bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
National Judges, Community Judges: Invitation to a Journey through the Looking‐glass—On the Need for Jurisdictions to Rethink the Inter‐systemic Relations beyond the Hierarchical Principle
Authors: Giorgi Florence , Triart Nicolas
Published: October 2008

The historical conflict between the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the national constitutional courts regarding primacy is a misunderstanding. In going through the looking‐glass, we can understand that, on the contrary, the ECJ and the national constitutional courts adopt comparable solutions in their treatment of legal pluralism, and that they see the negation of pluralism as essential for the survival of their own legal orders. Therefore, these judges must be offered a new theoretical context to help them reconcile their role as supreme guardian with the taking into account of the pluralist context. Finally, practical proposals must be made to give judges the instruments and techniques that are capable of reflecting this plural structure.
European Competition Soft Law in European Courts: A Matter of Hard Principles?
Authors: Ştefan Oana Andreea
Published: October 2008

This article analyses whether and how competition soft law instruments are taken into consideration by the European Courts and the Advocates General. The quantitative analysis of the case‐law reveals that even if arguments based on competition guidelines or notices were brought to court since the early days of European law, it is only during the last two decades that they have been taken seriously. The results of the qualitative analysis point to the fact that soft law instruments are considered by the European Courts an important and specific part of the body of European norms that they should use when deciding cases submitted for their judgment. Legal effects are recognised to these not legally binding instruments, but only when it serves the enforcement of hard, general principles of law.
Networks of European National Human Rights Institutions
Authors: De Beco Gauthier
Published: October 2008

This article concerns the networks of European national human rights institutions (NHRIs). It examines how the sharing of best practices takes place through networks and how NHRIs achieve cooperation at both the international and regional levels. The article also analyses NHRI cooperation within three organisations: the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the EU. While cooperation at the international level facilitates their accreditation according to their compliance with the Paris Principles and enables them to participate in the sessions of the Human Rights Council, cooperation at the European level allows them to exchange information on issues of common concern and strengthens their relationship with regional bodies. In Europe, NHRIs cooperate with the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and might also do so with the recently established Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU.
The European Group on Ethics: Law, Politics and the Limits of Moral Integration in Europe
Authors: Plomer Aurora
Published: October 2008

Abstract: The article offers a critical review of the institutional role of the European Group on Ethics in the EU, focusing on the appointment and composition of the group, the nature of its ‘opinions’, the way these are used by the Commission and other EU institutional actors, looking in particular at its controversial Opinion 22 on the ethical review and funding of stem cell research under the FP7 programme. The analysis highlights the methodological difficulties faced by the group in the grounding of its Opinions, the blurring of normative moral and legal orders, the risk of politicisation of ethics and the potential overreach by the EU of its competences in reliance on a group of this kind to reach unity on deeply contested moral questions in a culturally and morally diverse Europe.
Gendering the History of Women's Healthcare
Authors: Green Monica H.
Published: October 2008

This essay examines the genesis and continuing influence of certain core narratives in the history of western women's healthcare. Some derive from first‐wave feminism's search for models of female medical practice, an agenda that paid little attention to historical context. Second‐wave feminism, identifying a rift between pre‐modern and modern times in terms of women's medical practices, saw the pre‐modern European female healer as an exceptionally knowledgeable empiricist, uniquely responsible for women's healthcare and (particularly because of her knowledge of mechanisms to limit fertility) a victim of male persecution. Aspects of this second narrative continue subtly to effect scholarly discourse and research agendas on the history of healthcare both by and for women. This essay argues that, by seeing medical knowledge as a cultural product – something that is not static but continually re‐created and sometimes contested – we can create an epistemology of how such knowledge is gendered in its genesis, dissemination and implementation. Non‐western narratives drawn from history and medical anthropology are employed to show both the larger impact of the western feminist narratives and ways to reframe them.
Learned social hopelessness: the role of explanatory style in predicting social support during adolescence
Authors: Ciarrochi Joseph , Heaven Patrick C.L.
Published: October 2008

Background:  Almost no research has examined the impact of explanatory style on social adjustment. We hypothesised that adolescents with a pessimistic style would be less likely to develop and maintain social support networks.

Methods:  Seven hundred and nineteen students (351 males and 366 females; 2 unknown; MAGE = 12.28, SD = .49) completed an anonymous survey in Grades 7 through 10. Explanatory style was assessed in Grades 7 and 9, sadness was assessed in Grades 7 through 10, and quantity and quality of social support was assessed in Grades 8, 9, and 10.

Results:  Structural equation modelling was used to conduct cross‐lagged panel analyses of the four waves of data. Pessimistic explanatory style predicted lower levels of social support, and lower social support from the family predicted higher levels of pessimistic explanatory style. Additional analyses suggested that the effects could not be explained by sadness or by assuming that pessimistic adolescents where less liked by their peers.

Conclusions:  Pessimistic adolescents feel unable to influence their social worlds in positive ways and consequently may not take actions to develop and maintain social support networks.
Do alien North American mink compete for resources with native South American river otter in Argentinean Patagonia?
Authors: Fasola L. , Chehébar C. , Macdonald D. W. , Porro G. , Cassini M. H.
Published: October 2008

American minkMustela vison, originally bred in fur farms, have become established in areas occupied by native endangered Southern river otterLontra provocax, in Patagonia. In accordance with European experience, this biological invasion in South America raises questions about the interaction between invasive mink and native otter, from the viewpoints of both community assembly and conservation. We set out (1) to find which aspects of habitat structure were related to the distribution of signs of both this invasive species and Southern river otterLontra provocax, in Argentinean Patagonia and their most common prey and (2) to test general predictions of niche partitioning between these two species. Based on surveys of 447 of 600 m transects for otter and mink scats/footprints along the waterside of lakes and rivers in the Andean Patagonian region, we compared diet composition (from scat analysis) and micro‐habitat preferences (from field signs) of the two species. Otters were more specialist than mink in habitat use and diet. Mink used different habitats in other river basins where otters were absent. Where they occurred together in the basin of the Limay River, the distributions of their signs were similar, and mink diet was more similar to that of otters. There was no detectable difference in otter diet before and after mink arrival in the Limay basin. Contrary to the prediction of niche partitioning, and to the findings of European studies, resource use by mink was more similar to that of otters where the species occurred sympatrically than where they were allopatric.
Inter‐arm blood pressure differences in pregnant women
Authors: Poon LCY , Kametas N , Strobl I , Pachoumi C , Nicolaides KH
Published: October 2008

Objective  To determine the prevalence of blood pressure inter‐arm difference (IAD) in early pregnancy and to investigate its possible association with maternal characteristics.

Design  A cross‐sectional observational study.

Setting  Routine antenatal visit in a university hospital.

Population  A total of 5435 pregnant women at 11–14 weeks of gestation.

Methods  Blood pressure was taken from both arms simultaneously with a validated automated device.

Main outcome measures  The presence of inter‐arm blood pressure difference of 10 mmHg or more.

Results  The IAD in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 10 mmHg or more in 8.3 and 2.3% of the women, respectively. Systolic IAD was found to be significantly related to systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure, and diastolic IAD was found to be significantly related to maternal age, diastolic blood pressure and pulse pressure. The systolic and diastolic IAD were higher in the hypertensive group compared with the normotensive group and absolute IAD increased with increasing blood pressure. About 31.0 and 23.9% of cases of hypertension would have been underreported if the left arm and the right arm were used, respectively, in measuring the blood pressure.

Conclusions  There is a blood pressure IAD in a significant proportion of the pregnant population, and its prevalence increases with increasing blood pressure. By measuring blood pressure only on one arm, there is a one in three chance of underreporting hypertension. Therefore, it would be prudent that during the booking visit blood pressure should be taken in both arms and thus provide guidance for subsequent blood pressure measurements during the course of pregnancy.
The value of the short‐term fetal heart rate variation for timing the delivery of growth‐retarded fetuses
Authors: Serra V , Moulden M , Bellver J , Redman CWG
Published: October 2008

Objective  To assess the clinical value of the short‐term fetal heart rate variation (STV) for timing the delivery of severely growth‐retarded fetuses, many associated with pre‐eclampsia.

Design  Retrospective cohort study.

Setting  John Radcliffe Maternity Hospital, Oxford, UK.

Population  Two hundred and fifty‐seven fetuses with a birthweight less than third percentile and a last computerised cardiotocography performed within 24 h of delivery.

Methods  Analysis of the relationship between antepartum STV and the perinatal outcome.

Main outcome measures  Stillbirth rate and the acid–base status at birth.

Results  There were no stillbirths or neonatal deaths (NNDs) within 24 h in the study population. Decreasing STV was correlated with earlier deliveries (P < 0.001), lower birthweight (P < 0.001), lower umbilical artery pH at birth (P < 0.001), worse acid–base status at birth (P < 0.001) and worse postnatal outcome (P < 0.002). The STV was able to predict the presence or absence of acidaemia and metabolic acidaemia (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.70 and 0.75, respectively, P < 0.001). The risk of metabolic acidaemia increased as the antepartum STV decreased, the optimum cutoff level being ≤ 3.0 milliseconds (positive and negative predictive values 64.6 and 86.6%). An STV ≤ 3.0 milliseconds was associated with markedly higher rate of metabolic acidaemia and early NNDs compared with an STV > 3.0 milliseconds (54.2 versus 10.5% and 8.3 versus 0.5%, respectively; P < 0.001). The deaths of the former group were all due to extreme prematurity and very low birthweight.

Conclusions  The antepartum STV is an important marker of perinatal outcome in severely growth‐retarded fetuses. Timing the delivery of the most preterm and small fetuses remains a difficult task.
Documentation of simulated shoulder dystocia: accurate and complete?
Authors: Crofts JF , Bartlett C , Ellis D , Fox R , Draycott TJ
Published: October 2008

Objective  To investigate completeness and accuracy of record keeping by comparison of documentation and actual events, recorded on video and through a force‐monitoring device, during simulated shoulder dystocia.

Design  An observational study.

Setting  Six maternity units in South West of England.

Population  Seventy‐one midwives and 39 doctors.

Methods  Doctors and midwives documented their management of a shoulder dystocia simulation on paper used in their hospital (simple notepaper or preformatted form). Documentation was compared with video recording of each simulation and an electronic record of force applied during delivery.

Main outcome measures  Documentation of head‐to‐body delivery time (and comparison with actual delivery time). Documentation of force (and comparison with actual applied force).

Results  A total of 110 participants documented their actions, 70.9% used a preformatted sheet, 29.1% used hospital notepaper. Fifty‐six percent documented head‐to‐body delivery interval (HBDI) with 56% overestimating the time by more than 1 minute. Force used during the simulation was documented by 70.9%, with no relationship between the subjective description of force applied and the maximum recorded force. The anterior shoulder was documented by 78.2% and correctly identified in 80%. Documentation of force was more likely if a preformatted sheet was used (88 versus 53%, P = 0.016). Documentation of the laterality of the anterior shoulder was tended to be more accurate with plain hospital notepaper (93 versus 78%, P = 0.3526).

Conclusions  Manoeuvres performed were well documented. HBDI and force applied were not documented accurately in the majority of simulated deliveries. Use of a preformatted sheet appeared to improve completeness, but not accuracy, of documentation.
Transumbilical surgical specimen retrieval: a viable refinement of laparoscopic surgery for pelvic masses
Authors: Ghezzi F , Cromi A , Uccella S , Siesto G , Bergamini V , Bolis P
Published: October 2008

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and surgical outcome of a policy of routine specimen retrieval through the umbilical port, avoiding the enlargement of ancillary port‐site incisions. A total of 1116 women underwent laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of a pelvic mass with extraction of the specimen through the umbilical port site (a total of 1453 retrieval procedures). All retrieval procedures were successfully carried out with this technique. Neither intraoperative complication related to the retrieval procedure nor accidental rupture of the endoscopic bag occurred. There was an injury to the epigastric artery. Neither trocar‐site hernias (both umbilical trocar insertion sites and extraumbilical sites) nor port‐site metastases occurred.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to treat vestibulodynia: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Murina F , Bianco V , Radici G , Felice R , Di Martino M , Nicolini U
Published: October 2008

Objective  To assess the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the treatment of vestibulodynia.

Design  Double‐arm randomised placebo‐controlled trial.

Setting  An outpatient department for vulval disease.

Population  Forty women with vestibulodynia, a vestibular discomfort mostly reported as a burning pain, occurring in the absence of relevant visible findings or a specific, clinically identifiable, neurological disorder.

Methods  Twice a week active TENS or sham treatment were delivered through a vaginal probe via a calibrated dual channel YSY‐EST device. Women of both groups underwent 20 treatment sessions.

Main outcome measures  Visual analogue scale (VAS), the short form of the McGill–Melzack Pain Questionnaire (SF‐MPQ), the Marinoff Scale for dyspareunia and the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire (FSFI) were assessed at baseline, at the end of treatment and at follow up 3 months after the end of treatment.

Results  The VAS and SF‐MPQ scores (6.2 ± 1.9 and 19.5 ± 11.9 before treatment, respectively) improved significantly in the active TENS group (2.1 ± 2.7, P= 0.004 and 8.5 ± 10.7, P= 0.001, respectively), but not in the placebo group. The Marinoff dyspareunia scale and the FSFI also showed a significant improvement.

Conclusions  TENS is a simple, effective and safe short‐term (3 months) treatment for the management of vestibulodynia.
High isoprostane level in cardinal ligament‐derived fibroblasts and urine sample of women with uterine prolapse
Authors: Choy KW , Liu YM , Chu CY , Wang CC , Lui WT , Lee LL , Pang MW , Rogers MS , Yip SK
Published: October 2008

We studied the isoprostane level, a well‐recognised biomarker of oxidative stress, from women with uterine prolapse and age‐matched female controls without prolapse. Cardinal ligament‐derived fibroblasts explanted from women with prolapse showed a significant increased level of isoprostane production (P < 0.05) compared with those derived from controls. This concurs with elevated urinary isoprostane levels identified among women with prolapse (P < 0.001) compared with controls. In addition, the matrix metalloproteinase 2 mRNA was significantly increased (P= 0.004) among women with uterine prolapse. Parallel findings of increased isoprostane in cardinal ligament and urine sample among women with prolapse suggest that oxidative stress might be involved in the development of uterine prolapse.
Cerebral palsy and restricted growth status at birth: population‐based case–control study
Authors: Jacobsson B , Ahlin K , Francis A , Hagberg G , Hagberg H , Gardosi J
Published: October 2008

Objective To evaluate the association between growth status at birth and subsequent development of cerebral palsy in preterm and term infants.

Design Population‐based case–controlled study.

Setting Cerebral palsy register in Western Sweden.

Subjects Cohort of 334 singletons born between 1983 and 1990, with cerebral palsy diagnosed from age 4, and 668 singletons matched for gestation, gender and delivery unit.

Method Growth status at birth was determined using small for gestational age (SGA) categories, with customised birthweight percentiles (SGAcust) based on the Swedish population.

Main outcome measures Proportion of babies that were SGAcust, comparing cases and controls in three gestational age categories: early preterm (24–33 weeks), late preterm (34–36 weeks) and term (37+ weeks).

Results Of the 334 children with cerebral palsy, 87 (26.6%) were born early preterm, 27 (8.1%) late preterm and 218 (66%) at term. Children who had been born at term were more likely to have been SGA <1st customised percentile (SGAcust1) than their matched controls (OR 6.6, 95% CI 2.3–18.6). In contrast, children with cerebral palsy born preterm were not more likely to have been SGAcust1 (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.4–1.9), and this applied to early preterm as well as late preterm births. For less severely small babies (SGA between 1st and 5th customised percentiles), the association with cerebral palsy remained significant for term births (OR 5.2, 95% CI 2.7–10.1) but was again not significant for preterm births.

Conclusions Term singletons with severely SGA birthweights had a five‐ to seven‐fold risk of developing cerebral palsy compared with gestational age‐matched infants with birthweights within normal limits. For children born preterm, SGA was not more likely to be present in cases than in controls. These findings support the concept of cerebral palsy as a multifactorial condition and highlight the importance of antenatal surveillance of fetal growth.
Termination of pregnancy according to immigration status: a population‐based registry linkage study
Authors: Vangen S , Eskild A , Forsen L
Published: October 2008

Objective  Frequency of termination of pregnancy (TOP) and associated risk factors according to immigration status were studied.

Design  Population‐based registry study linking hospital data with information from the Central Population Registry of Norway.

Setting  Oslo, Norway.

Population  All women 15–49 years undergoing TOP and resident in Oslo, Norway from 1 January 2000 to 31 July 2003.

Methods  TOP rates per 1000 women/year were calculated. The association of socio‐economic variables such as maternal age, marital status, number of children and education level within the study groups were estimated as odds ratios and using logistic regression.

Main outcome measure  Termination of pregnancy.

Results  Refugees (30.2, 95% CI = 28.5–31.8) and labour migrants (19.9, 95% CI = 18.7–21.3) had significantly higher TOP rates than nonmigrants (16.7, 95% CI = 16.3–17.1). Except in women less than 25 years, labour migrants had higher TOP rates than nonmigrants. Refugees had the highest rates in all age groups. Being unmarried was associated with a substantially increased risk of TOP among the nonmigrants; such effect was not observed among labour migrants and refugees. Two or more children were associated with increased risk among nonmigrants and refugees compared with four or more among the labour migrants. Generally, higher education showed a protective effect that was most pronounced among nonmigrants. Compared with nonmigrants, adjusted risk of TOP was 1.37 (95% CI = 1.25–1.50) for labour migrants and 1.94 (95% CI = 1.79–2.11) for refugees.

Conclusion  Public health efforts to increase the use of contraceptives among refugees and labour migrants above 25 years should be encouraged.
Evidence of early first‐trimester growth restriction in pregnancies that subsequently end in miscarriage
Authors: Mukri F , Bourne T , Bottomley C , Schoeb C , Kirk E , Papageorghiou AT
Published: October 2008

Objectives  To examine whether viable early pregnancies that subsequently end in miscarriage exhibit evidence of first‐trimester growth restriction.

Design  Prospective cohort study.

Setting  Early pregnancy unit (EPU) of a teaching hospital.

Population  Women attending EPU between 5 and 10 weeks of gestation.

Methods  Women with spontaneously conceived intrauterine, viable singleton pregnancies with certain last menstrual period and regular cycles were included. The deviation between the observed and expected crown–rump length (CRL) for gestation was calculated and expressed as a z score. Pregnancies were followed up until the 11–14 week scan, and the deviation between those that remained viable and miscarried subsequently was calculated.

Main outcome measures  Viability at 11–14 week scan.

Results  Over 6 months, 316 women met the inclusion criteria. Twenty‐four (7.4%) women were excluded. Of the remaining 292, the pregnancy remained viable in 251 (86%) and 41 (14%) suffered a miscarriage. At the first transvaginal ultrasound, the z score of the mean measured CRL for pregnancies that remained viable was −0.82, SD 1.46, while in pregnancies that subsequently miscarried the z score was −2.42 and the CRL was significantly smaller, SD 1.31 (P < 0.0001). In the latter group, the initial CRL was below the expected mean for gestational age in all women, while in 61% (25/41), the CRL was at least 2 SDs below the expected mean.

Conclusions  CRL was significantly smaller in pregnancies that subsequently ended in miscarriage. This suggests that early first‐trimester growth restriction is associated with subsequent intrauterine death.
Should parity be included in customised fetal weight standards for identifying small‐for‐gestational‐age babies? Results from a French multicentre study
Authors: Ego A , Subtil D , Grange G , Thiebaugeorges O , Senat M‐V , Vayssiere C , Zeitlin J
Published: October 2008

Objective  Parity is one of several parameters used to customise fetal growth norms. However, it is uncertain whether the lower birthweight of babies born to primiparous women reflects physiological or pathological variation. Our aim was to assess the impact of adjusting for parity in identification of small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) births.

Design  Comparison of two customised definitions of SGA with and without parity.

Setting  Routinely collected data in five tertiary maternity hospitals in France.

Population  A total of 51 126 singleton births without malformations from 1997 to 2002.

Methods  Characteristics of mothers and babies and adverse pregnancy outcomes for SGA and non‐SGA births were compared using customised definitions with and without parity.

Main outcome measures  Neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Results  SGA births among primiparas increased from 14.9 to 18.0% when parity was excluded. Overall rates of SGA rose from 14.4 to 15.0%. Newly defined cases of SGA were babies of primiparas. They had higher rates of admission to a neonatal unit and caesarean section than babies reclassified as non‐SGA. Perinatal mortality was 9.1‰ (parity included) and 9.7‰ (parity excluded) and did not differ significantly from babies classified as non‐SGA by both standards (5.4‰).

Conclusions  Adjustment for parity markedly decreased the proportion of primiparas diagnosed with SGA babies but did not appear to improve the identification of high‐risk babies. Removing parity would simplify the customised definition of SGA and would eliminate the need for the assumption that lower birthweight for primiparous women is normal.
A randomised comparison of vaginoscopic office hysteroscopy and saline infusion sonography: a patient compliance study
Authors: Van Dongen H , De Kroon CD , Van Den Tillaart SAHM , Louwé LA , Trimbos‐Kemper GCM , Jansen FW
Published: October 2008

Objective  The purpose of this study was to compare patient discomfort during saline infusion sonography (SIS) and office hysteroscopy performed according to a vaginoscopic approach.

Design  Randomised controlled trial.

Setting  University hospital.

Population  Women with an indication for further investigation of the uterine cavity.

Methods  A total of 100 women randomly allocated to either SIS or vaginoscopic office hysteroscopy in an outpatient clinic.

Main outcome measures  Scores on a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and a present pain intensity (PPI) scale, conclusiveness and success rate.

Results  The patients’ pain scores on both the VAS and the PPI were lower for SIS when compared with office hysteroscopy (P < 0.05). However, in cases of severe pain (VAS > 7 or PPI > 2), there was no statistically significant difference between both groups. The success rate, defined as adequate inspection of the cervical canal and uterine cavity, was 94% for SIS compared with 92% for office hysteroscopy (P = 0.633). SIS, multiparity, shorter procedure time and position of the uterus in anteversion decreased pain scores among women studied.

Conclusions  Both SIS and office hysteroscopy are successful procedures and well tolerated by women. SIS induces significantly less discomfort than office hysteroscopy and should therefore be considered the method of choice.
Modelling pink‐footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) wintering distributions for the year 2050: potential effects of land‐use change in Europe
Authors: Wisz Mary , Dendoncker Nicolas , Madsen Jesper , Rounsevell Mark , Jespersen Martin , Kuijken Eckhart , Courtens Wouter , Verscheure Christine , Cottaar Fred
Published: October 2008

Feeding on farmland by overwintering populations of pink‐footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) conflicts with agricultural interests in Northern Europe. In order to forecast the potential future of this conflict, we used generalized linear models to relate the presence and absence of pink‐footed geese to variables describing the contemporary landscape, and predicted their future distributions in relation to two land‐use scenarios for the year 2050. One future scenario represented a global, economically orientated world (A1) and the other represented a regional, environmentally concerned world (B2). The probability of goose occurrence increased within cropland and grassland, and could be explained by their proximity to coast, elevation, and the degree of habitat closure. Predictions to future scenarios revealed noticeable shifts in the suitability of goose habitat evident at the local and regional scale in response to future shifts in land use. In particular, as grasslands and croplands give way to unsuitable land‐use types (e.g. woody biofuel crops, increased urbanization, and forest) under both future scenarios, our models predicted a decrease in habitat suitability for geese. If coupled with continued goose population expansion, we expect that the agricultural conflict will intensify under the A1 and particularly the B2 scenarios.
Distribution of parasitic fungal species richness: influence of climate versus host species diversity
Authors: Vacher Corinne , Vile Denis , Helion Emmanuelle , Piou Dominique , Desprez‐Loustau Marie‐Laure
Published: October 2008

One major challenge in parasitology and epidemiology is determining whether the richness of parasitic and infectious diseases simply tracks host diversity or is largely determined by exogenous factors, such as climate‐forced variables. We addressed this issue by analysing a 30‐year survey of fungal diseases in French forests. We first combined generalized linear models and stepwise analyses to select the habitat descriptors that may account for variations in parasitic fungal species richness. Our results suggest that host species diversity is not a major determinant of parasite richness. Temperature seasonality, host abundance, and the composition of host species assemblages may play a greater role. Then we used structural equation modelling to investigate the links between these habitat descriptors and parasitic fungal species richness. Our results showed that climatic and host species descriptors had not only direct effects on species richness, but also indirect effects (via host species and sampling effort, respectively). Our results also showed that the direct effects of climate and host species were roughly equal. We therefore conclude that it is important to take into account exogenous factors when investigating the potential causes of spatial variation in the richness of parasitic diseases, in particular for plant diseases.
Geographical segregation in DunlinCalidris alpinapopulations wintering along the East Atlantic migratory flyway – evidence from mitochondrial DNA analysis
Authors: Lopes Ricardo J. , Hortas Francisco , Wennerberg Liv
Published: October 2008

DunlinCalidris alpinais one of the most abundant shorebirds using coastal habitats in the East Atlantic migratory flyway, that links arctic breeding locations (Greenland to Siberia) with wintering grounds (West Europe to West Africa). Differential migration and winter segregation between populations have been indicated by morphometrics and ringing recoveries. Here, we analyse the potential of genetic markers (mitochondrial DNA – mtDNA) to validate and enhance such findings. We compared mtDNA haplotypes frequencies at different wintering sites (from north‐west Europe to West Africa). All birds from West Africa had western (European) haplotypes, while the eastern (Siberian) haplotypes were only present in European winter samples, reaching higher frequencies further north in Europe. Compilation of published results from migrating birds also confirmed these differences, with the sole presence of European haplotypes in Iberia and West Africa and increasingly higher frequencies of Siberian haplotypes from south‐west to north‐west Europe. Comparison with published haplotype frequencies of breeding populations shows that birds from Greenland, Iceland, and North Europe were predominant in wintering grounds in West Africa, while populations wintering in West Europe originated from more eastern breeding grounds (e.g. North Russia). These results show that genetic markers can be used to enhance the integrative monitoring of wintering and breeding populations, by providing biogeographical evidence that validate the winter segregation of breeding populations.
Effects of sample size on the performance of species distribution models
Authors: Wisz M. S. , Hijmans R. J. , Li J. , Peterson A. T. , Graham C. H. , Guisan A. ,   NCEAS Predicting Species Distributions Working Group
Published: October 2008

A wide range of modelling algorithms is used by ecologists, conservation practitioners, and others to predict species ranges from point locality data. Unfortunately, the amount of data available is limited for many taxa and regions, making it essential to quantify the sensitivity of these algorithms to sample size. This is the first study to address this need by rigorously evaluating a broad suite of algorithms with independent presence–absence data from multiple species and regions. We evaluated predictions from 12 algorithms for 46 species (from six different regions of the world) at three sample sizes (100, 30, and 10 records). We used data from natural history collections to run the models, and evaluated the quality of model predictions with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). With decreasing sample size, model accuracy decreased and variability increased across species and between models. Novel modelling methods that incorporate both interactions between predictor variables and complex response shapes (i.e. GBM, MARS‐INT, BRUTO) performed better than most methods at large sample sizes but not at the smallest sample sizes. Other algorithms were much less sensitive to sample size, including an algorithm based on maximum entropy (MAXENT) that had among the best predictive power across all sample sizes. Relative to other algorithms, a distance metric algorithm (DOMAIN) and a genetic algorithm (OM‐GARP) had intermediate performance at the largest sample size and among the best performance at the lowest sample size. No algorithm predicted consistently well with small sample size (n < 30) and this should encourage highly conservative use of predictions based on small sample size and restrict their use to exploratory modelling.
Understanding population structure and historical demography in a conservation context: population genetics of an endangered fern
Authors: Kang Ming , Huang Hongwen , Jiang Mingxi , Lowe Andrew J.
Published: October 2008

The construction of the world's largest hydroelectric scheme across the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges Dams (TGD), in the centre of a southern‐central Chinese biodiversity hot spot, the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), has attracted international concern and conservation action. To examine whether landscape changes to date have impacted regional flora, and to establish long‐term monitoring baselines, we assessed the distribution and dynamics of an endangered and TGRA endemic fern, Adiantum reniforme var. sinense. For eight nuclear microsatellites, high levels of genetic diversity (HE = 0.653–0.781) and slightly elevated inbreeding (FIS = 0.077–0.197) were found across 13 surveyed populations. The population history of this fern is characterized by a balance of gene flow and genetic drift, where historical dispersal, inferred from coalescent (F = 0.129) and genetic differentiation (FST = 0.094 and RST = 0.180) approaches, is moderate, reflecting an isolation by distance relationship. Importantly, most populations exhibited mutation‐drift disequilibrium, suggesting a recent population decline, which is congruent with the known demographic history of the species following dam‐related activities. Based on these results, populations of A. reniforme var. sinense are expected to lose genetic diversity and increase genetic structure as dam‐related activities decrease size and increase genetic isolation of remnants.
Phylogeography of the widespread marine invader Microcosmus squamiger (Ascidiacea) reveals high genetic diversity of introduced populations and non‐independent colonizations
Authors: Rius Marc , Pascual Marta , Turon Xavier
Published: October 2008

The spread of non‐indigenous species into new marine habitats represents an increasing threat to global diversity. Genetic techniques provide basic understanding of the invasion processes. The ascidian Microcosmus squamiger is considered to be native to Australia, having been spread worldwide via transoceanic vessels. It has successfully invaded artificial and natural habitats where it has become a pest. We studied phylogeography and genetic structure of 12 M. squamiger populations, including samples from its native range (Australia) and introduced populations from the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. We amplified 574 bp of the mitochondrial COI gene in 258 individuals and found a total of 52 haplotypes. A haplotype tree revealed two main groups of haplotypes. The relative frequency of each group of haplotypes, multidimensional scaling, and analysis of molecular variance showed important differences between the western Australia localities and the remaining ones (eastern Australia and introduced populations). Furthermore, we found that the colonization of the different areas by M. squamiger has not occurred independently, as many introduced populations shared some low frequency alleles. A nested clade analysis showed a global pattern of restricted gene flow with isolation by distance, although we found episodes of long‐distance dispersal in some clades. A contiguous range expansion was detected between Australian populations. We conclude that M. squamiger is native to Australia and has most likely expanded its range of distribution sequentially through worldwide shipping, especially from the harbours of the more populated eastern Australia. In introduced populations, we found a high genetic diversity which suggests enhanced invasive potential. Consequently, there is a need to control this species, as it outcompetes local biota and is an economic threat.
Modelling invasion for a habitat generalist and a specialist plant species
Authors: Evangelista Paul H. , Kumar Sunil , Stohlgren Thomas J. , Jarnevich Catherine S. , Crall Alycia W. , Norman III John B. , Barnett David T.
Published: October 2008

Predicting suitable habitat and the potential distribution of invasive species is a high priority for resource managers and systems ecologists. Most models are designed to identify habitat characteristics that define the ecological niche of a species with little consideration to individual species’ traits. We tested five commonly used modelling methods on two invasive plant species, the habitat generalist Bromus tectorum and habitat specialist Tamarix chinensis, to compare model performances, evaluate predictability, and relate results to distribution traits associated with each species. Most of the tested models performed similarly for each species; however, the generalist species proved to be more difficult to predict than the specialist species. The highest area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve values with independent validation data sets of B. tectorum and T. chinensis was 0.503 and 0.885, respectively. Similarly, a confusion matrix for B. tectorum had the highest overall accuracy of 55%, while the overall accuracy for T. chinensis was 85%. Models for the generalist species had varying performances, poor evaluations, and inconsistent results. This may be a result of a generalist's capability to persist in a wide range of environmental conditions that are not easily defined by the data, independent variables or model design. Models for the specialist species had consistently strong performances, high evaluations, and similar results among different model applications. This is likely a consequence of the specialist's requirement for explicit environmental resources and ecological barriers that are easily defined by predictive models. Although defining new invaders as generalist or specialist species can be challenging, model performances and evaluations may provide valuable information on a species’ potential invasiveness.
No positive correlation between species and genetic diversity in European alpine grasslands dominated by Carex curvula
Authors: Puşcaş Mihai , Taberlet Pierre , Choler Philippe
Published: October 2008

The distributional range of alpine plants experienced dramatic changes during the Quaternary ice ages. These changes offer many opportunities for studying the impact of habitat contraction and fragmentation on both species and genetic diversity. Here, we examined the amplified fragment length polymorphism‐based genetic diversity in the sedge Carex curvula All. in relation to the species diversity of siliceous European alpine grasslands in which the sedge is dominant. We found no relationship or even a negative relationship between genetic and species diversity indices. Local species richness was associated with the regional pool size of siliceous alpine species, which was itself dependent on the extant area of suitable habitats for these species. Genetic diversity of C. curvula was primarily shaped by the presumed location of glacial refugia and the routes of post‐glacial colonization. We conclude that the two levels of diversity are not positively correlated because genotypes and species do not respond similarly to the spatial dynamics of suitable habitats induced by Quaternary temperature changes.
Impacts of a woody invader vary in different vegetation communities
Authors: Mason T. J. , French K.
Published: October 2008

The impact of an exotic species in natural systems may be dependent not only on invader attributes but also on characteristics of the invaded community. We examined impacts of the invader bitou bush, Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata, in fore and hind dune communities of coastal New South Wales, Australia. We compared invader impacts on vegetation structure, richness of both native and exotic growth forms and community variability in fore and hind dunes. We found that impacts of bitou invasion were context specific: in fore dune shrublands, functionally distinct graminoid, herb and climber rather than shrub growth forms had significantly reduced species richness following bitou invasion. However, in forested hind dunes, the functionally similar native shrub growth form had significantly reduced species richness following bitou invasion. Density of vegetation structure increased at the shrub level in both fore and hind dune invaded communities compared with non‐invaded communities. Fore dune ground‐level vegetation density declined at invaded sites compared with non‐invaded sites, reflecting significant reductions in herb and graminoid species richness. Hind dune canopy‐level vegetation density was reduced at invaded compared with non‐invaded sites. Bitou bush invasion also affected fore dune community variability with significant increases in variability of species abundances observed in invaded compared with non‐invaded sites. In contrast, variability among all hind dune sites was similar. The results suggest that effects of bitou bush invasion are mediated by the vegetation community. When bitou bush becomes abundant, community structure and functioning may be compromised.
Seed supply, drought, and grazing determine spatio‐temporal patterns of recruitment for native and introduced invasive pines in grasslands
Authors: Boulant Nadine , Kunstler Georges , Rambal Serge , Lepart Jacques
Published: October 2008

Aim The rate of grassland invasion by trees depends on the ability of the species to invade, i.e. their invasiveness, and on the susceptibility of the environments to invasion, i.e. their invasibility. Knowledge of the invasiveness of native and introduced tree species and of the environmental factors that contribute to invasibility is necessary to understand landscape evolution and assess required management measures. Our main aim was to explore this by estimating the separate effects of propagule pressure and environmental factors on the spatio‐temporal patterns of sapling recruitment, a key stage in the tree life cycle.

Location Causse Mejean calcareous plateau (southern France).

Methods The effects of seed supply and environmental variables (grazing, geological substrate, and duration or intensity of drought) on the spatio‐temporal patterns of sapling recruitment were assessed for the native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) and the introduced black pine (Pinus nigraArn. ssp.nigra). Estimates were derived by inverse modelling with data of locations and ages of 4‐ to 20‐year‐old saplings and seed‐bearing trees in 32 sites. Yearly indices of drought were derived from a soil–water content model.

Results For both species, seed supply was as important as the whole set of environmental factors in explaining sapling recruitment rates. Grazing and the duration of drought from July to August decreased sapling recruitment rates, which were also lower on hard limestone than on dolomite. Dispersal distances and effective fecundities were higher for the introducedP. nigra, which was less susceptible to drought but more affected by grazing than the nativeP. sylvestris. In grazed grasslands, shrubs facilitated sapling establishment of both species.

Main conclusions This study shows how seed supply and environmental factors shape spatio‐temporal patterns of sapling recruitment for trees invading grasslands. Implications for landscape evolution and management, of the difference in invasiveness of the two pine species and of the hierarchy of environmental factors in determining invasibility, are discussed.
Biometric sex discrimination is unreliable when sexual dimorphism varies within and between years: an example in Eurasian OystercatchersHaematopus ostralegus
Authors: VAN DE POL MARTIJN , OOSTERBEEK KEES , RUTTEN ANNE L. , ENS BRUNO J. , TINBERGEN JOOST M. , VERHULST SIMON
Published: October 2008

Molecular sexing of birds has been possible for over a decade, but for practical reasons many studies still use biometric data for sex discrimination. In some species, the sexes are easy to distinguish but sexual dimorphism is often more subtle, requiring the use of statistical analyses of biometric measurements to discriminate sexes. These models are usually parameterized and validated using data from a limited number of sites and years. However, the resulting discriminant functions are often applied to other populations and periods. A crucial, but usually untested, assumption is that sexual dimorphism does not vary in time and space. Here we illustrate the consequences of violation of this assumption in Eurasian OystercatchersHaematopus ostralegus, a species for which most studies have relied on biometric sexing. Using biometric data from captures of known‐sex birds, we show that sexual dimorphism varied substantially in time and even reversed in some months and years. Furthermore, some biometric traits used in sexing changed gradually over time, causing a reduction in sexual dimorphism. We show that the consequences of this variation on sex discrimination in Oystercatchers are subtle and easily overlooked, but can result in inaccurate and strongly male‐ or female‐biased sex‐ratio estimates. We recommend that biometric sexing should be avoided in Oystercatchers unless specific calibration for each month, year and area is carried out. This recommendation also applies to other species where biometric traits may depend on environmental conditions. We argue that this condition might apply to many bird species and therefore advise caution when interpreting results based on biometric sex discrimination.
On the Residual Stress Field in the Aluminium Alloy FSW Joints
Authors: Dattoma V. , De Giorgi M. , Nobile R.
Published: October 2008

Abstract:  In this study, we evaluated the residual stress field which arose because of a new welding process named ‘friction stir welding’. We analysed aluminium alloy butt‐welded joints. Both similar and dissimilar joints were considered in 2024‐T3 and 6082‐T6 aluminium alloys of 0.8 and 3 mm thick. For each joint, the longitudinal and transversal residual stress distributions were obtained in a direction perpendicular to the weld cord. In the thicker dissimilar joints, the longitudinal residual stress distribution present is very similar to the distribution present in traditional welded joints. It presents, in fact, a tensile region near the weld cord, which is balanced by compressive regions away from weld line. On the contrary, other joints present a low compressive stress at the weld toe and a tensile stress state elsewhere. Moreover, the effect of the shoulder geometry on the residual stress field was evaluated on 1.5‐mm‐thick joints.