bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of autumn kaolin and pyrethrin treatments on the spring population of Dysaphis plantaginea in apple orchards
Authors: Wyss E. , Daniel C.
Published: March 2005

The impact of treatments with the pyrethrin insecticide Pyrethrum FS and the repellent kaolin product Surround® WP to control the autumn forms of Dysaphis plantaginea Pass. (Hom., Aphididae), a major insect pest of apple, was assessed in 1‐year field experiments in Switzerland. Single and multiple applications of pyrethrin and kaolin were tested at different dates after apple harvesting in autumn 2002 when sexuales of the rosy apple aphid were present. Repeated applications of Surround® WP in autumn significantly reduced the number of females in autumn and, consequently, the number of hatched fundatrices in spring. Single kaolin treatments were less effective. Unexpectedly, neither single nor multiple applications of the contact insecticide Pyrethrum FS had a knock‐down effect on females in autumn. However, pyrethrin significantly reduced the number of hatched fundatrices in spring. Neither pesticide completely controlled the rosy apple aphid but with a more detailed analysis of factors influencing the efficacy of autumn treatments a new approach to control this serious pest could be achieved.
A Comparison of Clinically Important Differences in Health‐Related Quality of Life for Patients with Chronic Lung Disease, Asthma, or Heart Disease
Authors: Wyrwich Kathleen W. , Tierney William M. , Babu Ajit N. , Kroenke Kurt , Wolinsky Fredric D.
Published: March 2005

Objective. On the eight scales of the Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form 36‐Item Health Survey (SF‐36), Version 2, we compared the clinically important difference (CID) thresholds for change over time developed by three separate expert panels of physicians with experience in quality of life assessment among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and heart disease.

Study Design. We used a modified Delphi technique combined with a face‐to‐face panel meeting within each disease to organize and conduct the consensus process among the expert panelists, who were familiar with the assessment and evaluations of health‐related quality of life (HRQL) measures among patients with the panel‐specific disease.

Principal Findings. Each of the expert panels first determined the magnitude of the smallest numerically possible change on each SF‐36 scale, referred to as a state change, and then built their CIDs from this metric. All three panels attained consensus on the scale changes that constituted small, moderate, and large clinically important SF‐36 change scores. The CIDs established by the heart disease panel were generally greater than the CIDs agreed on by the asthma and COPD panels.

Conclusions. These panel‐derived thresholds reflect possible differences in disease management among the represented panel‐specific diseases, and are all greater than the minimal CID thresholds previously developed for the SF‐36 scales among patients with arthritis. If confirmed among patients with the relevant diseases and those patients' physicians, these disease‐specific CIDs could assist both researchers and practicing clinicians in the use and interpretation of HRQL changes over time.
Critical Pathway Effectiveness: Assessing the Impact of Patient, Hospital Care, and Pathway Characteristics Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Authors: Dy Sydney M. , Garg Pushkal , Nyberg Dorothy , Dawson Patricia B. , Pronovost Peter J. , Morlock Laura , Rubin Haya , Wu Albert W.
Published: March 2005

Objective. To qualitatively describe patient, hospital care, and critical pathway characteristics that may be associated with pathway effectiveness in reducing length of stay.

Data Sources/Study Setting. Administrative data and review of pathway documentation and a sample of medical records for each of 26 surgical critical pathways in a tertiary care center's department of surgery, 1988–1998.

Study Design. Retrospective qualitative study.

Data Collection/Abstraction Methods. Using information from a literature review and consultation with experts, we developed a list of characteristics that might impact critical pathway effectiveness. We used hypothesis‐driven qualitative comparative analysis to describe key primary and secondary characteristics that might differentiate effective from ineffective critical pathways.

Principal Findings. All 7 of the 26 pathways associated with a reduced length of stay had at least one of the following characteristics: (1) no preexisting trend toward lower length of stay for the procedure (71 percent), and/or (2) it was the first pathway implemented in its surgical service (71 percent). In addition, pathways effective in reducing length of stay tended to be for procedures with lower patient severity of illness, as indicated by fewer intensive care days and lower mortality. Effective pathways tended to be used more frequently than ineffective pathways (77 versus 59 percent of medical records with pathway documents present), but high rates of documented pathway use were not necessary for pathway effectiveness.

Conclusions. Critical pathway programs may have limited effectiveness, and may be effective only in certain situations. Because pathway utilization was not a strong predictor of pathway effectiveness, the mechanism by which critical pathways may reduce length of stay is unclear.
Medicare Expenditures for Residents in Assisted Living: Data from a National Study
Authors: Phillips Charles D. , Holan Scott , Sherman Michael , Spector William , Hawes Catherine
Published: March 2005

Objective. To provide preliminary data on Medicare expenditures for assisted living facility (ALF) residents and to investigate whether ALF characteristics were related to Medicare expenditures for ALF residents.

Data Sources/Study Setting. Data from the National Study of Assisted Living for the Frail Elderly conducted in 1998–1999. This analysis was restricted to the 40 percent of ALFs in that sample that adhered to the assisted living (AL) philosophy by offering more than minimal levels of services and privacy. This study involved the approximately 1,200 residents who remained in an ALF from baseline to follow‐up data collection. Six months of postbaseline Medicare claims were acquired for 545 of these residents, who did not differ significantly from the larger sample.

Data Collection. Baseline individual and facility data were collected in personal interviews with residents and a combination of personal and telephone interviews with facility staff. Medicare claims data were acquired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Study Design. Cross‐sectional analyses using logistic and ordinary least squares regression techniques were used to determine the relationships among individual and facility characteristics and Medicare utilization and expenditures.

Principal Findings. On an annualized basis, AL residents incurred Medicare costs of approximately $4,800. Just less than 15 percent of AL residents accounted for over 75 percent of total Medicare costs. Both the likelihood of utilizing Medicare‐covered services and the intensity of service use were largely unaffected by the characteristics of the ALF in which residents lived. Utilization was largely a function of individual characteristics. The only exception to this general finding was that those individuals who utilized services and resided in smaller ALFs had significantly lower average expenditures than did individuals in larger ALFs.

Conclusions. These preliminary data imply that both the level and distribution of Medicare expenditures among ALF residents were similar to those among the general community‐dwelling Medicare beneficiary population. No significant relationships were observed between ALF characteristics and Medicare expenditures, except the effect of facility size. This result may imply that how the AL industry eventually defines itself in terms of services and amenities, other than size, may have little impact on Medicare expenditures for ALF residents. However, this is a single, initial study, so caution must be exercised when considering the implications of these results.
A design approach for selecting the optimum water cover depth for subaqueous disposal of sulfide mine tailings
Authors: Samad Mustafa A , Yanful Ernest K
Published: March 2005

The use of shallow water covers to flood reactive mine tailings is one of the most effective and common methods of managing sulfide-rich reactive mine tailings in temperate climates. One of the aspects critical to the success of subaqueous tailings disposal is the water depth required in the pond to maintain desirable water quality. Wind waves and associated pressure-driven currents could resuspend the tailings, which might result in increased oxidation and compromise the quality of the water cover. Although existing methodologies for water cover design are based on eliminating tailings resuspension, sediment-trap data from several sites in Canada still indicate resuspension in most of the ponds. In the present paper, a design methodology is proposed for optimizing the water cover depth, allowing sediment resuspension within regulatory limits. The method uses linear wave theory and countercurrent flow profiles to obtain the total bottom shear stress, which is then compared with the critical shear stress of the tailings to predict the onset of erosion and resuspension and to compute the resulting mass of suspended tailings. Application of the methodology to a tailings pond in British Columbia, Canada, indicates that although a maximum water cover depth of 2.5 m is necessary to eliminate tailings resuspension, a maximum depth of 1.5 m could still be used, as the resulting concentration of suspended tailings remains within the regulatory limit. The methodology also provides an estimate of the impact of resuspension-induced oxidation on the quality of the water cover above the tailings, such as sulfate production.Key words: mine tailings, water cover, wind waves, countercurrent flows, shear stress, resuspension.
Exercise within lower body negative pressure partially counteracts lumbar spine deconditioning associated with 28-day bed rest
Authors: Cao Peihong , Kimura Shinji , Macias Brandon R. , Ueno Toshiaki , Watenpaugh Donald E. , Hargens Alan R.
Published: March 2005

Astronauts experience spine deconditioning during exposure to microgravity due to the lack of axial loads on the spine. Treadmill exercise in a lower body negative pressure (LBNP) chamber provides axial loads on the lumbar spine. We hypothesize that daily supine LBNP exercise helps counteract lumbar spine deconditioning during 28 days of microgravity simulated by bed rest. Twelve sets of healthy, identical twins underwent 6° head-down-tilt bed rest for 28 days. One subject from each set of twins was randomly assigned to the exercise (Ex) group, whereas their sibling served as a nonexercise control (Con). The Ex group exercised in supine posture within a LBNP chamber for 45 min/day, 6 days/wk. All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging of their lumbar spine before and at the end of bed rest. Lumbar spinal length increased 3.7 ± 0.5 mm in the Con group over 28-day bed rest, whereas, in the Ex group, lumbar spinal length increased significantly less (2.3 ± 0.4 mm, P = 0.01). All lumbar intervertebral disk heights (L5–S1, L4–5, L3–4, L2–3, and L1–2) in the Con group increased significantly over the 28-day bed rest ( P < 0.05). In the Ex group, there were no significant increases in L5–S1and L4–5disk heights. Lumbar lordosis decreased significantly by 3.3 ± 1.2° during bed rest in the Con group ( P = 0.02), but it did not decrease significantly in the Ex group. Our results suggest that supine LBNP treadmill exercise partially counteracts lumbar spine lengthening and deconditioning associated with simulated microgravity.
Tight or Loose Coupling Between Components of the Feeding Neuromusculature ofAplysia?
Authors: Zhurov Yuriy , Weiss Klaudiusz R. , Brezina Vladimir
Published: March 2005

Like other complex behaviors, the cyclical, rhythmic consummatory feeding behaviors of Aplysia—biting, swallowing, and rejection of unsuitable food—are produced by a complex neuromuscular system: the animal's buccal mass, with numerous pairs of antagonistic muscles, controlled by the firing of numerous motor neurons, all driven by the motor programs of a central pattern generator (CPG) in the buccal ganglia. In such a complex neuromuscular system, it has always been assumed that the activities of the various components must necessarily be tightly coupled and coordinated if successful functional behavior is to be produced. However, we have recently found that the CPG generates extremely variable motor programs from one cycle to the next, and so very variable motor neuron firing patterns and contractions of individual muscles. Here we show that this variability extends even to higher-level parameters of the operation of the neuromuscular system such as the coordination between entire antagonistic subsystems within the buccal neuromusculature. In motor programs elicited by stimulation of the esophageal nerve, we have studied the relationship between the contractions of the accessory radula closer (ARC) muscle, and the firing patterns of its motor neurons B15 and B16, with those of its antagonist, the radula opener (I7) muscle, and its motor neuron B48. There are two separate B15/B16-ARC subsystems, one on each side of the animal, and these are indeed very tightly coupled. Tight coupling can, therefore, be achieved in this neuromuscular system where required. Yet there is essentially no coupling at all between the contractions of the ARC muscles and those of the antagonistic radula opener muscle. We interpret this result in terms of a hypothesis that ascribes a higher-order benefit to such loose coupling in the neuromusculature. The variability, emerging in the successive feeding movements made by the animal, diversifies the range of movements and thereby implements a trial-and-error search through the space of movements that might be successful, an optimal strategy for the animal in an unknown, rapidly changing feeding environment.
A New Free-Free Resonant Column Device for Measurement of Gmax and Dmin at Higher Confining Stresses
Authors: Kalinski ME , Thummaluru MSR
Published: March 2005

The fixed-free resonant column device has traditionally been used to measure shear modulus in laboratory soil and rock specimens. It is a proven method that provides measurements over a range of shear strain and effective confining stress (σ′o), but the test relies on a specialized system of coils and magnets. The free-free resonant column device is a simpler device that allows for measurement of small-strain shear modulus (Gmax) and small-strain material damping (Dmin). However, σ′o in the free-free device has traditionally been limited to a maximum attainable vacuum pressure of around 80 kPa, because the test has not been configured in a pressurized cell. Therefore, a new free-free device was developed to allow measurements in a pressurized cell with σ′o greater than 80 kPa, while remotely exciting the specimen with a rotary solenoid. Test results demonstrate its potential for measuring Gmax and Dmin under higher levels of σ′o that are more representative of in situ conditions.
Field Validation of Superpave Shear Test on NCAT Test Track
Authors: Zhang J , Xie H , Kandhal PS , Powell RD
Published: March 2005

When the National Center for Asphalt Technology Test Track was built in 2000, one of the primary objectives was to determine the ability of a number of laboratory tests to predict the permanent deformation of various mixtures. Repeated Shear at Constant Height (RSCH) was included as one of the tests in the laboratory study. The subject of this paper is field validation of the Superpave Shear Tester (SST) based on the field rutting data from the Test Track. Permanent shear strain, slope of the deformation rate, repetitions to a certain strain level, and shear modulus were the parameters evaluated for RSCH. The sensitivity of SST test to asphalt binder type in the various test track sections was analyzed. The relationship between RSCH test results and field rut depth was poor. This was partly due to the good quality of the track construction, thick pavement structure, and mild summers during the loading of the 2000 track, which did not cause any significant rutting. The sensitivity study indicated that PG 76-22 binder performed better than the PG 67-22 binder in the RSCH test. The criteria developed by the Asphalt Institute seem to be in a reasonable range.
What Kitty Knew
Authors: HEILMANN ANN , LLEWELLYN MARK
Published: March 2005

Framed by sensational Ripper stories that turned fact into �ction and lurid murder into gripping reading matter, the extraordinary popularity of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), George du Maurier's Trilby (1894), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) clearly indicate that the �n de si�cle was a time enthralled by the concept of split selves and sadistic impulses, of insidious male desires metaphorically and literally inscribed on the body of unconscious, hysterical, or hypnotized women. With his John Norton narratives of the late 1880s to mid 1890s, George Moore made a signi�cant contribution to this important cultural preoccupation in late-Victorian literature and culture. In this essay we trace the development of the theme in Moore's A Mere Accident (1887), Mike Fletcher (1889), and "John Norton" (which appeared in his collection Celibates, 1895). We read Moore's stories in the context of the emerging discourses of psychoanalysis and its reliance upon and relation to earlier work on the theories of the "double brain" and "multiplex personality". We also draw on works of late-nineteenth-century sexology-Havelock Ellis's Studies in the Psychology of Sex (1897-1910) and Richard von Krafft-Ebing's Psychopathia Sexualis (�rst published in German, 1886)-in order to explore the psycho-sexual nature of the malaise that af�icts the Norton character and highlight his ambivalent role in the "accident" that befalls the vicar's daughter, Kitty Hare. In addition, we pay close attention to the proto-Freudian language of dreams that haunt Kitty in the aftermath of her assault, arguing that in his "John Norton" narratives Moore engaged with the evolving concept of trauma. These stories, we argue, re�ect an important and hitherto neglected aspect of late-Victorian narrative explorations of hysteria and sexual pathology.
Mitochondrial DNA HVRI variation in Balearic populations
Authors: Picornell A. , Gómez‐Barbeito L. , Tomàs C. , Castro J.A. , Ramon M.M.
Published: March 2005

The Balearic archipelago (Majorca, Minorca, and Ibiza islands and the Chuetas, a small and inbred community of descendants of Sephardic Jews) and Valencia were studied by means of the sequencing of a 404‐bp segment of hypervariable region I (HVRI) mtDNA in 231 individuals. In total, 127 different haplotypes defined by 92 variable positions were identified. The incidence of unique haplotypes was very low, especially in Ibiza and the Chuetas. A remarkable observation in the Chueta community was the high frequency (23%) of preHV‐1, a Middle Eastern lineage that is closely related, though not identical, to many others found at high frequencies in different Jewish populations. The presence of this haplogroup convincingly supported the Jewish origin of the Chueta community. The studied populations showed a reduced African contribution, and no individuals were detected with North African haplogroup U6, indicating a lack of maternal contribution from the Moslem settlement to these populations. Only Ibiza showed a lower diversity, indicating a possible genetic drift effect, also supported by the historical information known about this island. The variability in the sequence of mtDNA hypervariable region I correlated well with the existing information from the populations, with the exception of that of the Y‐chromosome, which could indicate a differential contribution of the maternal and paternal lineages to the genetic pool of the Balearic Islands. The phylogenetic trees showed the intermediate position of the Chueta population between the Middle Eastern and Majorcan samples, confirming the Jewish origin of this population and their Spanish admixture. Am J Phys Anthropol 128:119‐130, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of the length of the carbochain on the phase behavior of side‐chain cholesteric liquid‐crystalline elastomers
Authors: He Xiao‐Zhi , Zhang Bao‐Yan , Meng Fan‐Bao , Lin Jian‐Rong
Published: March 2005

In this study, we prepared two series of new side‐chain cholesteric liquid‐crystalline elastomers (PI and PII) derived from the same chiral bisolefinic crosslinking units and different nematic liquid‐crystalline monomers. The chemical structures of the monomers and polymers obtained were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and 1H‐NMR spectroscopy. The phase behavior properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and polarizing optical microscopy. The effect of the length of the carbochain on the phase behavior of the elastomers was investigated. The polymers of the PI and PII series showed similar properties. Polymer P1 showed a nematic phase, P2–P7 showed a cholesteric phase, and P4–P7, with more than 6 mol % of the chiral crosslinking agent, exhibited a selective reflection of light. The elastomers containing less than 15 mol % of the crosslinking units displayed elasticity, a reversible phase transition with wide mesophase temperature ranges, and a high thermal stability. The experimental results demonstrate that the glass‐transition temperatures first decreased and then increased; the isotropization temperatures and the mesophase temperature ranges decreased with increasing content of crosslinking agent. However, because of the different lengths of the carbochain, the glass‐transition temperatures and phase‐transition temperatures of the PI series were higher than those of the PII series, and the PI and PII elastomers had their own special optical properties. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1204–1210, 2005
Artificial Metalloenzymes for Enantioselective Catalysis Based on the Noncovalent Incorporation of Organometallic Moieties in a Host Protein
Authors: Ward Thomas R.
Published: March 2005

Enzymatic and homogeneous catalysis offer complementary means to produce enantiopure products. Incorporation of achiral, biotinylated aminodiphosphine–rhodium complexes in (strept)avidin affords enantioselective hydrogenation catalysts. A combined chemogenetic procedure allows the optimization of the activity and the selectivity of such artificial metalloenzymes: the reduction of acetamidoacrylate proceeds to produce N‐acetamidoalanine in either 96 % ee (R) or 80 % ee (S). In addition to providing a chiral second coordination sphere and, thus, selectivity to the catalyst, the phenomenon of protein‐accelerated catalysis (e.g., increased activity) was unraveled. Such artificial metalloenzymes based on the biotin–avidin technology display features that are reminiscent of both homogeneous and of enzymatic catalysis.
Body mass index in long‐term adult survivors of childhood cancer
Authors: Meacham Lillian R. , Gurney James G. , Mertens Ann C. , Ness Kirsten K. , Sklar Charles A. , Robison Leslie L. , Oeffinger Kevin C.
Published: March 2005

BACKGROUND

The goals of the current study were to determine the distribution of body mass index (BMI) of survivors of common pediatric malignancies and to identify factors associated with abnormal BMI.

METHODS

The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a multicenter cohort study of ≥ 5‐year survivors of pediatric cancer diagnosed between 1970 and 1986. Self‐reported heights and weights were used to calculate BMI for 7195 adult survivors, compared with population‐based, age‐specific, and gender‐specific norms from the 1995 National Health Interview Survey. Underweight was defined as a BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 and obese as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2.

RESULTS

Survivors of leukemia were more likely to be obese (females: odds ratio [OR] = 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–1.8; males: OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0–1.5). Survivors more likely to be underweight included female and male survivors of Hodgkin disease (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3–2.3 and OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 2.3–5.3) and Wilms tumor (OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2–2.8 and OR = 5.5; 95% CI, 3.1–9.7), female survivors of bone carcinoma without amputation (OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2–2.9), and male survivors of leukemia (OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6–3.6), brain tumors (OR = 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6–4.4), non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (OR = 3.1; 95% CI, 1.9–5.2), neuroblastoma (OR = 4.9; 95% CI, 2.48–10.0), and soft tissue sarcoma (OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 2.0–6.0). In females, treatment with total body irradiation, alkylating agents, and anthracyclines and in males, treatment with abdominal radiation, younger age at treatment, and treatment with anthracyclines and alkylating agents were associated with being underweight. Underweight survivors were more likely to report adverse health and major medical conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant proportion of childhood survivors of cancer are underweight as adults and the impact of this on the general health of survivors will need to be addressed further. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Capillary electrophoresis‐electrospray‐mass spectrometry of nucleosides and nucleotides: Application to phosphorylation studies of anti‐human immunodeficiency virus nucleosides in a human hepatoma cell line
Authors: Liu Charles C. , Huang Jyy S. , Tyrrell David L. J. , Dovichi Norman J.
Published: March 2005

We report the use of capillary electrophoresis‐electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry (CE‐ESI‐MS) for the determination of antiretroviral dideoxynucleosides (ddNs), their nucleotides, and a set of ribonucleosides and ribonucleotides. A CE system for separation of most commonly used antiretroviral ddNs has been developed based on a basic buffer with a volatile electrolyte suitable for ESI‐MS detection in an untreated capillary column. Positive and negative ionization modes are investigated and compared for sensitive and stable electrospray performance. A 14‐compound mixture of nucleosides and nucleotides is profiled in a single capillary zone electrophoresis separation with a distinct elution order: electroosmotic flow, ddNs, mononucleotides, dinucleotides, and trinucleotides in less than 18 min. The fragmentation pathways of the nucleosides and nucleotides in ESI‐MS have been interpreted. Concentration limits of detection are 100 to 200 nM with an injection volume of ∼10 nL. This technique has been used to detect naturally occurring nucleotides and to study the metabolism of lamivudine (3TC) in the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2. 3TC and its metabolites 3TC‐monophosphate, 3TC‐diphosphate, and 3TC‐triphosphate were detected after 10 h of incubation of 3TC with the cells.
A detailed study of monolithic contacts and electrical losses in a large‐area thin‐film module
Authors: Brecl Kristijan , Topič Marko , Smole Franc
Published: March 2005

A study of the electrical losses of thin‐film modules is presented. Using the electrical circuit simulator PSpice, the influence of the distributed series resistance of the top and the bottom contact of the active area and the influence of the monolithic contact area on the module performance was revealed and demonstrated. A large impact of the distributed series resistance of transparent conducting oxide layer on the module performance was analysed. Study of the monolithic contact area shows a crucial impact of the back‐contact separation cut on the module performance. All other regions that form the monolithic contact contribute significantly to the width of the dead area region in a module. An application of the CIGS‐based study of the monolithic contact on an a‐Si/μc‐Si module is presented. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low incidence of extra‐pair paternity in the colonially nesting common swift Apus apus
Authors: Martins (correspondence) Thaís L. F. , Blakey Jeremy K. , Wright Jonathan
Published: March 2005

The frequency of extra‐pair paternity in a wild colony of swiftsApus apuswas determined by multilocus DNA fingerprinting in two successive breeding seasons. The data were used to examine the expectation that extra‐pair paternity is frequent in colonial‐nesting species, either for proximal reasons such as the increased opportunity for extra‐pair matings, or because extra‐pair matings are important in the evolution and maintenance of coloniality. Forty‐two broods containing 88 chicks were analysed. The genetic analysis revealed four cases of extra‐pair paternity (4.5% of chicks) from four (9.5%) nests. Rapid mate‐switching was considered unlikely to be the cause of extra‐pair paternity since three of the cases were in the nests of previously established breeding pairs. Extra‐pair copulations were not observed, but were assumed to be the cause of extra‐pair paternity. The data show that high levels of extra‐pair paternity are not an inevitable feature of high‐density nesting.
Inter‐clutch egg size variation in kestrels Falco tinnunculus: seasonal decline under fluctuating food conditions
Authors: Valkama Jari , Korpimäki Erkki , Wiehn Jürgen , Pakkanen Tuuli
Published: March 2005

We examined inter‐clutch egg size variation of Eurasian kestrels Falco tinnunculus in western Finland over a period of 12 years, during which their main prey, Microtus voles, fluctuated in three‐year population cycles. Females that bred twice in the area had highly repeatable egg size, and the main part of the observed variation was likely to be due to among‐female differences. Laying date also explained some variation in egg size, but compared to the variation between individuals its effect was small and varied among the phases of the vole cycle. During decrease phases and years with low vole abundance mean egg size of clutches declined with laying date, whereas during increase phases mean egg size remained stable within the season. Although egg size was not related to fledging success, we found that egg size may have value for the development of eggs as the probability of total hatching success of a clutch increased with increasing mean egg size.
Two blue tit Parus caeruleus populations from Corsica differ in social dominance
Authors: Braillet Céline , Charmantier Anne , Archaux Frédéric , Dos Santos Anabelle , Perret Philippe , Lambrechts Marcel M.
Published: March 2005

Although the causes and consequences of social dominance have been examined extensively, avian studies have rarely focused on between‐population differences in social dominance. On the island of Corsica, two resident blue tit Parus caeruleus populations 25 km apart differ significantly in body size measures, timing and effort of reproduction, and song structure, and some of these population differences have a genetic basis. Because earlier avian studies have shown that social dominance is influenced by body size or mass, we predicted that individuals from these two blue tit populations would also differ in their ability to dominate other individuals. Consistent with this prediction, we found that male blue tits of these two populations differ in social dominance, and that heavier or larger individuals dominate lighter or smaller ones in aviary experiments. We propose that social dominance may serve to maintain phenotypic population differentiation at a micro‐geographic scale by acting as a barrier to dispersal.
Blood parameter changes during stopover in a long‐distance migratory shorebird, the bar‐tailed godwit Limosa lapponica taymyrensis
Authors: Landys‐Ciannelli Meta M. , Jukema Joop , Piersma Theunis
Published: March 2005

Bar‐tailed godwits migrate from West African wintering sites to breeding areas in northern Russia with only one stopover. We compared hematocrit (Hct), blood hemoglobin concentration (Hb), and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHb; a measure of the relative proportion of Hb in the cellular blood fraction) between arriving godwits lured to land 60 km short of the stopover site and godwits during subsequent refueling. The Hct and Hb of arriving godwits was low when compared to that of refueling birds. On the stopover site, Hct and Hb correlated positively with size‐corrected body mass. In addition, Hb and MCHb reached peak levels in the last days of stopover. We explored the possibility of regenerative anemia in arriving godwits by comparing the fraction of reticulocytes (young red blood cells) between arriving and refueling birds. No differences were found. Therefore, we suggest that the increase in Hct, Hb, and MCHb during refueling is not in response to a severe anemic state at arrival. Rather, we suggest that the increase in blood parameters may anticipate the increased aerobic requirements of impending migratory flight and possibly satisfy heightened oxygen demands of the larger body mass of fattened birds. The Hct increase on the stopover site may also serve to buffer the red blood cell population against possible red blood cell breakdown during long‐distance flight.
On the phylogenetic relationships of trogons (Aves, Trogonidae)
Authors: Mayr Gerald
Published: March 2005

Although trogons (Aves, Trogonidae) are well characterized by the possession of heterodactyl feet, their phylogenetic relationships to other extant birds still are only poorly understood. Molecular studies did not show conclusive results and there are amazingly few comparative studies of the anatomy of trogons. Virtually the only hypothesis on trogon relationships that was supported with derived morphological characters is a sister group relationship to alcediniform birds (bee‐eaters, kingfishers, and allies), which share a derived morphology of the columella (ear‐ossicle) with trogons. However, in this study a very similar columella is reported for the oilbird (Steatornithidae) and additional previously unrecognized derived osteological characters are presented, which are shared by trogons and oilbirds. A numerical cladistic analysis of 28 morphological characters also resulted in monophyly of Trogonidae and Steatornithidae, although the corresponding node was not retained in a bootstrap analysis.
The effect of wind, season and latitude on the migration speed of white storks Ciconia ciconia, along the eastern migration route
Authors: Shamoun‐Baranes Judy , Baharad Anat , Alpert Pinhas , Berthold Peter , Yom‐Tov Yoram , Dvir Yoav , Leshem Yossi
Published: March 2005

The relation between wind, latitude and daily migration speed along the entire migration route of white storks was analysed. Mean daily migration speed was calculated using satellite telemetry data for autumn and spring migration of white storks from their breeding grounds in Germany and Poland to wintering grounds in Africa and back. The National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data were used to systematically fit 850 mb wind vectors to daily migration speed along the migration route. White storks migrated significantly faster and had a shorter migration season in autumn (10 km/h) compared to spring (6.4 km/h). In autumn mean daily migration speed was significantly slower in Europe (8.0 km/h) than in the Middle East (11.1 km/h) and Africa (11.0 km/h). In spring mean daily migration speed was significantly faster in Africa (10.5 km/h) as birds left their wintering grounds than in the Middle East (4.3 km/h). Migration speed then increased in Europe (6.5 km/h) as birds approached their breeding grounds. In both spring and autumn tailwind (at 850mb) and latitude were found to be significant variables related to daily migration speed.
Are wing size, wing shape and asymmetry related to field fitness of Trichogramma egg parasitoids?
Authors: Kölliker‐Ott Ursula M. , Blows Mark W. , Hoffmann Ary A.
Published: March 2005

The effects of wing shape, wing size, and fluctuating asymmetry in these measures on the field fitness of T. nr. brassicae and T. pretiosum were investigated. Trichogramma wasps mass‐reared on eggs of the factitious host Sitotroga cerealella were released in tomato paddocks and those females ovipositing on Helicoverpa spp. eggs were recaptured. Comparisons of the recaptured group with a sample from the release population were used to assess fitness. Wing data were obtained by positioning landmarks on mounted forewings. Size was then measured as the centroid size computed from landmark distances, while Procrustes analysis followed by principal component analysis was used to assess wing shape. Similar findings were obtained for both Trichogramma species: fitness of wasps was strongly related to wing size and some shape dimensions, but not to the asymmetries of these measures. Wasps which performed well in the field had larger wings and a different wing shape compared to wasps from the mass reared population. Both size and the shape dimensions were linearly associated with fitness although there was also some evidence for non‐linear selection on shape. The results suggest that wing shape and wing size are reliable predictors of field fitness for these Trichogramma wasps.
Overexpression and enzymatic characterization of Neisseria gonorrhoeae penicillin‐binding protein 4
Authors: Stefanova Miglena E. , Tomberg Joshua , Davies Christopher , Nicholas Robert A. , Gutheil William G.
Published: March 2005

The penicillin‐binding proteins (PBPs) are ubiquitous bacterial enzymes involved in cell wall biosynthesis, and are the targets of the β‐lactam antibiotics. The low molecular mass Neisseria gonorrhoeae PBP 4 (NG PBP 4) is the fourth PBP revealed in the gonococcal genome. NG PBP 4 was cloned, overexpressed, purified, and characterized for β‐lactam binding, dd‐carboxypeptidase activity, acyl‐donor substrate specificity, transpeptidase activity, inhibition by a number of active site directed reagents, and pH profile. NG PBP 4 was efficiently acylated by penicillin (30 000 m−1·s−1). Against a set of five α‐ and ε‐substituted l‐Lys‐d‐Ala‐d‐Ala substrates, NG PBP 4 exhibited wide variation in specificity with a preference for Nε‐acylated substrates, suggesting a possible preference for crosslinked pentapeptide substrates in the cell wall. Substrates with an Nε‐Cbz group demonstrated pronounced substrate inhibition. NG PBP 4 showed 30‐fold higher activity against the depsipeptide Lac‐ester substrate than against the analogous peptide substrate, an indication that k2 (acylation) is rate determining for carboxypeptidase activity. No transpeptidase activity was apparent in a model transpeptidase reaction. Among a number of active site‐directed agents, N‐chlorosuccinimide, elastinal, iodoacetamide, iodoacetic acid, and phenylglyoxal gave substantial inhibition, and methyl boronic acid gave modest inhibition. The pH profile for activity against Ac2‐l‐Lys‐d‐Ala‐d‐Ala (kcat/Km) was bell‐shaped, with pKa values at 6.9 and 10.1. Comparison of the enzymatic properties of NG PBP 4 with other dd‐carboxypeptidases highlights both similarities and differences within these enzymes, and suggests the possibility of common mechanistic roles for the two highly conserved active site lysines in Class A and C low molecular mass PBPs.
All the President's Women: The Wives of General Antonio López de Santa Anna in 19th Century Mexico
Authors: Fowler Will
Published: March 2005

The objective of this article is to contribute towards a fuller critical understanding of gender relations/politics in mid-19th-century Spanish America. Its aim is to provide an account of the relationship Mexican President General Antonio López de Santa Anna established with his two wives. This study is particularly concerned with the representative value of Santa Anna's case in terms of 19th-century gender relations and the macho stereotype of the caudillo. Do Santa Anna's marital and extra-marital relationships confirm or question traditional views on the position of women in Spanish America following the achievement of Independence? Do they conform with the ‘rock-star’ lifestyle generally attributed to the early 19th-century caudillo? A key aim of this study is to test the extent to which the relatively recent claim that women were more independent and influential than had been previously noted is borne out by case-studies of the women who shared their lives with the promiscuous six-times president Santa Anna.
From the Uterus to the Brain: Images of Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Mexico
Authors: Gorbach Frida
Published: March 2005

Scientific interest in hysteria began in Mexico at the end of the 19th-century, as the medical profession expanded. The Mexican doctors studied madness, drawing on what was confidently regarded as a firm basis of epistemological knowledge. Using modern physiology they entered a discussion that had begun some time before in Europe. Encountering hysteria, an illness presumed to be caused by ‘over-civilization’, they searched for a universal definition. The doctors tried to impose a unifying concept onto the diverse symptoms of hysteria, and, although imitating European ideas, the discourse became distinctive in its attempts to relate hysteria to science and modernity so that all three would make sense. My interest in this article is the feminine; not a reconstruction of the relationship that medicine established between hysteria and the feminine, but a search for a space within the discourse that deconstructs identity and stereotypes. The feminine appears when the coherence of medical discourse is ruptured and when, to explain the illness, the doctors stop attempting to define it. This eventually occurs when the medical discourse considers the subject as unidentifiable and deceptive.
Role of OH-stretch/torsion coupling and quantum yield effects in the first OH overtone spectrum of cis-cis HOONO
Authors: McCoy Anne B. , Fry Juliane L. , Francisco Joseph S. , Mollner Andrew K. , Okumura Mitchio
Published: March 2005

A joint theoretical and experimental investigation is undertaken to study the effects of OH-stretch/HOON torsion coupling and of quantum yield on the previously reported first overtone action spectrum of cis-cis HOONO (peroxynitrous acid). The minimum energy path along the HOON dihedral angle is computed at the coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples level with correlation consistent polarized quadruple ζ basis set, at the structure optimized using the triple ζ basis set (CCSD(T)/cc-pVQZ//CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ). The two-dimensional ab initio potential energy and dipole moment surfaces for cis-cis HOONO are calculated as functions of the HOON torsion and OH bond length about the minimum energy path at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ and QCISD/AUG-cc-pVTZ (QCISD—quadratic configuration interaction with single and double excitation and AUG-augmented with diffuse functions) level of theory/basis, respectively. The OH-stretch vibration depends strongly on the torsional angle, and the torsional potential possesses a broad shelf at ∼90°, the cis-perp conformation. The calculated electronic energies and dipoles are fit to simple functional forms and absorption spectra in the region of the OH fundamental and first overtone are calculated from these surfaces. While the experimental and calculated spectra of the OH fundamental band are in good agreement, significant differences in the intensity patterns are observed between the calculated absorption spectrum and the measured action spectrum in the 2νOH region. These differences are attributed to the fact that several of the experimentally accessible states do not have sufficient energy to dissociate to OH+NO2 and therefore are not detectable in an action spectrum. Scaling of the intensities of transitions to these states, assuming D0=82.0kJ∕mol, is shown to produce a spectrum that is in good agreement with the measured action spectrum. Based on this agreement, we assign two of the features in the spectrum to Δn=0 transitions (where n is the HOON torsion quantum number) that are blue shifted relative to the origin band, while the large peak near 7000cm−1 is assigned to a series of Δn=+1 transitions, with predominant contributions from torsionally excited states with substantial cis-perp character. The direct absorption spectrum of cis-cis HOONO (6300–6850cm−1) is recorded by cavity ringdown spectroscopy in a discharge flow cell. A single band of HOONO is observed at 6370cm−1 and is assigned as the origin of the first OH overtone of cis-cis HOONO. These results imply that the origin band is suppressed by over an order of magnitude in the action spectrum, due to a reduced quantum yield. The striking differences between absorption and action spectra are correctly predicted by the calculations.
Topological model of flow regimes in the plane of symmetry of a surface-mounted obstacle
Authors: Khan M. Javed , Ahmed Anwar
Published: March 2005

Flow visualization between Reynolds numbers of 2000 and 6500 in the end-wall region of an obstacle mounted on a flat plate revealed presence of a multiple vortex system. Three Reynolds-number dependent regimes were identified. With increasing Reynolds number the vortex system transitioned from a static system to a to-and-fro oscillating system and finally to a shedding-splitting system. These observations have been used to infer flow topologies in the plane of symmetry of the juncture from start-up through all three regimes.
Substrate-induced epitaxial mixing of bulk-immiscible La5∕8Sr3∕8MnO3∕LuMnO3 films
Authors: Hur N. , Cheong S.-W. , Kale S. N. , Ogale S. B. , Choudhary R. , Shinde S. R. , Venkatesan T.
Published: March 2005

A mixture of a colossal magnetoresistance manganite (La5∕8Sr3∕8MnO3) and a multiferroic (LuMnO3), of potential interest for magnetoelectronics, was found to be bulk immiscible due to its structural∕chemical incompatibility. Here, we demonstrate that thin-film epitaxy offers a route to achieve continuous perovskite solid solutions of such a bulk-immiscible mixture, allowing studies of their physical properties. The films grow with (110)- and (001)-preferred orientation on SrTiO3(100) and LaAlO3(100), respectively. The details of structural, magnetotransport, and magnetization data are discussed within the context of metal-insulator phase coexistence. Epitaxial stabilization of chemically immiscible phases clearly widens the scope of research on manganites as well as other materials.
Al 2 O 3 -incorporation effect on the band structure of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films
Authors: Zheng Y. B. , Wang S. J. , Huan A. C. H. , Tan C. Y. , Yan L. , Ong C. K.
Published: March 2005

The Al2O3-incoporation effect on the crystal structure and band structure of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films on (100) LaAlO3 substrate has been investigated by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The resultant band gaps (Eg) increase with the increase of Al concentration. The shift of the valence-band edge and the core-level spectra with the incorporation of Al indicates that the Al could reduce the oxygen vacancy concentration.
Cathodoluminescence from β-Ga2O3 nanowires
Authors: Nogales E. , Méndez B. , Piqueras J.
Published: March 2005

β - Ga 2 O 3 nano- and microwires with diameters ranging from tens of nanometers to about one micron and lengths of up to tens of microns, have been obtained by sintering Ga2O3 powder under argon flow. The structures have been investigated by cathodoluminescence in the scanning electron microscope. The samples showed the violet-blue emission characteristic of Ga2O3 and a red emission at 1.73 eV dominant in the nanowires and other nano- and microstructures formed during the sintering treatment. At temperatures below 210 K, this band exhibits sharp peaks separated by 20 meV. This observation suggests the exchange of phonons in the recombination process.