bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meiotic competence and acetylation pattern of UV light classified mouse antral oocytes after meiotic arrest with isobutylmethylxanthine
Authors: Ola Safiriyu Idowu , Wang Qiang , Ai Jun‐Shu , Yin Shen , Liang Cheng‐Guang , Chen Da‐Yuan , Sun Qing‐Yuan
Published: October 2006

Chromatin transformation from a diffused or NSN configuration to a compacted or SN shape that forms a ring around the nucleolus is regarded as one of the modifications necessary for successful embryonic development. But the process of the transformation is poorly understood. In this study we cultured mouse antral oocytes under meiotic arrest with IBMX for periods between 3 and 24 hr. We observed the chromatin status of the oocytes before and after culture under UV illumination. We reported here that the NSN configured oocytes transformed temporally through an intermediate form into the SN configuration while under meiotic arrest in vitro. Meiotic rate was improved in the NSN oocytes after the meiotic arrest but decreased in the SN oocytes. We also reported that chromatin of both the NSN and SN oocytes was acetylated and the two groups underwent the same pattern of H4/K5 deacetylation during meiotic maturation. We hypothesized that the transformation of mouse oocyte from the NSN to SN type may be time rather than oocyte size specific and the abrupt deacetylation of NSN oocyte during spontaneous maturation may explain its poor meiotic and developmental competence. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 591–599, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Real‐time interactive MRI‐guided cardiac surgery: Aortic valve replacement using a direct apical approach
Authors: McVeigh Elliot R. , Guttman Michael A. , Lederman Robert J. , Li Ming , Kocaturk Ozgur , Hunt Timothy , Kozlov Shawn , Horvath Keith A.
Published: October 2006

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery requires arresting and emptying of the heart, which compromises visualization of the surgical field. In this feasibility study a novel surgical procedure is demonstrated in which real‐time MRI is used to guide the placement of a prosthetic aortic valve in the beating heart via direct apical access in eight porcine hearts. A clinical stentless bioprosthetic valve affixed to a platinum stent was compressed onto a balloon‐tipped catheter. This was fed through a 15–18‐mm delivery port inserted into the left ventricular (LV) apex via a minimally invasive subxyphoid incision. Using interactive real‐time MRI, the surgeon implanted the prosthetic valve in the correct location at the aortic annulus within 90 s. In four of the animals immediately after implantation, ventricular function, blood flow through the valve, and myocardial perfusion were evaluated with MRI. MRI‐guided beating‐heart surgery may provide patients with a less morbid and more durable solution to structural heart disease. Magn Reson Med, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Water exchange across the erythrocyte plasma membrane studied by HR‐MAS NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Bruno Erik , Digilio Giuseppe , Cabella Claudia , de Reggi Andrea , Baroni Simona , Mainero Valentina , Aime Silvio
Published: October 2006

Water exchange across the plasma membrane of erythrocytes (red blood cells (RBCs)) was studied by means of high‐resolution magic angle spinning (HR‐MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Under HR‐MAS conditions, the centrifugal force causes the splitting of RBC suspensions into a two‐phase system composed of a central core of cell free water and an outer layer of tightly packed cells. Water belonging to each of these phases gives rise to two separated resonances. Chemical exchange between them is not detectable on the chemical shift or saturation transfer (ST) NMR time scale because of the physical separation between the phases. When the RBCs are dispersed and immobilized within a matrix made of cross‐linked albumin, the splitting into a two‐phase system is prevented and a single exchange‐averaged peak for water is detected in 1H HR‐MAS NMR spectra. The lineshape of this peak is dependent on transmembrane exchange kinetics, since MAS averages out all the anisotropic magnetic interactions that are responsible for additional line‐broadening under conventional liquid conditions. Line‐shape analysis according to a two‐site exchange model yielded a residence lifetime on the order of about 10 ms (at 37°C) for a water molecule within the intracellular compartment, which is not too far from the generally accepted value of 9.6–14.8 ms. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Selective suppression of artifact‐generating echoes in cine DENSE using through‐plane dephasing
Authors: Zhong Xiaodong , Spottiswoode Bruce S. , Cowart Elizabeth A. , Gilson Wesley D. , Epstein Frederick H.
Published: October 2006

In displacement‐encoded imaging with stimulated echoes (DENSE), tissue displacement is encoded in the phase of the stimulated echo. However, three echoes generally contribute to the acquired signal (the stimulated echo, the complex conjugate of the stimulated echo, and an echo due to T1 relaxation). It is usually desirable to suppress all except the stimulated echo, since otherwise the additional echoes will cause displacement measurement errors. Ideally, suppression of the artifact‐generating echoes would be independent of time, T1, and displacement‐encoding frequency, and would not require additional acquisitions. In this study through‐plane gradients were used to selectively dephase artifact‐generating echoes without causing significant signal loss of the stimulated echo. A cine DENSE sequence was modified to include dephasing gradients and perform complementary spatial modulation of magnetization (CSPAMM). For single‐acquisition cine DENSE using dephasing alone, artifact suppression was similar to CSPAMM with two acquisitions. The use of dephasing with CSPAMM required two acquisitions, but demonstrated greater artifact suppression than CSPAMM alone or dephasing alone. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The β‐δ‐core of sarcoglycan is essential for deposition at the plasma membrane
Authors: Draviam Romesh A. , Shand Stuart H. , Watkins Simon C.
Published: October 2006

Mutations of any of the sarcoglycan complex subunits (α, β, δ, and γ) cause limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy. Furthermore, individual mutations lead to a reduction or loss of all other members of the complex. In some cases of limb‐girdle muscular dystrophies, however, residual sarcoglycan expression has been documented. Therefore, in this study we tested the hypothesis that formation of specific sarcoglycan subcomplexes is crucial for plasma membrane deposition. Using co‐immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrated that β‐ and δ‐sarcoglycan interact with α‐sarcoglycan and these two subunits must be co‐expressed for export from the endoplasmic reticulum. Advanced light‐microscopic imaging techniques demonstrated that co‐expression of β‐sarcoglycan and δ‐sarcoglycan is also responsible for delivery to and retention of sarcoglycan subcomplexes at the cell surface. These data suggest that formation of the β‐δ‐core may promote the export and deposition of sarcoglycan subcomplexes at the plasma membrane, and therefore identifies a mechanism for sarcoglycan transport. Muscle Nerve, 2006
Tailoring neighborhood search for the internet protocol network design problem with reliability and routing constraints
Authors: De Giovanni L. , Tadei R.
Published: October 2006

The Internet Protocol Network Design Problem with Reliability and Routing Constraints (IPRR) can be shortly stated as follows. A telecommunication network is given in terms of a set of nodes and a set of traffic demands; we want to define the minimum cost capacity reservation such that all the traffic is routed even under fault scenarios. Capacity is provided by reserving some already installed devices of a given capacity between pairs of nodes and traffic must be loaded on the network according to the OSPF‐ECM (Open Shortest Path First‐Equal Commodity Multipath) protocol, with additional constraints on the maximum number of hops. The problem is 𝒩𝒫‐Hard and literature proposes neighborhood search heuristics that do not take the reliability and max‐hop requirements into account, or assume a simplified OSPF routing. The design and the implementation of the components of any neighborhood search algorithms are strongly conditioned by the reliability and routing constraints, which imply a huge amount of hop‐constrained shortest paths to be taken into account. This work shows how the components of these heuristics can be implemented, with particular emphasis to the setting up of an efficient neighborhood evaluation procedure, the discussion of its incremental version, and the introduction of effective reduced‐size neighborhoods. Computational experiments on instances derived from real networks are also presented, and they show the proposed components make the neighborhood search a viable approach for IPRR. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 49(1), 65–79 2007
New bridge systems using FRP composites and concrete: a state‐of‐the‐art review
Authors: Cheng Lijuan , Karbhari Vistasp M.
Published: October 2006

Substantial progress has been made in the past 25 years in the area of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites as viable structural materials in bridge construction. The technologies developed to date have moved rapidly from their initial stage of concept validation, into full‐scale prototype construction and field implementations. They have been used either on their own in bridge applications or being combined with other conventional structural materials such as concrete, to provide economical solutions to many critical bridge problems such as deficiency. This paper presents a state‐of‐the‐art review of these developments on typical bridge components (i.e. decks and girders) as well as bridge systems that have been available from the early 1980s to the beginning of 2006.
Design of anchor bolts in masonry
Authors: McGinley W. Mark
Published: October 2006

A review of the methods used to design anchors for masonry in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States was conducted. It was determined that with the exception of the American standard (MSJC), most provisions for connections for masonry require anchors to be designed using some form of performance based criteria.

The MSJC uses design equations to predict anchor behavior and an evaluation of these equations using recent published test results suggests that the nominal tension anchor bolt capacity equations appear to give relatively good results at smaller anchor diameters. However, unaccounted for tension splitting/flexural modes appear to be present in larger anchor diameters.

The investigations also suggest that the shear load provisions in the MSJC appear to be adequate when predicting the capacity of smaller diameter bolts, but they can be very unconservative for shear load capacities for bolts above 19 mm in diameter. The masonry break out equation does not appear to accurately predict the splitting/prying masonry failures observed with these large diameter anchors. In addition, it appears that splitting failures may occur in smaller masonry assemblies and further work must be conducted to determine if this is a testing protocol artifact or a failure mode that can be realistically expected in the field such as the proposed shear bearing model.

Finally, results of combined shear and tension load tests, appear to suggest that the interaction equation for anchors used in grouted cavities in masonry assemblies is a power function, with a value between 1.4 and 1.67.
A forward‐propagation learning rule for neural inverse models in consideration of the correlation of propagated errors
Authors: Ohama Yoshihiro , Fukumura Naohiro , Uno Yoji
Published: October 2006

We have proposed the forward‐propagation rule (FP) as an inverse model learning scheme from the viewpoint of biological motor control. This learning scheme is based on a Newton‐like method, by which multilayered neural network can acquire an inverse model of the controlled object by a small number of iterative learning trials. There is a problem, however, that the learning procedure, which is characterized by estimation of the supervisor's signal for the input–output signal of the neuron, and also the solution of a linear multiple regression problem for updating the connection weights, is complicated, making it difficult to analyze the learning process. This paper introduces the correlation of the propagated error signal from the viewpoint of the maximum‐likelihood method in order to realize a goal‐directed learning, which has not hitherto been considered in FP, and extends the learning rule to the generalized least‐square method. As a result, it is clearly shown that the learning rule in FP is an approximate gradient method. The learning ability of the method is demonstrated by computer simulation. The proposed procedure contains a regularization term derived from the logarithmic likelihood, and the behavior after the convergence of learning exhibits a more stable tendency than in the conventional method. It is also shown that learning can be performed by a simplified method in which the error is simply propagated in the forward direction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 37(13): 54–66, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20484
Paths to community empowerment: Organizing at home
Authors: Saegert Susan , Winkel Gary
Published: October 2006

This study examines how low‐income minority communities build on their strengths to improve material conditions and how these actions lead to further empowerment at the individual and group level, and increase engagement with civic life. Based on earlier qualitative research, low‐income limited equity housing co‐ops were chosen as research. Using quantitative questionnaire data, a path model was tested in which variables were organized into four levels.Level One: Attributes of the person and the context were conceptualized asexogenous variables leading to activities first at the co‐op level.Level Two:co‐op activities were thought to affect living conditions in the building and evaluations of co‐op ownership, which comprisedLevel Three,quality of life in the building. All preceding levels were thought to influenceempowerment, as measured atLevel Four through an attitudinal measure of empowerment, and reported participation in civic activities in the broader community.

The model, which emphasizes the collective and material nature of empowerment in addition to the psychological, seems justified by the data. It is especially significant that the aggregate measure of perceived participation of others predicted building quality, and that the aggregate measure of building quality went on to influence empowerment and voting behavior. Personal participation in building activities also proved a good predictor of empowerment, indicating that empowerment operates at both the individual and the group level. Furthermore, increased empowerment at the level of attitude did influence civic activities, in conjunction with personal characteristics and perceived neighborhood qualities. (Tests of causality in the opposite direction were not significant.) Our findings confirm the importance of all three components of empowerment, as articulated by Zimmerman and his colleagues (1992), that is, empowerment at the psychological, interactional, and behavioral level. It extends the conceptualization by introducing the group level of analysis.
Cultural specificity of support sources, correlates and contexts: Three studies of African‐American and Caucasian youth
Authors: Maton Kenneth I. , Teti Douglas M. , Corns Kathleen M. , Vieira-Baker Catherine C. , Lavine Jacqueline R. , Gouze Karen R. , Keating Daniel P.
Published: October 2006

Levels and correlates of parental support, peer support, partner support, and/or spiritual support among African American and Caucasian youth were examined in three contexts: adolescent pregnancy (Study 1), first year of college (Study 2), and adolescence and young adulthood (ages 15–29; Study 3). Partially consistent with a cultural specificity perspective, in different contexts different support sources were higher in level and/or more strongly related to adjustment for one ethnic group than the other. Among pregnant adolescents, levels of spiritual support were higher for African Americans than Caucasians; additionally, peer support was positively related to well‐being only for African Americans whereas partner support was positively related to well‐being only for Caucasians. Among college freshmen, family support was more strongly related to institutional and goal commitment for African Americans than Caucasians; conversely, peer support was more strongly related to institutional and goal commitment among Caucasians. Among 15 to 29‐year‐olds, levels of parental support and spiritual support were higher among African Americans than Caucasians; additionally, spiritual support was positively related to self‐esteem for African Americans but not for Caucasians. Implications and limitations of the research are discussed.
Culture, control, and coping: New perspectives on social support
Authors: Liang Belle , Bogat G. Anne
Published: October 2006

Researchers have offered various explanations for inconsistent findings in the social support literature. Some contend that the detection of either buffering or direct effects depends on the mode of measurement. Others have demonstrated that person variables (e.g., locus of control) moderate support utilization during stressful times. This study attempts to integrate the issues of measure type, locus of control orientation, and cultural influence in a comprehensive study comparing Anglo‐Americans and Chinese nationals. Measures appropriate for testing the stress‐buffering model of social support were given to 198 students in a Midwestern university and 200 students in mainland China. Both measure type and locus of control orientation mediated the process of support utilization in each culture, but not in the same manner across cultures. For Anglos, stress‐buffering effects of both perceived and received support were found only with internals. For Chinese, main effects and a buffering pattern from perceived support were found only with externals. The received support measure yielded negative buffering effects with the latter culture.
Capturing excellence in applied settings: A participant conceptualizer and praxis explicator role for community psychologists
Authors: Elias Maurice J.
Published: October 2006

Community psychology faces a crisis of personpower similar to that which Albee identified in the clinical field four decades ago. It is clear that there are not, and likely never will be, a sufficient number of community psychologists to be able to provide assessment, consultation, and planned change toward facilitating an inclusive psychological sense of community and sound health and prosocial development in all settings that could benefit from such assistance. To help resolve this crisis, an expanded role for community psychologists is proposed: that of participant conceptualizer and praxis explicator. A participant conceptualizer and praxis explicator has the role not only of working within settings to understand and help conceptualize change processes but also of reflecting on action processes that are a part of the setting, of reflecting on theory, and of generating products that share relevant learnings. How action research serves as the methodology that allows the flow and interplay of theory and action to take place also is discussed. Illustrations are drawn from the work of Leonard Bernstein, Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog, and the author's work in area of school‐based social competence promotion.
My place, your place, and no place: Behavior settings as a risk factor for HIV‐related injection practices of drug users in Baltimore, Maryland
Authors: Latkin Carl , Mandell Wallace , Vlahov David , Oziemkowska Maria , Knowlton Amy , Celentano David
Published: October 2006

Information is sparse on the social context of illicit drug injection behaviors and their relationship to HIV infection. This study examined relationships between injection settings, injecting with others, and HIV risk behaviors of sharing needles and not cleaning contaminated needles in a sample of 630 inner‐city injecting drug users in Baltimore, MD. Through open‐ended interviews, five primary settings of injection behavior were identified. These settings included one's own, friends' and mother's residence, shooting galleries, and semipublic areas. Most participants reported injecting in their own residence (92%) and friends' residence (86%) in the prior 6 months. In a multiple regression analysis, injecting at friends' residence, in shooting galleries, and in semipublic areas and frequency of injecting with others were significantly associated with frequency of sharing uncleaned needles, “slipping” (i.e., failure to disinfect shared needles), and not always cleaning used needles before injecting. Results suggest that interventions may benefit from targeting settings as well as behaviors to reduce the spread of HIV.
Empowering the silent ranks: Introduction
Authors: Serrano-García Irma , Bond Meg A.
Published: October 2006

Conclusion

In conclusion, with this Special Issue we have tried to point out the complexities of diversity and the challenges it poses for community psychology. The groups we present are only an example of the many that suffer similar plights and enjoy similar strengths. The richness of their cultural backgrounds, the learnings that stem from their struggles, their sameness and uniqueness should challenge us to collaborate with them and to unearth other groups which did not have an opportunity to present their histories in this issue.

Silence, as previously stated, can be a clear “voice” of resistance. However, it is our contention that in the long run, it is not the best strategy to achieve change in oppressive power relationships. Our reading of the articles in this issue, strengthens this belief. Thus, this publication provides a vehicle so that the distant humming of some groups starts resonating in our halls, while the voice of others that has already been heard is amplified. Eventually we hope that the thunderous and deafening sound of all these previously unheard voices, can move community psychology, and those of us within it, into a harmonious world of sound.
Mental health and well‐being of black women: Toward strategies of empowerment
Authors: Gibbs Jewelle Taylor , Fuery Diana
Published: October 2006

This review of the literature on Black women's mental health has three goals: 1) to describe the mental health issues, needs, and adaptive behaviors of Black women; 2) to discuss the research, intervention, and public policy efforts of mental health professionals and Black women's groups to address the multiple needs of this population; and 3) to identify effective strategies by which community psychologists can improve the mental health status of Black women through efforts to reduce their environmental stressors, to increase their resources and access to services, and to facilitate their empowerment in American society. The authors propose a number of recommendations to improve Black women's mental health, including changes in research paradigms, changes in education and training programs, and the development of culturally competent service delivery systems.
Oral contraceptive use among African American adolescents: Individual and community influences
Authors: Meyers Adena B. , Rhodes Jean E.
Published: October 2006

Side effects of oral contraceptives are a noteworthy problem, particularly among low‐income young women who reside in inner‐city communities. The problem may be compounded by inadequate family planning services, particularly when such services are provided by general medical practices with high volumes of clients. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of pill‐related side effects, with particular attention to the role of clinic characteristics. Participants were 177 pregnant and parenting African American adolescents and young women (average age=18.34). The experience of a pill‐related side effect was the most frequently cited barrier to birth control use, and it was significantly related to contraceptive behavior. Finally, although participants attending comprehensive clinics experienced more barriers to medical service use than those attending neighborhood clinics, they reported fewer problems with pill‐related side effects and better psychological functioning. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
A preventive, psychoeducational approach to increase perceived social support
Authors: Brand Elena F. , Lakey Brian , Berman Shirley
Published: October 2006

Investigated the effects of a 13‐week preventive, psychoeducational intervention program to improve perceived social support. Fifty‐one, low‐perceived support, community residents were randomly assigned to an intervention or wait‐list control condition. Intervention subjects received training in social skills and cognitive reframing regarding the self and social relations. The intervention led to increased perceived social support from family, but not from friends. As hypothesized by social cognition models, increases in perceived support appeared to be mediated by changes in self‐esteem and frequency of self‐reinforcement. Further, such changes in cognition about the self were larger than the changes observed for perceived support, suggesting that it may be easier to change cognition about the self than perceptions of support.
Teacher and parent perceptions of behavior problems among a sample of African American, Hispanic, and non‐Hispanic white studients
Authors: Zimmerman Rick S. , Khoury Elizabeth L. , Vega William A. , Gil Andres G. , Warheit George J.
Published: October 2006

A multiracial/multiethnic sample of middle school adolescents and their teachers was used to assess whether teacher ratings of student behavior problems varied according to teacher‐student racial/ethnic differences and students' perception of teachers' attitudes toward them. No significant mean score differences were found for Hispanic or non‐Hispanic white students according to the race/ethnicity of the teachers doing the ratings. However, African American students rated by Hispanic and non‐Hispanic white teachers had significantly higher mean total behavior problem scores than African American students rated by African American teachers. Teacher ratings were also compared to those made by parents. The percentage of students rated as cases by teachers but not by parents differed significantly by race/ethnicity of student. Other findings indicated highly significant relationships between student‐perceived teacher disparagement and the assignment of high behavior problem scores to students by teachers.
The logic of generalization: Five principles common to experiments and ethnographies
Authors: Shadish William R.
Published: October 2006

Both experiments and ethnographies are highly localized, so they are often criticized for lack of generalizability. The present article describes a logic of generalization that may help solve such problems. The logic consists of five principles outlined by Cook (1990): (a) proximal similarity, (b) heterogeneity of irrelevancies, (c) discriminant validity, (d) empirical interpolation and extrapolation, and (e) explanation. Because validity is a property of knowledge claims, not methods, these five principles apply to claims about generalization generated by any method, including both ethnographies and experiments. The principles are illustrated using Rizzo and Corsaro's interesting ethnographies as examples.
An approach to the edge effect in proof of the validity ofDice's assessment lines in small‐mammal censusing
Authors: Tanaka Ryo
Published: October 2006

A second fieldwork for the sake of solving the edge‐effect subject was carried out in almost the same ways and plans in summer of 1971 in succession to that of 1970. It was found out that the population density was reduced to two‐thirds, but the data were sufficient to form the subsequent conclusions:

The initial population estimated by the removal census method turned out to be well compatible with the numbers of survivals and emigrants of marked voles calculated byJolly's method.

The natural, entire home ranges of both sexes reached by determining observed range length and width with 24 voles, selected on rigid conditions, agreed with those of the range‐conservative type in 1970 in both acreage and elliptic shape.

In the majority of the select specimens, considered to reveal the natural ranges, the random distribution in number of captures per station within range was proved by means of Iσ so far as such capture density as treated here is concerned. On the ground of the empirical evidence, the above range size approached by the routine observational method could be made surprisingly accordant with the range size in terms of r‐values calculated byWierzbowska's method.

From these proofs, the validity ofDice's assessment lines makes evident, and besides, it could be further substantiated by use ofMarten's notion of mouse‐equivalents through the mediation ofWierzbowska's method.

Consequently, I have largely come to the conclusion thatDice's assessment lines stand on justifiable basis from theoretical and empirical angles.
Life tables for worker honeybees
Authors: Sakagami Shôichi F. , Fukuda Hiromi
Published: October 2006

Life tables for worker honeybees covering all life span, and those for adults, were prepared for three seasonal cohorts, June bees, July bees and wintering bees. Survivorship curves for June and July bees show a convex type being exceptional for insects, with relatively high mortality at egg and feeding larval stages and at later adult stage after most bees became potential foragers. Adult longevity greatly lengthens in Winteriing bees and survivorship curve drops approximately with the same rate. A remarkable similarity of survivorship curves for men and honeybees was demonstrated, apparently due to highly developed social care in both. Some comments were given on mortality factors. The importance of life tables for population researches was shown by applying our result to the population growth curve made byBodenheimer, based upon the data byNolan. At the asymptote of the uncorrected curve, the ratio of total population estimated by uncorrected curve to that by corrected curve reaches about 3∶2.
Biology of Hyphantria cuneaDrury (Lepidoptera: arctiidae) in Japan. V. Preliminary life tables and mortality data in urban areas
Authors: Itô Yosiaki , Miyashita Kazuyoshi
Published: October 2006

Studies on the population dynamics of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea have been carried out at three survey stations and along selected roads in the urban area of Tokyo since 1966. Twelve survivorship curves obtained during two years and 8 life tables show that the mortality rate in early developmental stages of the fall webworm is remarkably low as compared with that of other lepidopterous defoliaters and the mortality rate in later developmental stages is compensatory high. The low mortality rate in early stages is considered to be due to the protective role of the nest‐web and the lack of egg and larval parasites. All but one parasitic species emerge from prepupae and pupae. Spiders living in the nest‐web of the fall webworm play an important role in reducing the number of young larvae. Direct observations and caging experiments showed that relatively high mortality during later larval stages is mainly due to predation by birds (in the first generation) and wasps (in the second generation). The generation mortality in the survey stations always exceeded the level where the population is kept at the steady state, and the outbreak of this moth is considered to be continued by the immigration of adults from large trees growing in gardens on which the larvae can escape from predation pressure.
Seasonal change of nest survival and related aspects in an aggregation of Lasioglossum duplex (Dalla torre), a eusocial halictine bee (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)
Authors: Sakagami Shôichi F.
Published: October 2006

Nest survival in an aggregation of a eusocial halictine bee, Lasioglossum duplex, was censused through an annual cycle. Out of 2,500 nests marked at the beginning of solitary phase in the spring, only 25.5% attained eusocial phase. But 60.5% of 636 nests attaining eusocial phase successfully produced sexual offspring. This shows that solitary phase is the most vulnerable period in the annual cycle.

A very low productivity in eusocial phase in the census year was clarified from examination of 99 nests in the autumn. The number of prospective foundresses surviving to the next year was estimated upon the number of brood cells in examined nests and of old females surviving these nests. Deviation between this estimate and the number of nests made in the next spring was 8.8%, confirming a drop of population size to less than one third in the next year. Some nests solitarily made in the summer by dispersed females were examined. Productivity in such nests was extremely low, hence these nests should contribute virtually nothing to the next generation.

Possible factors affecting the low productivity in eusocial phase were enumerated though none of these were supported by concrete evidence. Some considerations were given on the relation between obtained results and colony life cycle in eusocial insects, particularly in halictine bees.
Investitations of the ongoing stressful situations among those with chronic illness
Authors: Zautra Alex J.
Published: October 2006

This paper examines methods of adaptation among those faced with stress from chronic health problems. Studies of disabled older adults and those with muscular‐skeletal disorders are described with special emphasis on the role of everyday life events, and the threats to well‐being imposed by chronic stressors. Attention is paid not only to psychological distress as outcome of a failure to adapt, but also to indices of psychological well‐being which provide evidence of the benefits for those who cope successfully with chronic illness. The paper examines evidence for the proposition that everyday stressors can influence physiological processes linked to disease course. The implications of these findings for social interventions are discussed from community and health psychology perspectives.
Identifying population units that comply with capture‐recapture assumptions in an open community of alpine grasshoppers
Authors: White E. G.
Published: October 2006

Population units which are homogeneous with respect to capture‐recapture assumptions are identified by applying 11 contingency table tests to grasshopper data according to various site, species, growth stage and sex groupings. The results of 2337 contingency table analyses have permitted a definition of the biological, spatial and temporal characteristics of those groupings which were found to be homogeneous. The same analyses suggest that dispersal rates and dispersal patterns pose the greatest single difficulty in defining population homogeneity within an open community. The effects of failures in capture‐recapture assumptions are discussed in relation toJolly's 1965 stochastic model.

A more detailed presentation of the study is available from the author on request.
Fluctuations of grasshopper populations on a Miscanthus sinensis grassland
Authors: Nakamura Kazuo , Nakamura Masako , Matsumoto Tadao , Itô Yosiaki
Published: October 2006

Population densities of the three grasshopper species on Miscanthus sinensis grassland in the Kawatabi IBP Area, Japan, Parapleurus alliaceus, Mongolotettix japonicus and Chorthippus latipennis, were estimated principally by the release‐and‐recapture method for five years from 1968 to 1972.

The total number of individuals of all three grasshopper species was about 42 per 100m2 in August. The number of individuals of P. alliaceus adult, the dominant species on this grassland, showed a tendency to decline during the five years, though the amplitude was not so large. The number of eggs laid was, however, nearly constant and the mortality from the second nymphal instar to adult was relatively low and constant during the survey period. The weather conditions during the periods of egg and the first instar, such as snowfall and temperature decreasing, are suggested to be one of the factors causing variation in numbers.
An ecological assessment of community‐based interventions for prevention and health promotion: Approaches to measuring community coalitions
Authors: Goodman Robert M. , Wandersman Abraham , Chinman Matthew , Imm Pam , Morrissey Erin
Published: October 2006

Presented an ecological assessment of a community coalition to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse, and related risks. Ecological assessment is defined as occurring at multiple social levels and along a continuum of stages of coalition readiness. The assessment is aided by the triangulation, or combining of assessment methods and strategies. Measures used to assess the coalition's formation, implementation of community initiatives, and production of community impacts are described, along with the triangulation strategies used to enhance the assessment findings.
Parents and peer group as mediators of the effect of community structure on adolescent problem behavior
Authors: Simons Ronald L. , Johnson Christine , Beaman Jay , Conger Rand D. , Whitbeck Les B.
Published: October 2006

Used a sample of 207 single‐parent families residing in 104 small, Midwestern communities to test hypotheses regarding the link between community context and adolescent conduct problems and psychological distress. For boys, community disadvantage had a direct affect on psychological distress, while it indirectly boosted the probability of conduct problems by disrupting parenting and increasing affiliation with deviant peers. Community disadvantage was unrelated to the deviant behavior or emotional well‐being of girls. Proportion of single‐parent households in the community had a direct effect on girls' conduct problems. It also contributed indirectly to girls' conduct problems by increasing the probability of involvement with deviant peers. Possible explanations for these gender differences are provided.
Physical characteristics of residential psychiatric and substance abuse programs: Organizational determinants and patient outcomes
Authors: Timko Christine
Published: October 2006

Described the Physical and Architectural Characteristics Inventory (PACI), which assesses the physical characteristics of hospital‐ and community‐based psychiatric and substance abuse residential treatment programs for adults. Developed using data from 94 representative programs, the PACI has 7 dimensions that assess community accessibility, physical features that add convenience, aid recreation, and provide support for patients, and space for patient and staff functions. In comparison to community‐based programs (n=63), hospital programs (n=31) had more social‐recreational and prosthetic aids, safety features, staff facilities, and space. The PACI dimensions were also related to other organizational features, such as facility ownership and program size and staffing level. Programs with more physical amenities had patients who were more involved in self‐initiated and community activities and were more likely to successfully complete the program and be discharged to independent living situations and paid jobs. Programs with more social‐recreational and prosthetic aids, space, and access to community resources also had better patient outcomes. In addition, PACI dimensions were related to observers' ratings of facility attractiveness. Potential applications of the PACI and the full inventory of which it is a part are discussed.
The long‐term outcome of a personal network‐oriented HIV prevention intervention for injection drug users: The SAFE study
Authors: Latkin Carl A. , Mandell Wallace , Vlahov David , Oziemkowska Maria , Celentano David D.
Published: October 2006

Social influence processes have been found to affect numerous drug and health‐related behaviors. We postulated that by using a network‐oriented intervention it may be possible to capitalize on social influence processes to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors. The present study used an experimental study design for delivering a psychoeducational acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) preventive intervention to injection drug sharing networks. Participants were recruited from the ALIVE study, an epidemiological study in Baltimore. In the present paper we examine the self‐reported behavioral outcomes of 117 injection drug users 18 months after the baseline interview. HIV seronegative experimental participants reported significantly less frequent needle sharing and less injecting of heroin and cocaine than controls. In multiple logistic regression models of HIV seronegative participants, there was a significant negative association between assignment to the experimental group and the HIV‐related behaviors of needle sharing and sharing of cookers in the prior 6 months; controls were 2.8 times more likely than experimentals to report needle sharing and were 2.7 times more likely to report sharing cookers. The results of this 18‐month follow‐up suggest that among injection drug users network‐oriented interventions may be a promising approach to HIV prevention.
Age specificity of inbreeding depression during a life cycle of Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)
Authors: Tanaka Yoshinari
Published: October 2006

Age‐specific effects of inbreeding on fecundity were assayed for adzuki bean weevil Callosobruchus chinensis by comparing inbred lines and their cross. Four consecutive full‐sib matings reduced only 10.3 percent in total fecundity, and did not decrease early fecundity at all until third day from the onset of reproduction. It is suggested that recessive detrimental genes have been eliminated from the early period of adult life span when reproductive value is high. There was a slight tendency that inbreeding depression increased as age proceeded though not statistically significant.
Temporal and spatial relationships between an herbivorous lady beetle Epilachna niponica and its predator, the earwig Anechura harmandi
Authors: Ohgushi Takayuki
Published: October 2006

The relationships between egg predation of an herbivorous lady beetle Epilachna niponica (Lewis) and its predator, the earwig Anechura harmandi (Burr), were examined in both time and space. In spite of little annual, changes in egg densities, egg mortality due to predation varied considerably. There was no, clear relationship between the earwig density and the proportionate predation over the five years. The seasonal occurrence of earwig nymphs on thistle plants, however, was closely synchronized with that of egg predation. Predator attacks on the beetle occurred in a time‐restricted manner. Thus, later cohorts mostly escape from heavy predatory pressure. No spatially density‐depent egg predation was detected at the level of either thistle plants or thistle patches. Furthermore, there was no indication of aggregative behaviour of the earwig in response to local egg density. The earwig density was more likely to be associated with particular localities with sandy deposits available for its nest site.
A graphical model of disruptive selection on offspring size and a possible case of speciation in freshwater gobies characterized by egg‐size difference
Authors: Kishi Yuji
Published: October 2006

The graphical technique devised bySmith andFretwell (1974) to construct a model of the optimal offspring size was applied to the case where disruptive selection might work on offspring size. On this basis, a possible case of speciation in freshwater gobies characterized by egg‐size difference was discussed.
Studies on the population dynamics of a thistle‐feeding lady beetle, Henosepilachna pustulosa (Kôno) in a cool temperature climax forest
Authors: Nakamura Koji , Ohgushi Takayuki
Published: October 2006

A field study was carried out on the population dynamics of a thistle‐feeding lady beetle, Henosepilachna pustulosa (Kôno) living in a cool temperature climax forest in northern Kyoto Prefecture, central Japan.

Intensive marking, release and recapture program was carried out to estimate the adult population parameters by usingJolly‐Seber method.

Sampling ratio was around 50%. Marking ratio rapidly rised as the census progressed and approached to 100%.

Sex ratio (% ♀) was 63–69% in both overwintered and new adults.

Daily survival rate was as high as 0.95 or more and constant throughout the season. Adult longevity in the spring was longer than 40 days.

Reproductive rate i. e., the ratio of the number of newly emerged adults in a given generation to that of overwintered adults in the preceding generation, is very small, ranging 1–3, whereas winter survival is higher than 50%, consequently the size of populations in the study area remain in a remarkably constant size and it never reached a level where intraspesific competition occurred.

The population characteristics of H. pustulosa are compared with those of the two closely related species, H. vigintioctopunctata and H. vigintioctomaculata, which are the pests of Solanaceous crops. Hp is more K‐strategic than the two pest species.
Aspects of interspecific interaction between Reithrodontomys megalotis and Microtus montanus in one acre enclosures
Authors: Pitcher Edward J. , Keller Barry L.
Published: October 2006

Two one acre enclosures were cleared of all resident rodents, and then, one enclosure was seeded with founder populations of Reithrodontomys megalotis (grid M) and the other with Reithrodontomys megalotis plus Microtus montanus (grid I). Founder populations consisted of eight animals for each species introduced and a sex ratio of 1∶1.

Five parameters were measured for a period of one year. Data collection was started in September 1971, and ended in September 1972; enumeration was conducted twice a month for three days.

The five parameters measured were: (1) population density through time and individual growth rates; (2) reproduction; (3) survival of age and sex classes; (4) sex ratio; and (5) sizes of home ranges.

There were no significant differences in three out of the five parameters studied. Density estimates along with individual growth rates were not significantly different between the grids. Reproduction, including breeding season and efficiency of reproductive effort, showed no or very little variation due to interspecific interaction. Home range sizes did not appear to be significantly different between the grids. Survival of juvenile males on grid I seemed lower and juvenile males from grid I were significantly smaller although possibly younger than those of grid M. The sex ratio of grid I was significantly different from the expected 1∶1 ratio.

It is postulated that Reithrodontomys megalotis may regulate their density by alteration of their sex ratios.
Functional response to host density in a parasitic wasp, with reference to population regulation
Authors: Takahashi Fumiki
Published: October 2006

The functional response to, and preference for, the host density in a parasite were examined experimentally using an icheumon wasp, Exidechthis canescens, and its host Cadra cautella under controlled conditions.

Wasps were more active in host‐searching at higher than lower host densities. Percent parasitism increased rapidly with initial increments in host density and then tended to increase more slowly at higher host densities. A sigmoid functional response curve is indicated, which implies that the parasite is able to control its host even at low densities.

Wasps actively selected areas of high host density in which to concentrate host‐searching behavior.

Host‐searching by E. canescens is stimulated by the odor of the host when present, and by food in which hosts have developed but have been removed.

Both the functional response and the host‐density preference of the parasite are mediated by its host‐searching behavior. This relationship is discussed in the context of population regulation.