledge of HIV survival on skin-piercing instruments among young adults in Nyanza Province, Kenya
Authors: Ounga T , Okinyi M , Onyuro S , Correa M , Gisselquist D
Published: January 2009

In countries with generalized HIV epidemics, people may be exposed to blood-borne HIV at their home as well as during health care and cosmetic services. We asked young adults from the Luo and Kisii ethnic groups in Nyanza Province, Kenya, how long HIV survives in blood and how to clean skin-piercing instruments. Only 21% thought that HIV could survive more than an hour in dry conditions (although it can survive for days), and only 24% thought it could survive more than a week in wet conditions (although it can survive more than four weeks). The Kisii, with lower HIV prevalence, were more knowledgeable than the Luo about HIV survival. Survey participants reported that barbers and other service providers often cleaned instruments by wiping with alcohol or bleach, a practice which does not reliably inactivate HIV. People we interviewed, at risk from blood-borne HIV, did not know enough to protect themselves.
Knowledge of human papillomavirus and attitudes to vaccination among Swedish high school students
Authors: Höglund A T , Tydén T , Hannerfors A K , Larsson M
Published: January 2009

The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge of and attitudes to sexually transmitted infection (STI) and STI prevention with special focus on human papillomavirus (HPV) and the new vaccine against HPV, among 16-year-old high school students in a Swedish context. A study-specific questionnaire was distributed to 572 first year high school students from five different high schools in a medium-sized town in Sweden. The students lacked knowledge of HPV and its association with cervical cancer. Similarly, their knowledge of the new vaccine was limited. Their attitude to condom use when having sex with a new partner was positive, but decreased if oral contraceptives were used and if they were vaccinated against an STI. The main source of information was the school, followed by youth clinics and the media. The results highlight the clinical importance for school nurses and personnel at youth clinics to inform adolescents about HPV and its association with cancer.
Sexual risk behaviour of the first cohort undergoing screening for enrolment into Phase I/II HIV vaccine trials in South Africa
Authors: Andersson K M , Van Niekerk R M , Niccolai L M , Mlungwana O N , Holdsworth I M , Bogoshi M , McIntyre J A , Gray G E , Vardas E
Published: January 2009

We assessed risk behaviour in a heterosexual cohort undergoing prescreening for the first Phase I/II HIV vaccine trials in Soweto. We developed a survey and collected self-reported data from HIV-negative potential volunteers. Of 488 participants, most were single and approximately half were from households with incomes below the poverty level. Males reported higher rates of heavy alcohol use ( P < 0.001), marijuana use ( P < 0.001) and other recreational drug use ( P < 0.01). Males reported more sex partners than females in the previous six months ( P < 0.001), as well as more casual/anonymous partners ( P < 0.001) and one-night stands ( P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses revealed substance use and male gender predicted higher risk behaviours, including <100% condom use with known/suspected HIV-positive partners, having casual/anonymous partners and having more than two partners. For this population, male volunteers may need increased risk-reduction counselling during Phase I/II trials and additional recruitment methods may be necessary to identify high-risk female volunteers for Phase III efficacy trials.
Herpes simplex virus-2 infection in male rural migrants in Shanghai, China
Authors: He N , Cao H , Yin Y , Gao M , Zhang T , Detels R
Published: January 2009

The overall herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 seroprevalence was 5.5% among male rural migrants working in construction sites, markets and factories, 5.4% among those reporting having had sexual intercourse and 5.8% among those reporting no sexual intercourse. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicate that migrants having higher income were more likely to have HSV-2 infection. None of the HSV-2-positives realized their infection status. Future sexually transmitted disease (STD) intervention programmes should target migrants with higher income and migrant market vendors and should not exclude those who self-report no STDs or no history of sexual intercourse.
Risk profile of walk-in triage compared with an appointment-based phone-triage evening clinic
Authors: Jongeling S , Chen M Y , Bush M R , Bradshaw C S , Fairley C K
Published: January 2009

The aim of this study is to compare risk factors in new clients attending the walk-in triage-based day clinic (WITS) to those attending a telephone-triage appointment-based evening clinic of a sexual health service. The method involves an audit of computerized medical records of new clients attending between July 2002 and December 2007. There were 37,833 new clients of which 37,223 (98.4%) attended WITS and 610 (1.6%) attended the evening clinic. WITS clients were significantly older (31% vs. 30%, P < 0.041), more likely to be male (58% vs. 43%, P < 0.001), sex workers (6% vs. 3%, P < 0.001), not employed (34% vs. 10%, P < 0.001), diagnosed with gonorrhoea (1.7% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.041), herpes (4% vs. 2%, P < 0.000), non-specific urethritis (6% vs. 2%, P < 0.000) and less likely asymptomatic (35.1% vs. 53.4%, P < 0.001). Men attending WITS had significantly more female partners in the 12 months (3.9 vs. 3.0, P < 0.001), but other risks were similar in both clinics. A telephone-triage appointment-based evening clinic is important for asymptomatic high-risk individuals.
Autopsies in HIV: still identifying missed diagnoses
Authors: Beadsworth M B J , Cohen D , Ratcliffe L , Jenkins N , Taylor W , Campbell F , Beeching N J , Azadeh B
Published: January 2009

This study reviews the deaths and autopsies carried out over 23 years, 1983–2005, in a British Infection Unit in HIV patients. Of 115 HIV patients known to have died, we obtained data on 93%. Of this 80% were male, median age 38 (25–68) years; 83% were Caucasian; 12% Black African. Major risk factors were men who have sex with men, 52%; heterosexual in Africa, 17%; and injecting drug use, 8%. The commonest diagnosis pre- and post-autopsy diagnosis was pneumonia. Changes in diagnoses in the 38% who underwent autopsy were high (we requested autopsy in 50%). Primary diagnosis changed in 70%, and 36% of all opportunistic infections were missed. This included six of nine cytomegalovirus, all tuberculosis and 75% of Kaposi's sarcoma. Lymphoma was overdiagnosed. Thus, despite excellent resources, the majority of primary diagnoses were wrong, suggesting inadequacy of current diagnostics. To improve these and improve both epidemiological data and future management autopsy should be considered for all deaths.
2008 European Guideline on HIV testing
Authors: Poljak M , Smit E , Ross J
Published: January 2009

Testing for HIV is one of the cornerstones in the combat against HIV infection. The 2008 European Guideline on HIV Testing provides advice on testing for HIV infection in individuals aged 16 years and older who have sought evaluation and treatment at sexually transmitted infection services for dermatovenereology clinics across Europe. Its aim is to provide practical guidance to clinicians in these settings who undertake HIV testing and suggest appropriate standards for the audit of service provision.
Sibling Relationship Quality and Social Functioning of Children and Adolescents With Intellectual Disability
Authors: Floyd Frank J. , Purcell Susan E. , Richardson Shana S. , Kupersmidt Janis B.
Published: January 2009

We examined sibling relationships for children and adolescents with intellectual disability and assessed implications for their social functioning. Targets (total N = 212) had either intellectual disability, a chronic illness/physical disability, or no disability. Nontarget siblings reported on relationship quality, sibling interactions were observed, and teachers reported on social adjustment. Group comparisons highlighted the asymmetrical hierarchy and low conflict unique to siblings and targets with intellectual disability. Sibling relationships characterized by high warmth/closeness, positive affect, and few negative behaviors were predictive of fewer behavior problems for the targets at school. Both high warmth/ closeness and high conflict predicted greater social competence for the targets with intellectual disability, though warmth, conflict, and sibling management had different implications depending on the sibling's gender.
Factors Predictive of Midlife Occupational Attainment and Psychological Functioning in Adults With Mild Intellectual Deficits
Authors: Seltzer Marsha Mailick , Floyd Frank J. , Greenberg Jan S. , Hong Jinkuk , Taylor Julie Lounds , Doescher Heather
Published: January 2009

The life course of individuals with mild intellectual deficits and the factors that account for heterogeneity in their midlife outcomes were examined. Past research has shown that such individuals are at risk for poor occupational attainment in adulthood and more compromised psychological functioning, including increased depression. Although predictors varied for men and women, in general greater midlife occupational attainment was predicted by continuation of education beyond high school, having role models for achievement, and social participation earlier in adulthood. Midlife psychological functioning was predicted by having role models of achievement, having discussed plans for the future with parents and teachers, and achievement of aspirations set in high school. Implications for contemporary models of transition planning are discussed.
Durability by Design: New Results on Load-Carrying Silicone Bonding
Authors: Hagl Anneliese
Published: January 2009

In the year 2000, the Herz-Jesu church in Munich, Germany was finalized featuring a glass façade with advanced bonded load-carrying structures. The façade was stiffened in such a way that wind- and dead-loaded glass elements were joined to stainless steel channels by a two-component silicone adhesive for load transfer. Durability aspects related to this type of bonding were already presented by the author at the previous symposium in 2003. The technical questions raised by the design of the Herz-Jesu church initiated detailed research investigations within Germany concerning the application of complex bonding geometries for structural engineering purposes. These studies comprised experimental and theoretical activities which were focused on the mechanical properties of two-component silicone adhesives as well as on the behavior of various bonding geometries resulting from the use of L- and T-type steel elements. In the context of these research activities, attention was also paid to different aspects directly or indirectly related to durability issues. Regarding adhesive material behavior, tensile, compression, and shear tests were performed on aged and unaged specimens in order to analyze the impact of an aggressive environment. Several degradation modes were induced into the specimens in a systematic manner in order to evaluate the load-bearing capacities and failure mechanisms of the different bonding geometries and in order to assess the behavior in the view of partial failure. This paper presents an overview of the obtained experimental results complemented by detailed finite element analysis results. Former results obtained for the U-type bonding geometry are reviewed in the light of new experimental findings. Furthermore, bonding geometries like the T-type bonding are assessed in a similar way as previously done for the U-type bonding geometry. Finally, the paper concludes by directly comparing all investigated bonding geometries with respect to durability aspects.
Gestational thyroid function abnormalities in conditions of mild iodine deficiency: early screening versus continuous monitoring of maternal thyroid status
Authors: Moleti Mariacarla , Lo Presti Vincenzo Pio , Mattina Filiberto , Mancuso Alfredo , De Vivo Antonio , Giorgianni Grazia , Di Bella Beatrice , Trimarchi Francesco , Vermiglio Francesco
Published: January 2009

Objective

To longitudinally evaluate the timing of maternal thyroid underfunction occurrence in mildly iodine-deficient (ID) pregnant women, and ultimately assess the benefit of thyroid function testing at early gestation only in identifying maternal thyroid underfunction.

Participants/methods

Serum free-thyroxine and TSH were measured in 220 consecutive women once in early pregnancy (by week 12) and twice per trimester subsequently. Anti-thyroperoxidase and anti-thyroglobulin were also determined at initial and final observation.

Results

Thyroid autoantibodies were detectable in 8.2% women. Overall, the prevalence of hypothyroidism over the course of gestation was 11.8% (26/220), with a relative risk of hypothyroidism in antibody-positive women of 5.0 (χ2 20.02, P<0.0005). Nonetheless, almost 70% hypothyroid women tested negative for thyroid autoantibodies. Fifteen/26 (57.7%) hypothyroid women were identified at presentation, and the remaining 11 at either early (6/11) or late (5/11) phases of the 2nd trimester. Isolated hypothyroxinemia was observed in 56/220 (25.4%) women, mostly from the 2nd trimester onwards.

Conclusions

In mildly ID areas thyroid function testing early in gestation seems to be only partly effective in identifying thyroid underfunction in pregnant women. Indeed, in our series more than 40% hypothyroid women would not have been diagnosed had we limited our observation to early thyroid function tests alone. Although thyroid autoimmunity carried a 5-fold increased risk of hypothyroidism, iodine deficiency seems to be a major determinant in the occurrence of thyroid underfunction. Adequate iodine supplementation should be strongly recommended to meet the increased hormone demand over gestation.
The principles of the treatment of pancreatic diabetes
Authors: Iván Gabriella
Published: January 2009

A pancreatogen diabetesben a Langerhans-szigetek egésze károsodik, aminek következtében az inzulin- és glükagonelválasztás egyaránt károsodik, majd megszűnik. A tápanyagok emésztése, felszívódása bizonytalanná válik, ennek következtében a vércukorszint kiszámíthatatlanul ingadozik, kifejezett hypoglykaemia-hajlammal kell számolni. A glükagonszekréció károsodása miatt jelentősen károsodik a hypoglykaemia elleni védekezés is, amelyet gyakran súlyosbít az alkoholfogyasztás. Pancreatogen diabetesben, ha a normoglykaemia diétás kezeléssel már nem biztosítható, inzulinkezelés bevezetése szükséges. Orális antidiabetikum adása nem célszerű. A legjobb anyagcserehelyzetet a legkevesebb hypoglykaemia árán a szükséges legkisebb adagokkal végzett intenzív konzervatív inzulinkezeléssel érhetjük el. Inzulinanalógok használatával még nincs kellő tapasztalat, de az elhúzódó hatású inzulinanalógok használata célszerűnek látszik. A pancreas diabetes kezelése teammunka, amelyben a gasztroenterológus, a diabetológus orvos mellett meghatározó szerepe van a dietetikusnak és a diabeteses szakápolónak is.
Endometriosis
Authors: Lampé László
Published: January 2009

Az endometriosis (ectopiás endometrium) szövettanilag benignus kórkép, de sok panaszt (meddőség, dysmenorrhoea, fájdalom) és súlyos szövődményeket okozhat. A nemi teljesség korában lévő nők megbetegedése, de ritka kivételként a menarche előtt is kialakul. Korábban feltételezett gyakoriságát (1-2%) a laparoszkópia alkalmazása óta 6-10%-ban adják meg. Keletkezésében közvetlen ráterjedés (például endometriosis interna, seu adenomyosis), retrográd menstruáció, embolizáció, metaplasia mellett immunológiai és genetikai folyamatok szerepét is bizonyították. Felismerésében a laparoszkópiának van fő szerepe, továbbá a képalkotó eljárásoknak és a fizikális vizsgálatnak. Kezelésében hormonális és műtéti megoldások mellett palliatív gyógymódokkal segíthetünk.
Three New Species of Eriophyoid Mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) from Grass Hosts in Croatia
Authors: Skoracka A , Labrzycka A , Rector B G
Published: January 2009

Three new species of grass-feeding eriophyoid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) are described from Croatia: Acaralox croatiae n. sp., inhabiting purple moorgrass, Molinia coerulea (L.) Moench; Aculodes festucae n. sp., inhabiting tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb.; and Aculodes sylvatici n. sp., inhabiting false brome, Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Roem. et Schult. The three new species are first records of eriophyoid mites infesting Poaceae in Croatia. These records increase the current documented number of eriophyoid species in Croatia from 28 to 31.
Revision of the Family Helotidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) III: The Thibetana Group and a Checklist of Helota MacLeay Species
Authors: Lee Chi-Feng
Published: January 2009

The thibetana species group of Helota MacLeay is revised. Five species are considered to be valid. The following synonyms are proposed: Helota sinensisOlliff, 1883 (=H. tonkinensisRitsema, 1905a); and H. thibetana Westwood, 1842 (=H. verrucosaRitsema, 1894; H. donckieriRitsema, 1907; H. westwoodiiRitsema, 1907). Lectotypes are designated for Helota sinensis Olliff, H. tonkinensis Ritsema, H. donckieri Ritsema, and H. westwoodii Ritsema. A key for the thibetana species group is provided. Figures of the protibia, penis, parameres, internal sac, and eighth abdominal tergite are given for each species. A checklist of the 23 valid species and subspecies of the genus Helota MacLeay is provided.
Effect of Host Plant Part on Larval Body-Color Polymorphism inHelicoverpa Armigera(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Yamasaki Azusa , Shimizu Ken , Eujisaki Kenji
Published: January 2009

Larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), exhibit a body-color polymorphism that is most distinct in the final instar. Larval coloration was investigated in relation to the effects of host plant diet. Larval coloration was strongly influenced by the plant parts on which larvae fed; larvae that fed on leaves exhibited a higher frequency of green coloration than larvae that fed on flowers and fruit. This pattern also was exhibited in full sibling larvae that had uniform genetic background. Larval performance in terms of survival, developmental period, and pupal weight was better in larvae reared on fruit than in those reared on leaves. Our results suggest that larval coloration was determined primarily by the portion of the plant upon which larvae were reared. Larvae also had a certain degree of plastic response to the diet change, which indicates larvae can adjust body color as they change the part of the host plant where they feed. Although the adaptive consequence of similar body color to plant part is still unknown, diet-induced body-color polymorphism in H. armigera might have some role in helping larvae avoid visual predation.
Life Cycle and Larval Morphology of Diomus Terminatus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and its Potential as a Biological Control Agent of Melanaphis Sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Akbar W , Carlton C , Reagan T E
Published: January 2009

The life cycle, morphology, and potential of Diomus terminatus Say (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to control the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were examined in the laboratory. The morphologies of first and fourth instars are described and illustrated, with emphasis on characters of first instar that differ from those of later instars. Dramatic differences exist in the relative size and abundance of specialized setae between early and late instars. Field-collected late instars of D. terminatus were successfully reared to adult stage at 26°C by using M. sacchari feeding on small pieces of sugarcane {Saccharum, spp.) leaves. The eggs laid on the sugarcane leaves hatched in 4.5 ± 0.1 d. Larval and pupal stages lasted an average of 6.8 ± 0.6 and 4.9 ± 0.2 d, respectively. D. terminatus required 12.1 ± 0.6 d from egg hatch to adult emergence. The adult longevity test with single adults in petri dishes revealed that D. terminatus remained alive for 26 ± 1.9 d when feeding on aphids of mixed ages. The larvae consumed a total of 30 ± 1.8 aphid nymphs, with a daily consumption rate of 4.7 ± 0.4. The adult voracity test showed that D. terminatus could consume as many as 19 ± 0.9 aphids per d. These results are discussed with respect to their implications for aphid control in Louisiana sugarcane.
Life History, Seasonal Phenology, and Parasitoids of the Hawaiian Endemic Moth Udea Stellata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Authors: Kaufman L V , Wright M G
Published: January 2009

This study presents basic information on the life cycle, seasonal phenology, and parasitism of the endemic Hawaiian moth Udea stellata (Butler) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a species for which little biological information is available, even though it was described more than a century ago. By observation of ecdysis and measurements of corresponding head capsule widths under laboratory conditions, we determined that U. stellata undergoes six larval stages. All larval stages had distinct ranges in head capsule width. Duration of each larval stage as well as the egg and pupal stage are reported. Endemic host plants of U. stellata, Pipturus spp. (Urticacea), were sampled at eight field sites between July 2004 and July 2006. Temporal differences in density of larvae were most pronounced in medium- and high-elevation sites, possibly an effect of more marked seasonal temperature changes. The parasitoid assemblage associated with U. stellata consisted of seven species: three adventive species, two purposely introduced species, and two of unknown origin. Adventive parasitoids rather than purposely introduced parasitoids were responsible for the greater part of the apparent mortality observed.
Early Nymphal Development in Ephoron Leukon (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcyidae) with Particular Emphasis on Mouthparts and Abdominal Gills
Authors: O'donnell Brigid C
Published: January 2009

The early stages of nymphal development of Ephoron leukon Williamson (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcyidae) are described with special attention paid to the appearance and differentiation of the mouthparts and abdominal gills. Dramatic changes in the mouthparts of E. leukon include outgrowth of the mandibular tusks from the mandible proper, differentiation of the galealacinia and palps of the maxillae, and splitting of the labium into multiple lobes plus the adornment of various regions of the mouthparts with dense brushes of setae functioning in filter feeding. The abdominal gills of E. leukon originate as short threads, and then they progressively elongate and develop a fringe of long thin extensions around their margins, branch basally to form two separate lamellae and ultimately acquire a suite of structural adornments. In E. leukon, nymphs develop mature mouthparts and abdominal gills during early nymphal ontogeny, a developmental pattern that may facilitate key habitat transitions.
Dead Reckoning in Tunnel Propagation of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera:Rhinotermitidae)
Authors: Bardunias Paul , Su Nan-Yao
Published: January 2009

Subterranean termites excavate extensive tunnel complexes in search of resources. The high energetic cost of digging through soil places stringent requirements on the efficiency of tunnel patterns for both search and transport at the time of their initial construction. An efficient spread of tunnels could result from simple diffusion away from a shared origin, but the ability to actively orient the burgeoning tunnels allows for the construction of efficient patterns when faced with the possibility of detours or directional drift. In this study, termite excavators were made to dig through one or two 90° forced turns of varying length that displaced them laterally and changed their heading. When allowed to tunnel freely again, they invariably corrected for the displacement by moving along a vector away from a point of tunnel origination, termed the global away vector (GAV), that was the opposite of a homing vector. Through the elimination of reliable allothetic cues, idiothetic dead reckoning was shown to be sufficient to orient tunnel headings. Excavation in termites was not coordinated solely by stigmergy, because tunnelers did not rely on local cues alone while digging, but the removal of soil from sites at the tunnel tip was governed by their ability to generate a GAV through dead reckoning.
Intraspecific Competition Between Adult Females of the Hyperparasitoid Trichomalopsis Apanteloctena (Hymenoptera: Chelonidae), for Domination of Cotesia kariyai (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Cocoons
Authors: Nakamatsu Y , Harvey Jeffrey A. , Tanaka T
Published: January 2009

The development of parasitoid wasps is dependent on the finite resources contained in a single item of resource (=host) that is frequently not much larger than the adult parasitoid. When the costs of egg production are high, and host distribution is highly aggregated, parasitoid females may spend prolonged periods guarding their eggs and host resources as an adaptive strategy to optimize their inclusive fitness. Here, we examine aggressive interactions between the females of the secondary hyperparasitoid Trichomalopsis apanteloctena (Crawford) (Hymenoptera: Chelonidae), for control of cocoon clusters of their primary parasitoid host Cotesia kariyai (Watanabe) (Hymenoptera: Braeonidae). Generally, larger female hyperparasitoids were more successful at defending cocoon clusters than smaller female hyperparasitoids. However, when first encountering host cocoons, larger females behaved more aggressively toward conspecific wasps than smaller females. After occupation of a host cocoon cluster, females of similar size rarely engaged in physical combat, but both females primarily exhibited threatening behavior toward each other. However, larger females usually displaced smaller females which had initially occupied cocoon clusters. Some small females chewed through the outer cocoon silk layer to avoid being displaced by larger females and these wasps were able to continue parasitizing cocoons of C. kariyai. Extended bouts of aggression tended to reduce the number of eggs laid by the guarding female because of disruption of oviposition behavior. The relationship between the size of host cocoons and body mass in T. apanteloctena was also examined. The size of hyperparasitoid progeny was strongly correlated with host size. However, the relationship between maternal size, the number of matured eggs in her ovarioles and body mass in her offspring was not significant.
Bisphosphonates in Oncology: Rising Stars or Fallen Heroes
Authors: Van den Wyngaert Tim , Huizing Manon T. , Fossion Eric , Vermorken Jan B.
Published: January 2009

The introduction of bisphosphonates in oncology has dramatically changed the management of patients with metastatic bone disease. In this manuscript, we thoroughly scrutinize the available body of clinical trials supporting the use of bisphosphonates in this setting and review new and ongoing research. Additionally, we summarize the data showing the benefits of bisphosphonate use in the prevention of treatment-induced bone loss and the intriguing emerging evidence on the antitumor potential of some of these agents when used in the adjuvant setting. Finally, we address the need for a careful consideration of potential benefits of bisphosphonate therapy and the risk for osteonecrosis of the jaw, a recently recognized late-toxicity of their use.
End-of-Life Preferences: A Theory-Driven Inventory
Authors: Bonin-Scaon Sylvie , Sastre María Teresa Muñoz , Chasseigne Gérard , Sorum Paul C. , Mullet Etienne
Published: January 2009

The study aimed at making a theory-driven inventory of end-of-life preferences. Participants were asked about a variety of preferences representing all eight motivational states described in Apter's Metamotivational Theory (AMT; Apter, 2001). Data from a convenience sample of 965 community participants and a convenience sample of 81 persons suffering from a terminal illness were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Ten factors were evidenced; they were easily interpretable in the AMT framework. In decreasing order of importance, people would, at the time of their death, like to have an understanding doctor, to be at peace with themselves, to remain autonomous, to keep a sense of humor, to remain able to oppose any decision taken without their consent, to remain an object of love, to remain a reference for others, to have resolved conflicts with others, to leave their businesses in good order, and to find themselves at peace with God.
Ambitions Fulfilled? The Effects of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Goal Attainment on Older Adults' Ego-Integrity and Death Attitudes
Authors: Van Hiel Alain , Vansteenkiste Maarten
Published: January 2009

The present research examined the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goal attainment on older adults' ego-integrity, psychological well-being, and death attitudes. Hypotheses were derived from Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Vansteenkiste, Ryan, & Deci, in press). Study 1 ( N = 202, Mean age = 68.2 years) indicated that, after controlling for extrinsic goal attainment, intrinsic goal attainment contributed positively to subjective well-being and ego-integrity and negatively to despair, whereas extrinsic goal attainment was unrelated to psychological health and contributed positively to despair. Study 2 ( N = 213, Mean age = 75.2 years) replicated and extended these results, showing that intrinsic goal attainment contributed to the acceptance of one's own death, lower ill-being, and less death anxiety, whereas extrinsic goal attainment was negatively associated with death acceptance. It is argued that the attainment of intrinsic goals is related to better psychological health, because intrinsic goals are more conducive to the satisfaction of basic psychological needs.
Barriers to Care for Depressed Older People: Perceptions of Aged Care among Medical Professionals
Authors: McCabe Marita P. , Davison Tanya , Mellor David , George Kuruvilla
Published: January 2009

The current study evaluated barriers to detection of depression among older people. Focus groups were conducted with 21 professional carers, 4 nurses, 10 general practitioners, and 7 aged care managers. The results demonstrated that care for older people is primarily focused on physical care. Further, staff resources, a lack of continuity of care, multiple co-morbidities, reluctance by older people to discuss depression, negative attitudes among carers, as well as a lack of skills all contributed to a failure to detect and treat depression. The implications of these findings for training programs for professional carers are discussed.
Who are the Clients?: Goal Displacement in an Adult Day Care Center for Elders with Dementia
Authors: Abramson Corey M.
Published: January 2009

This ethnographic study of “goal displacement” in an adult day care center explains how and why certain goals come to surpass others in the organizational practices of elder day care settings. Adult day care is often oriented towards providing family caregivers with respite rather than attempting to directly improve the lives of the elders themselves. Although the adult day care center studied (CADC) was ostensibly founded to care for and improve the lives of elders with dementia, the center instead focused on providing respite for family caregivers who depended on the center for relief from care-giving. I show how the goals that CADC could realistically pursue, and the population it ultimately came to serve, were limited by the larger structural setting in which the organization operated. CADC's dependence on a limited pool of external resources of questionable quality converged with the organizational demands of a difficult population in such a way that simply providing a safe and orderly environment strained the organization to the limit. Providing care that aimed to directly improve elders' lives was seen as unreasonable, because this would have required unavailable resources, personnel, and training. In contrast, helping family caregivers by adopting a “respite focus” was seen as reasonable and worthwhile. Thus, family caregivers came to supplant elders as the de facto clients of CADC. The goal of improving elders' lives remained, but only in brochures and ideology, not organizational practice. Still, this goal remained an important part of the organizational discourse of CADC, since widely shared cultural understandings of the type of care elders deserve, constrained the way the organization could present itself.
Overstretched and Unreciprocated Commitment: Reviewing Research on the Occupational Health and Safety Effects of Downsizing and Job Insecurity
Authors: Quinlan Michael , Bohle Philip
Published: January 2009

Over the past two decades, a leading business practice has been often-repeated rounds of downsizing and restructuring (also referred to as reorganization, re-engineering, and a host of other euphemistic terms) by large private and public sector employers. Frequently associated with other practices such as outsourcing, privatization, and the increased use of temporary workers, downsizing/restructuring has increased the level of job insecurity among workers as well as leading to changes in work processes (including work intensification and multi-tasking) and management behavior. How has downsizing/restructuring and increased job insecurity affected the occupational health, safety, and well-being of workers, and what measures have employers, unions, and governments taken to address any adverse effects? The authors reviewed international studies of the occupational health and safety (OHS) effects of downsizing/restructuring and increased job insecurity undertaken over the past 20 years. After imposing quality filters, they obtained 86 studies. Analysis revealed that 73 (85%) of the studies found poorer OHS outcomes (using a range of measures). Studies were examined to see whether they provided clues as to the reasons for negative outcomes.
Globalization and the Marginalization of Unskilled Labor: Potential Impacts on Health in Developed Nations
Authors: Ostry Aleck Samuel
Published: January 2009

The objective of this investigation was to determine the impacts of economic globalization on labor markets and outline potential pathways for these changes to affect health status in industrialized nations. A systematic review of the economic globalization and health literature revealed that, under the impact of globalization and market deregulation, the past 25 years have witnessed de-industrialization, shifts to nontraditional, insecure work arrangements, and relatively high levels of unemployment in most developed nations. This has occurred in the context of hypermobility of capital, relative immobility of labor, and declining market position for unskilled labor. Such structural changes in the labor markets in conjunction with shifts in educational opportunities and requirements have resulted in the increasing marginalization of unskilled workers from the labor market. Aside from direct effects on health due to the threat and experience of unemployment, and given that income inequality within nations is a main driver of national health status, lowered relative wages for the unskilled will probably affect national health status through increased income inequality.
Culture and the Social Context of Health Inequalities
Authors: Mansyur Carol Leler , Amick Benjamin C. , Franzini Luisa , Roberts Robert E.
Published: January 2009

There is a great deal of recent interest and debate concerning the linkages between inequality and health cross-nationally. The U.S. National Institutes of Health recommended in 2001 that any new research on health disparities should include social and cultural systems as units of analysis. Nevertheless, many public health interventions and policies continue to decontextualize risk factors from the social environment. Exposures to social and health inequalities probably vary as a consequence of different cultural contexts. To identify the processes that cause social and health inequalities, it is important to understand culture's influence. Navarro's research on political institutions and inequality illustrates the role of cultural context, although indirectly. Policies reflect cultural values because politicians typically translate their constituents' dominant values into policy. Political systems and structural inequality are institutionalized manifestations of cultural differences that intervene between dominant cultural dimensions at the societal level and health. The authors present a theoretical framework that combines constructs from sociological theory and cross-cultural psychology to identify potential pathways leading from culture and social structure to social and health inequalities. Only when all levels are taken into consideration is it possible to come up with effective, sustainable policies and interventions.
Social Murder: The Long-Term Effects of Conservative Economic Policy
Authors: Chernomas Robert , Hudson Ian
Published: January 2009

In this article, the authors take inspiration from Engels's 1845 account of the social murder committed by British capitalists to assess the contemporary impact of conservative economic policy, which they define as policies designed to maximize the accumulation of profit while socializing the associated risks and costs. Conservative economists argue that if their policy prescription is followed, it will produce broad-based economic benefits including more rapid growth, higher incomes, less illness, and, even, more democracy. The authors contrast the myth of conservative economic policy with the reality. What conservative economic policy has actually accomplished is a redistribution of wealth and power away from the vast majority of the population to firms and their owners. The effects of these policies on citizens and workers have been socially determined economic instability, unemployment, poverty, inequality, dangerous products, and infectious and chronic disease.
Components of the Illness Flexibility Model as Explanations of Socioeconomic Differences in Sickness Absence
Authors: Johansson Gun , Lundberg Ingvar
Published: January 2009

The authors studied the social gradient in sickness absence in relation to components of the illness flexibility model, which highlights conditions affecting whether people attend work when they are ill. The conditions studied were: adjustment latitude, attendance requirements at work, stimulating work, and health. The population sample was part of a panel originating in 1994 when 15,154 inhabitants of Stockholm County were randomly selected to receive a questionnaire covering, among other things, health and psychosocial conditions. New questionnaires were sent to the respondents in 1998 and 2002. This article analyzes the 2002 data, for 1,634 women and 1,063 men. These respondents had reported being employed or on leave of absence. In this sample, a social difference was found in sickness absence of 31 days or more per year. For manual workers, women had an odds ratio (OR) of 2.8 and men an OR of 3.4 for such absence compared with nonmanual workers of both sexes in high socioeconomic positions. All single potential confounders decreased these ORs. Adding all characteristics decreased the OR by 78 percent for women and 67 percent for men. The results indicate that the social gradient in sickness absence is due to differences in health and in working conditions when one is ill.
Human Rights Abuses: Toward Balancing Two Perspectives
Authors: Benatar Solomon R. , Doyal Len
Published: January 2009

There are two perspectives on the problem of human rights abuses: the perpetrator perspective and the system perspective. The perpetrator perspective focuses on the shortcomings of persons, blaming them for neglect, cruelty, or moral weakness, and it attempts correction through education, activism, and judicial intervention. The system perspective acknowledges that the social circumstances within which individuals live can surreptitiously co-opt otherwise good people into participating in human rights abuses. Here, the corrective approach needs to focus on the complex task of altering structures and functions of systems in order to overcome structurally propelled abuses of human rights, while at the same time recognizing the moral and legal importance of allocating individual blame for the violation of such rights.
Eurozone: The High Cost of Complacency
Authors: Laurent Eloi
Published: January 2009

The first decade of Eurozone economic policy is marked by complacency, passivity and ultimately failure, as seen by Eloi Laurent.