bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theory and measurement in the public understanding of science: a rejoinder to Bauer and Schoon
Authors: Miller Jon D.
Published: August 2002

In the paper `Mapping variety in public understanding of science' Bauer and Schoon apply a multi-dimensional coding to responses to the open question `Please tell me, in your own words, what does it mean to study something scientifically?', and draw some conclusions about cultural diversity from their results. I argue here that this study was inappropriate for two main reasons: first, because the open question was formulated and fielded not to elicit information which would reveal diversity but to assess public scientific literacy against a three-dimensional measure of understanding of three aspects of science which are relevant to the conduct and resolution of public science policy debates; and second, because the data set used by Bauer and Schoon was small and biased.
The roles of rhetoric in the public understanding of science
Authors: Gross Alan G.
Published: August 2002

In the public understanding of science, rhetoric has two distinct roles: it is both a theory capable of analysing public understanding and an activity capable of creating it. In its analytical role, rhetoric reveals two dominant models of public understanding: the deficit model and the contextual model. In the deficit model, rhetoric acts in the minor role of creating public understanding by accommodating the facts and methods of science to public needs and limitations. In the contextual model, rhetoric and rhetorical analysis play major roles. Rhetorical analysis provides an independent source of evidence to secure social scientific claims; in addition, it supplies the grounds for a rhetoric of reconstruction, one that reconstitutes the fact and facts of science in the public interest.
Promotional metaphors and their popular appeal
Authors: Nelkin Dorothy
Published: August 2002

In a climate of increasing competition for funding and under increasing public scrutiny, scientists have recently increased their efforts to communicate their work to the public in an attempt to improve their public image. This paper looks at the rhetorical strategies employed in this context by scientists in the field of human genetics. From an assessment of the language used in articles about human genetics in the poular media, I suggest that scientists often employ strategies which could not only mislead the public, but which could also create problems for the scientists themselves.
Nobel on the front page: the Nobel physics prizes in French newspapers
Authors: de Cheveigné Suzanne , Veron Eliséo
Published: August 2002

We have examined the manner in which the main French daily newspapers reported the announcement of the Nobel physics prizes given to P. G. de Gennes in 1991 and to G. Charpak in 1992. We found that their enunciative strategies could be distinguished according to two independent criterial whether or not the enunciator presents itself as familiar with scientific matters, and whether or not it attempts to explain the scientific content of the discovery. The different combinations of these strategies correspond to different relationships proposed by the newspapers to their readers. Different theories of scientific discovery also appear: discovery as the work of a team and an institution, or as the invention of a matchless individual.
Vivent les differences: identifying audiences for a museum exhibition
Authors: Fitzgerald Lawrence , Webb Pauline
Published: August 2002

This paper describes the methodology and presents the main findings of a front-end exhibition evaluation carried out by staff at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, UK, in 1991. A visitor survey was used to evaluate ideas for a forthcoming exhibition on civil aviation and air travel. This research is placed in the context of the role of museums in the public understanding of science and of audience research in museums. The survey findings demonstrate the existence of divisions of interests among museum visitors, particularly according to gender. These differences must be recognized and accommodated by the definition of target audiences if exhibitions are to function as effective channels for developing public understanding of science and technology.
Teaching science communication: courses, curricula, theory and practice
Authors: Turney Jon
Published: August 2002

Science communication teaching is a growing area in the UK, and a recent conference brought together teachers of existing and proposed courses to share information and experience. Their courses were of several types, from purely media skills courses for working scientists to theoretical and academic courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students in science, science studies and journalism. The conference stressed the value of skills but also of a theoretical background, and delegates welcomed contributions from fields such as the sociology of scientific knowledge and cognitive psychology. The conference established an electronic network, and formed a committee to maintain the group's interest and activities in the development of course materials and curricula.
Scientific explanation in US newspaper science stories
Authors: Long Marilee
Published: August 2002

Mass media are important sources of science information for many adults. However, this study, which reports a content analysis of science stories in 100 US newspapers, found that while 70 newspapers carried science stories, the majority of these stories contained little scientific explanation. Ten percent or less of content was comprised of elucidating (definitions of terms) and/or quasi-scientific explanations (explications of relationships among scientific concepts). The study also investigated the effect of production-based variables on scientific explanation. Stories in feature and science sections contained more explanation than did stories in news sections, perhaps indicating that science stories in feature and science sections have more of an explanatory mission. Additionally, the more time a writer had to compose a story, the more explanation in the story. This result suggests that writing explanations is cognitively demanding. Interestingly, longer stories did not contain significantly more scientific explanation than shorter stories.
The public understanding of science or the scientific understanding of the public? A review of the social context of the `new genetics'
Authors: Macintyre Sally
Published: August 2002

The `new genetics' have great potential for improving human health. In order for this potential to be realized, attempts to improve the public understanding of science should be complemented by attempts to improve our scientific understanding of the public. It is important to investigate existing popular understandings and practices, in relation to the role of heredity in human disease, chance and calculation of cost benefit ratios in situations of uncertainty, the management of the role of being `at risk' for particular diseases, and the ways in which individual and collective interests are balanced in a variety of health and welfare fields. Above all, we need to study what individuals, families and social institutions actually know, feel and do in relation to the `new genetics', rather than basing policy on assumptions about what they might know, feel or do.
School science and the future of scientific culture
Authors: Solomon Joan
Published: August 2002

`Scientific culture' is the phrase most commonly used in Europe to describe the public's attitude towards science, and their understanding of it. The European Commission (EC) not only sees value in promoting this, but it also views science education at school as a possible way of enhancing it. Not just any school science can achieve such a popular culture, and this article describes a project which researched some of the differences between school science in 15 European countries from the point of view of developing interest in science among young people through what and how they learn at school.
Student attitudes to studying A-level sciences
Authors: Havard Neil
Published: August 2002

This paper reports on a study of sixth form students' attitudes to the study of sciences at Advanced level, and the factors that influenced the students in deciding whether to take those subjects. In discussions about the public understanding of science, it is often assumed that the sciences can be discussed together. In this study, attitudes to biology are shown to be significantly different from attitudes to the physical sciences; and the perception of difficulty is a major influence on student choice. Perceptions of career prospects and reasons for the gender imbalance in physical sciences gave some unexpected responses. A purposive sample of 175 able students was taken from the lower sixth (year 12) in four schools in Gloucestershire, UK. The survey compared attitudes of those studying at least one science with attitudes of those who studied none.
Construction of a paper-and-pencil Test of Basic Scientific Literacy based on selected literacy goals recommended by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Authors: Laugksch Rüdiger C. , Spargo Peter E.
Published: August 2002

We describe the construction of a paper-and-pencil Test of Basic Scientific Literacy (TBSL) specifically designed for high-school leavers entering technikon and university in South Africa. The `true-false-don't know' scientific literacy test-items are based on a pool of 472 items developed previously from selected literacy goals recommended by the AAAS in Science for all Americans. Test-items were pilot-tested on 625 technikon and university students and were included in the 110-item TBSL on the basis of item discrimination, item difficulty and student feedback. The TBSL consists of three subtests based on Jon Miller's three constitutive dimensions of scientific literacy: the nature of science (22 items); science content knowledge (72 items); and the impact of science and technology on society (16 items). About 260 South Africa-based members of various South African professional science and engineering associations participated in setting a performance standard for each of the three dimensions of scientific literacy. These standards were validated using a `contrasting groups' approach. The internal consistency of the individual TBSL subtests, and the reliability of mastery-nonmastery classification decisions based on the performance standard, was found to be about 0.80. The reliability of the overall 110-item TBSL was 0.95.
Trends in science coverage: a content analysis of three US newspapers
Authors: Pellechia Marianne G.
Published: August 2002

This paper describes a content analysis of science news reporting in three major daily newspapers, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post, during the last three decades. It was found that although science articles represent only a small percentage of the total number of articles printed, this percentage has steadily increased with each time period. The results also show that, at least in the newspapers analysed, science coverage does not differ substantially in terms of the range of topics covered, as well as information that has been both included and omitted from science news accounts. Although there were some differences between articles appearing in the different time frames, in general science news reporting has not changed significantly in terms of the comprehensiveness of accounts. An especially significant finding is that articles frequently omitted methodological and contextual information, features most often mentioned as critical for a complete journalistic account of science.
Science in teh early Athenaeum: a mirror of crystallization
Authors: Holland Susan , Miller Steven
Published: August 2002

The Athenaeum, one of the most influential weekly magzines of Victorian Britain, was launched in 1828, towards the end of the period which saw the crystallization of science out of eighteenthcentrury natural philosophy and the differentiation of the individual sciences one from another. We examine the magazine's coverage of specific scientific areas in the year from May 1828 to April 1829, looking at what it defined as science and how it arrived at its definitions. The picture that emerges is complex, influenced by editorial preferences as well as more clearly discrnible objective criteria. But, at this stage, The Athenaeum appears to be opposed to opeing up a gulf between the scientifically literate and the rest of its readership, reminding science of its debt to earlier endeavours.
Perceptions of science in Catalan society
Authors: Ribas Cristina , Cáceres Johanna
Published: August 2002

The project `Perception of Science by Catalan Society: Sociological study 1995' used a questionnaire to determine: the level of interest in science among Catalans; which channels the public uses to find out about scientific matters; attitudes towards science as an element of culture; the level of scientific knowledge of the Catalan population; and the sociological profile of the population according to its level of scientific culture. Compared with the results of a similar study carried out in 1989, knowledge and interest in science in the Catalan population has increased, and may be connected to the increase of the portion of the population with secondary or university education. Although interest has increased among women, those with highest levels of `scientific culture' are well educated, socially active young men. Other socio-demographic features and patterns of media use suggest that more effective diffusion of scientific information might be achieved if particular types of information were aimed at specific groups through particular media.
A portrait of a woman as a scientist: breaking down barriers created by gender-role stereotypes
Authors: Steinke Jocelyn
Published: August 2002

Educational, attitudinal, and sociocultural factors create barriers that prevent girls and young women from pursuing opportunities in science. Of these barriers, gender-role stereotypes of science have been cited as a significant obstacle. This research analyses a US television series that counters gender-role stereotypes of science. The analysis found the images presented on this series challenge previously reported stereotypes of women scientists shown in the US media by emphasizing the expertise of women scientists, showing alternatives for balancing the demands of their professional and personal lives, and providing examples of role models who have succeeded in male-dominated fields. The significance of these results are discussed in light of gender schema theory and the need for future research on the effects of women scientist role models on girls' and young women's interest in science.
Improving the usability of research on the public perception of science and technology for policy-making
Authors: Hisschemöller Matthijs , Midden Cees J. H.
Published: August 2002

Studies on public reactions to science and technology may help policy makers who seek to involve the public in decision making on issues related to technological or scientific complexity. The paper seeks to understand how research on public reactions to science and technology can be used, addressing the following questions: What is good quality research? Which research offers data that are most useful for decision makers? An evaluation of the approaches used both in research on public reactions and in policy decisions shows that the general public can be considered in different roles; specific dimensions of those roles include the passive vs. active citizen-consumer, and the non-attentive vs. participative citizen. The paper presents a typology which links the research and policy approaches. It concludes that, in order to increase the usability of research on public reactions, the research and policy approaches should match. Equally important, researchers and policy makers should question their assumptions on the public's role rather than take their own assumptions for granted.
Scientific literacy for all citizens: different concepts and contents
Authors: Popli Rakesh
Published: August 2002

In this article, three different descriptions of curricula for scientific literacy (SL) are summarized, compared, and critically reviewed from the point of view of their suitability for all citizens. Science for All Americans, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, envisages giving every citizen a thorough exposure to the world of science, technology, and mathematics; the report Towards Scientific Literacy, published by the International Institute for Adult Literacy Methods, recommends a phenomenological approach to science designed to make science useful for people in their daily lives; and a similar curriculum, Minimum Science for Everybody, published by a voluntary organization in India, provides a detailed alternative conceptual framework for SL in which community traditions and knowledge systems are interfaced with science.

The three reports are seen to differ from one another not only in respect of the contents of the curricula recommended, but also in their approaches, and the world views underlying these different approaches are brought out. It is suggested that SL curricula in both “developed” and “developing” countries be reviewed in the light of the ideas contained in all three reports in accordance with the needs and circumstances of the people. The article argues for the need to review the nature of science from the perspective of the common citizen.
Attack and defense in conspecific fighting in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri)
Authors: Blanchard Robert J. , Ohl Frauke , van Kampen Marja , Blanchard D. Caroline , Fuchs Eberhard
Published: August 2002

Principles of conspecific defense have been analyzed for rodents, in which specific target sites for biting by attackers on defenders serve as an important determinant of the actions involved in both attacker and defender behavior. In an effort to determine the generality of these principles, attack and defensive behaviors and target sites for biting attack were evaluated in a nonrodent species, the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri). Brief daily and repeated conspecific dyadic encounters between adult, socially experienced males (dominants, attackers), and adult, socially naive males (subordinates, defenders) that had been transferred into the territory of the dominants, produced a polarization of attack and defense. The dominant males showed chase, chase attack, jump attack, and biting behaviors, while the subordinates displayed flight and freezing. The vast majority of bites, as well as wounds and bruises, were on the subordinates’ backs. These patterns are very similar to those previously found in rats and mice and suggest that the organization of fighting, with targets of biting (or other painful) attack serving as an important determinant of both attacker (dominant) and defender (subordinate) behavior, may show considerable generality across nonrodent as well as rodent species. Although relatively few wounds were found after 28 days of repeated and daily encounters, the subordinate tree shrews show a variety of behavioral, neuroendocrine, and central nervous changes, indicating that they are stressed by these encounters per se. Aggr. Behav. 27:139–148, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lost boys: Why our boys turn violent and how we can save them
Authors: Cunningham Michael
Published: August 2002

By James Garbarino. New York: Free Press, 1999, 274 pp.
AIRA: Measurement of adolescents’ judgments regarding intentions to respond to physical and verbal aggression
Authors: Tisak John , Maynard Amanda M. , Tisak Marie S.
Published: August 2002

The current study utilized a structural equations approach in developing an instrument to investigate adolescents’ (N = 510; 9th–12th graders) judgments about the likelihood that they would actively respond to a witnessed aggressive situation. Two aggressive subscales were developed: physical and verbal. The instrument controlled for the relationship (acquaintance vs. friend) of the witness to the perpetrator and to the victim involved in the event. Results provided evidence for a domain approach to judgments about active responses to aggression. Furthermore, as predicted, the factors of gender, age, relationship of the witness to both the victim and the perpetrator, and aggressive situation influenced adolescents’ judgments. Regardless of whether the perpetrator and the victim were acquaintances or friends of the witness, younger males indicated that they were less likely to respond to acts of physical aggression than were adolescents in the other three groups. In contrast, when acquaintances were involved in situations involving verbal aggression, younger males were less likely to respond than were younger females. When the perpetrator and the victim were friends of the witness, females, regardless of age, were more likely than males to respond to verbally aggressive acts. Aggr. Behav. 28:207–223, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Temporal variations in plasma vitamin K and lipid concentrations and clotting factor activity in humans
Authors: Kamali Farhad , Edwards Clive , Wood Peter , Wynne Hilary A. , Kesteven Patrick
Published: August 2002

There is no information available on temporal variability in plasma vitamin K concentrations and its relationship to coagulation processes. We investigated the possible existence of temporal changes in plasma vitamin K and lipid concentrations and activity of clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X and relationships between these variables. Plasma vitamin K and lipid concentrations and clotting factor activity were measured at four‐hour intervals for 28 hours in a group of healthy volunteers. Temporal variations existed in plasma vitamin K concentrations, with a mean maximum at 22:00 hr and a mean minimum (32% of the maximum) at 10:00 hr. Plasma triglycerol concentrations mirrored the changes in vitamin K concentrations. Mean factor VII activity was positively correlated with mean total plasma cholesterol concentrations (r = 0.714; P < 0.0001) and with mean plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations (r = 0.461; P < 0.0001). No distinct correlations were found between plasma vitamin K concentrations and either high density lipoprotein (HDL) or LDL cholesterol concentrations, or between triglycerol, HDL, or LDL cholesterol concentrations and functional activity of factors II, IX, and X. Plasma vitamin K concentrations did not correlate with the functional activity of any of the clotting factors. The presence of a correlation between plasma cholesterol concentrations and factor VII activity for blood samples collected at four‐hour intervals suggests that plasma cholesterol concentrations may have a more acute effect on factor VII activity. Temporal variations in plasma vitamin K concentrations indicate that a single time point measurement may be an inappropriate method of establishing vitamin K status in an individual. Am. J. Hematol. 68:159–163, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human growth in southern Zambia: a first study of Tonga children predating the Kariba dam (1957–1958)
Authors: Gillett Rhonda M , Tobias Phillip V
Published: August 2002

During the late 1950s the Kariba hydro‐electric dam was constructed on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe forcing the relocation of 57,000 people, mainly Tonga. As part of a larger study to assess the effects of the relocation, research into the human biology of the Tonga people was conducted. The research reported here provides a basis for comparison with long‐term follow‐up data on growth and physical status of Gwembe Tonga to determine the effects of resettlement. The sample consists of 303 schoolchildren, 7 to 13 years, from two schools that were not relocated and three schools that were to be relocated. Homogeneity of the two groups led us to combine them as a single baseline sample before relocation. Comparisons with NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics) reference data and with contemporary urban data from southern Zambia indicate sub‐optimal nutritional status. After ages 6 and 7, height‐for‐age and weight‐for‐age Z‐scores of boys decline steadily towards −2.0 SD throughout the 12th year, whereas mean Z‐scores of girls decline markedly from 8 years on. Mean HAZ (Height‐for‐age‐Z‐score) of girls falls below −2.0 SD by 11 years and approaches −3.0 SD by 13 years. Thirty‐nine percent of males and 47% of females in the baseline sample showed effects of moderate or severe protein energy malnutrition at the time of relocation. Because these children were from a school sample, gender differences in opportunity to attend school may be a factor in what appears to be gender bias, favoring the status of boys. This sample provides a baseline for assessing the long‐term impact of forced relocation on the Gwembe Tonga. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 14:50–60, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, inc.
Menstrual cycle variability and the perimenopause
Authors: O'Connor Kathleen A. , Holman Darryl J. , Wood James W.
Published: August 2002

Menopause, the final cessation of menstrual cycling, occurs when the pool of ovarian follicles is depleted. The one to five years just prior to the menopause are usually marked by increasing variability in menstrual cycle length, frequency of ovulation, and levels of reproductive hormones. Little is known about the mechanisms that account for these characteristics of ovarian cycles as the menopause approaches. Some evidence suggests that the dwindling pool of follicles itself is responsible for cycle characteristics during the perimenopausal transition. Another hypothesis is that the increased variability reflects “slippage” of the hypothalamus, which loses the ability to regulate menstrual cycles at older reproductive ages. This paper examines the underlying cause of the increasing variability in menstrual cycle length prior to the menopause. A model of ovarian cycles is developed, based on the process of follicular growth and depletion. Under this model, the follicular phase of each menstrual cycle is preceded by an inactive phase, a period of time when no ovarian follicles have left the resting state and begun secreting steroids in response to gonadotropin stimulation. The model makes predictions about the variability in menstrual cycles across the reproductive life span based on the size of the surviving pool of ovarian follicles. We show that the model can explain several characteristics of the perimenopause in humans and macaques and illustrate how the model can be applied to research on the biological and cultural correlates of the timing of menopause. J. Hum. Biol. 13:465–478, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exposure to culturable microorganisms in paper mills and presence of symptoms associated with infections
Authors: Haug Terje , Søstrand Per , Langård Sverre
Published: August 2002

Background

Previous studies of paper machine operators have to a large extent focused on endotoxins as a possible health hazard, but not culturable micro‐organisms (MOs).

Methods

Based on exposure assessment in 11 paper mills workers exposed to culturable bio‐aerosols were grouped in three exposure groups. 781 exposed and 285 unexposed workers completed a questionnaire that provided data pertaining to infections and associated symptoms.

Results

Concentrations of culturable bacteria in process waters varied in the range 104–106 colony forming units (cfu)/ml, and in bio‐aerosols concentrations varied typically in the range 104–> 105 cfu/m3. Operators exposed to bio‐aerosols reported higher cumulative incidence of symptoms associated with infections compared to the reference population (ORs = 1.7–5.9), and the group of highest exposed workers reported higher cumulative incidence than the group of lowest exposed (ORs = 1.2–3.6).

Conclusion

Exposure to bio‐aerosols containing culturable MOs may induce symptoms associated with infections among operators in paper mills. Am. J. Ind. Med. 41:498–505, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Novel polymorphisms in the promoter region of the neurotrophin‐3 gene and their associations with schizophrenia
Authors: Hattori Mineko , Kunugi Hiroshi , Akahane Akihisa , Tanaka Hiroshi , Ishida Sugiko , Hirose Tetsuya , Morita Ryoji , Yamakawa Kazuhiro , Nanko Shinichiro
Published: August 2002

Based on the neurodevelopmental hypothesis in the etiology of schizophrenia, neurotrophic factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of the illness. We searched for polymorphisms in the promoter region of the neurotrophin‐3 (NTF3) gene by using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found. When these polymorphisms were examined for association with schizophrenia, a weakly significant difference was observed in the genotype distribution of the G/− 3004/A polymorphism between 184 schizophrenics and 185 controls (P < 0.05), although no statistically significant association was detected in a family‐based sample of 50 trios (schizophrenics and their parents). With respect to the other polymorphisms, there was no significant association with schizophrenia. The G/− 3004/A polymorphism was in linkage disequilibrium with the CA repeat polymorphism in the first intron of the NTF3 gene. When haplotype‐based analysis was performed, an increased frequency of the haplotype containing the G(− 3004) and the “A3” ([CA]23) alleles was observed for the schizophrenics compared to controls. Our results suggest that the G(− 3004)‐A3 haplotype has a modest effect of giving susceptibility to schizophrenia. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phenylethanolamine N‐methyltransferase (PNMT) gene and early‐onset Alzheimer disease
Authors: Mann Michael B. , Wu Shijuan , Rostamkhani Massud , Tourtellotte Wallace , MacMurray James , Comings David E.
Published: August 2002

The activity of human phenylethanolamine N‐methyltransferase (PNMT) is reduced in the neurons of those cells in many subcortical areas of the brain that are known to undergo neurodegeneration in Alzheimer disease (AD). Others have reported that PNMT is decreased in brains of persons with AD and that the decrease in enzymatic activity is due to a reduced amount of the enzyme protein. We have previously described two polymorphisms, G‐353A and G‐148A, in the promoter region of the gene coding for PNMT. These markers were tested for their association with the occurrence of sporadic AD. Genotyping of 131 necropsy confirmed AD cases, and 947 adult nondemented controls were completed. We observed a significant association between both of the PNMT gene polymorphisms and early‐onset AD (EOAD) (P ≤ 0.007), but not in late‐onset AD (LOAD). These data suggest that genetic variation in the promoter of the PNMT gene is associated with increased susceptibility to the sporadic form of EOAD. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential energy budget and monopolization potential of harem holders and bachelors in hanuman langurs (Semnopithecus entellus): Preliminary results
Authors: Schülke Oliver
Published: August 2002

The demographic structure in the Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus) population of Jodhpur is extreme, in that some single males monopolize harems with, on average, 25 adult females. It has been proposed that extratroop males, which live in all‐male bands, inhabit low‐quality habitats and suffer from reduced food provisioning and longer daily travel distances. To compare the resulting energetic consequences for harem holders and bachelors, I estimated their gross energy intake and daily energetic expenditures. This analysis revealed no clear‐cut differences between the two classes of males in time spent feeding on provisioned food, daily path length, gross energy intake, and energy expenditure. Due to the small sample size and other limitations of the study design, the hypothesis under investigation can not be evaluated conclusively. The preliminary results suggest, however, that energy budgets of harem holders and bachelors do not differ markedly. The importance of direct ecological pressures to males for our understanding of variation in group composition is highlighted. Am. J. Primatol. 55:57–63, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Why do animals move and what does it mean?
Authors: Bernstein Irwin S.
Published: August 2002

Review of On the Move: How and Why Animals Travel in Groups edited by Sue Boinski and Paul A. Garber. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2000, xii + 811 pp, 63 fig., 53 tab., $35.
Estimating relative population sizes from simulated data sets and the question of greater African effective size
Authors: Eller Elise
Published: August 2002

Previous genetic and craniometric studies have suggested greater genetic diversity and a larger effective size in Africa. Several demographic scenarios can explain a larger African effective size, and anthropological geneticists have attempted to obtain better estimates of relative population sizes among continental regions in the Old World. A least‐squares approach of estimating relative population weights was developed by Relethford and Harpending ([1994] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 95:249–270), who applied it to craniometric and genetic data sets and concluded that the ratio of African, Asian, and European effective sizes was 3:1:1, respectively; another data set of short tandem repeat (STR) markers yielded a similar estimate of 7:1:2. However, an estimate from restriction site polymorphism (RSP, also known as restriction fragment length polymorphism, or RFLP) data yielded a very different estimate of 1:1:8. Thus, the European and not the African effective size was largest. Simulations showed that this was the result of ascertainment bias in which polymorphic markers were originally identified in a small panel of Caucasians, leading to inflated heterozygosity in the European sample and thus an inflated population weight. This paper extends those computer simulations to incorporate not only ascertainment bias but also interpopulation gene flow and demographic expansion in two types of genetic data, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, which are similar but not precisely identical to RSPs) and STRs. The effects of these three parameters on SNP and STR relative weight estimates are described. Simulations show that the ascertainment scheme affects SNP data but not STR data. Gene flow has a noticeable effect on the bias and efficiency of the estimates in both types of genetic data. Population expansions have a large effect only in one ascertainment scheme in the simulated SNP data and no effect in STR data. Relative population weight estimates from four published STR data sets are also reported. These estimates are similar to each other: all show a larger African weight and a European weight somewhat larger than the Asian weight. Because the STR simulations show that when gene flow is greater than 0.01 migrants per generation the African population weight is biased upward, it is likely that the African weights in the four STR data sets are inflated. However, the simulations suggest that the African effective size is still largest of the three regions and is probably at least as great as the sum of the Asian and European effective sizes. Am J Phys Anthropol 116:1–12, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of age and occupation on cortical bone in a group of 18th–19th century British men
Authors: Mays Simon
Published: August 2002

The effects of age and occupation on cortical bone in a group of adult males from the 18th–19th century AD skeletal collection from Christ Church Spitalfields, London, were investigated. Cortical bone was monitored using metacarpal radiogrammetry. Individual age at death was known exactly from coffin plates. Occupation for individuals was known from historical sources. Results showed that continued periosteal apposition was evident throughout adult life, but from middle age onwards this was outstripped by about 2:1 by endosteal resorption, so that there was net thinning of cortical bone. The rate of cortical thinning resembled that seen in modern European males. Cross‐sectional properties, as measured by second moments of area, bore no relationship to occupation. The results may suggest that, firstly, patterns of loss of cortical bone have remained unchanged in males for at least two centuries in Britain, and secondly, that biomechanical analyses of metacarpal cortical bone may be rather insensitive indicators of intensity of manual activity. Am J Phys Anthropol 116:34–44, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Potential seasonal ecological challenge of heat strain among Australian Aboriginal people practicing traditional subsistence methods: A computer simulation
Authors: Ulijaszek Stanley J.
Published: August 2002

It has been largely accepted that Australian Aboriginal people practicing hunting and gathering traditionally underused their objective economic possibilities by working short hours relative to nonhunter‐gatherer populations. However, the possibility that their subsistence quest might have been limited by potential heat strain has not been considered for Australian hunter‐gatherers. In this article the influence of work and heat load on the potential for heat strain among adult male Australian Aboriginal people is modelled. The possibility that the short working day of Arnhem Land adults reported in the literature might reflect ecologically limited work scheduling by way of potential heat strain is examined. Three climatic regions of the North of Western Australia and the Northern Territory were identified, using data available from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Data from the months of January, April, July, and October were used with the United States Army Heat Strain Model, along with assumptions with respect to work load and time scheduling.

Predictive modelling indicates that a late start to the working day could carry considerable risks of potential heat strain during the summer, when humidity and maximum daily temperature are highest for all three climatic regions, but especially in the tropical coastal region. While extended work times may have been needed to acquire adequate food under traditional conditions, work output could have been limited by potential heat strain under some conditions likely to have prevailed. Am J Phys Anthropol 116:236–245, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preparation of rhodium catalysts on laminar and zeolitic structures by anchoring of organometallic rhodium
Authors: Blanco C. , Ruiz R. , Pesquera C. , González F.
Published: August 2002

Rhodium catalysts supported on six different aluminosilicate structures were prepared by hydrogen reduction of a cationic organometallic rhodium complex anchored to the support. The precursor active phase was incorporated in acetone medium through ion exchange using [Rh(Me2CO)x(NBD)]ClO4 as the metal precursor species, in which NBD is 2,5‐norbornadiene and (Me2CO)x is acetone. The effect of the structure and characteristics of the support on metal load and dispersion was studied in the heterogeneous catalysts thus prepared. The supports were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis, volumetric adsorption and surface acidity. For the precursors and catalysts, the metal load was determined by UV–VIS spectra, the reduction temperature was determined by differential scanning calorimetry, and rhodium dispersion was measured by chemisorption. The structure of the materials used as supports had a great influence on the catalyst prepared. A higher metal content was achieved in the supports with laminar structures, whereas better dispersion was shown by the catalysts supported on zeolitic structures.
Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and polymerization behavior of novel C1 and Cs titanium ansa‐cyclopentadienyl‐amido catalysts for ethylene and propylene polymerization
Authors: Rhodes Barrie , Chien James C. W. , Wood John S. , Chandrasekaran A. , Rausch Marvin D.
Published: August 2002

Four titanium ansa‐cyclopentadienyl‐amido complexes of the general formula [C5H3RMe2SiN(2,6‐Me2C6H3)]TiX2(R = H,Me,Bz,tBu;X = NMe2 or Cl) have been synthesized. The complexes polymerize both ethylene and propylene in the presence of methylaluminoxane or Ph3CB(C6F5)4–triisobutylaluminum and were most active at lower temperatures. In general, the smaller the substituent on the cyclopentadienyl group, the more active the catalyst. The catalysts were found to be poorly stereoselective for the polymerization of polypropylene, with the tertiary‐butyl substituted catalyst giving a polymer with the greatest [mmmm] (14.2%). The structure of [C5H4Me2SiN(2,6‐Me2C6H3)] Ti(NMe2)2 was determined by X‐ray diffraction. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system space group P21/n, with a = 16.437(2), b = 8.652(3), c = 16.494(4),β = 117.54(2) and Z = 4. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rheological properties of ionically and covalently crosslinked polypropylene‐type thermoplastic elastomers
Authors: Fujiyama Mitsuyoshi , Kondou Manabu , Ayama Kazuhiko , Inata Hitoshi
Published: August 2002

Maleic anhydride was grafted onto a polypropylene‐type thermoplastic elastomer PER by reactive processing with a screw extruder, and a maleated PER (MPER) was prepared. Aiming at ionic crosslinking, magnesium 12‐hydroxy stearate (MgStOH), zinc oxide (ZnO), and zinc sulfide (ZnS), and aiming at covalent crosslinking, melamine as an amino compound, and Epocizer and GRYCI‐ALE as epoxy compounds, were added to the MPER, melt‐mixed by use of the screw extruder, and crosslinked compounds were obtained. The rheological properties such as capillary flow properties and dynamic viscoelasticities of the compounds were measured and their melt processabilities were evaluated. The degree of crosslinking was in the order of epoxy compounds > MgStOH > melamine > ZnO, ZnS > MPER (blank). In the case of the compound with MgStOH of a moderately high degree of crosslinking, the non‐Newtonian behavior is remarkable and the die swell ratio is low and suitable for extrusion. However, in the case of compounds with epoxy compounds of an excessive degree of crosslinking, fine extrudate cannot be obtained due to the lack of fusion and the control of degree of crosslinking is necessary. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 762–773, 2002
Novel microencapsulated curing accelerator for prolonging shelf life of epoxy resin composition
Authors: Cao Ming , Xie Ping , Jin Zhong , Zhang Yong , Zhang Rongben , Chung Tai‐Shung , He Chaobin
Published: August 2002

A novel micron‐sized microencapsulated curing accelerator, imidazole (Im), particles, was first prepared by an ultrasound‐assisted dispersing and spray‐drying method and can significantly prolong the shelf life of epoxy resin‐based microelectronic packaging material. The shell of the encapsulated particles was made from ladderlike copoly(phenyloctyl silsesquioxane) (Ph‐Oct‐T), which was synthesized by a “stepwise coupling polymerization” method. Its softening or flowing temperature can be adjusted by changing the composition. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was chosen as both a solvent of the capsular material Ph‐Oct‐T and a suspending/precipitating agent of the fine Im particles. Subsequently, the solution containing Ph‐Oct‐T and suspended Im particles was treated by a spray‐drying process to produce the microencapsulated curing accelerator, Im particles, whose size and appearance was observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). A greatly improved shelf life of the epoxy resin composition containing this microencapsulated curing accelerator was exhibited by curing tests and DSC measurements. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 873–878, 2002
Synthesis and characterization of elastomeric polyurethane/clay nanocomposites
Authors: Ma Jisheng , Zhang Shufan , Qi Zongneng
Published: August 2002

An elastomeric polyurethane/clay (PU/clay) nanocomposite based on poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), glycerol propoxylate, and toluene‐diisocyanate (TDI) was synthesized by intercalative polymerization technology. The results of wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) studies showed that the gallery distance of the clay in the hybrid was enlarged from 1.9 to 4.5nm or more. Introducing clay in the PU matrix resulted in an increase in both the tensile strength and elongation at beak. When the clay content reached about 8%, the tensile strength and elongation at break were two times and five times respectively to that of the pure PU. In addition, the clay intercalative route to the nanocomposite synthesis also effected the thermal properties of the nanocomposites. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 1444–1448, 2001
Erratum
Authors: Barbehenn Raymond V.
Published: August 2002

The bottom panel of figure number 1 in the article, “Roles of Peritrophic Membranes in Protecting Herbivorous Insects From Ingested Plant Allelochemicals” by Raymond V. Barbehenn, Volume 47, Number 2, June 2001 on pages 86–99 was submitted incorrectly.

The corrected figure and legend from page 88 are herein reprinted. The bottom panel is now on the right hand side.
Insect cell stimulation by LPS requires the activity of cell‐released proteases
Authors: Wittwer Daniela , Wiesner Andreas
Published: August 2002

The hemocyte line BTI‐EA‐1174‐A from the lepidopteran insect Estigmene acraea responds to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by an enhanced phagocytic reaction and a dose‐dependent increase of lysozyme release [Wittwer et al., Dev Comp Immunol 21:323 (1997)].

This paper provides evidence for a strong proteolytic activity in cell culture supernatants occuring after addition of LPS (1 mg/ml). The proteolysis is caused by cell‐released proteases and seems to be necessary for cell activation. Its inhibition by α2‐macroglobulin results in a dose‐dependent reduction in cellular response strength. Phagocytic reactions, as well as lysozyme release, are lowered to about half in the presence of 0.0001 mg/ml α2‐macroglobulin. A nearly complete abolishment of activation was achieved with final concentrations of 1.0 mg/ml α2‐macroglobulin. The data presented allow us to conclude that the LPS‐triggered proteolytic activity is an important part of the activation process; it occurs outside of the cells and delivers immune response activating factors. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 39:91–97, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of extracellular calcium concentration on protein synthesis in Aedes albopictus cells
Authors: Kawamura Marcia Tie , da Gloria da Costa Carvalho Maria
Published: August 2002

The influence of extracellular calcium concentration on mosquito cells was investigated in Aedes albopictus cells cultured in a medium with different amounts of calcium. Protein synthesis in cells incubated in low calcium culture medium was inhibited when compared to control cells. This inhibition was reversed by addition of calcium to the culture medium. Two calcium‐induced proteins of approximately 70,000 and 80,000 daltons were detected when calcium was added to the extracellular medium of cells incubated in low calcium medium for longer than 2 h. Northern‐blot analysis indicated that Hsp70 (heat shock protein of 70,000 dalton) specific mRNA is present in cells that were cultured in low calcium medium suggesting that the 70,000 dalton protein is a member of the Hsp70 family. Our results indicate that extracellular calcium concentration can modify the gene expression pattern in A. albopictus cells and the absence of calcium in the culture medium could be considered a stress factor. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 39:47–54, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.