bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Millipede communities in rehabilitating coastal dune forests in northern KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa
Authors: Van Aarde R. J. , Ferreira S. M. , Kritzinger J. J. 
Published: May 2009

The rehabilitation, after mining, of coastal sand dunes north of Richards Bay by Richards Bay Minerals began some 18 years ago, and resulted in the simultaneous availability of a known‐aged series of stands representative of coastal dune forest succession.A survey of the millipede community in this area revealed increases in species diversity and a decrease in their density, with an increase in stand age. Development of these communities is characterized by replacement and addition of species, typical of ecological succession. Colonization of areas disturbed by mining reflects on the species reservoir present in the surrounding unmined forests with apparent pioneer species being either replaced or complemented by the relatively slow invasion of secondary species.Comparisons of age‐specific millipede community variables on rehabilitating dunes with those recorded in relatively undisturbed dunes suggest that the development of communities results from autogenic succession initiated through habitat rehabilitation. With several community parameters in rehabilitating dune forests being similar to those recorded in undisturbed forests, it is concluded that the millipede community can be restored through management options based on principles relating to ecological succession.
Predation by grass snakes (Natrix natrix) at a site in southern England
Authors: Reading C. J. , Davies J. L. 
Published: May 2009

The prey and feeding frequency in free‐living grass snakes was studied during 1993 and 1994 at a site in southern England. Individual snakes and common toads were recognized using PIT tags and a small number of adult snakes were radio‐tracked over long periods to determine predation rates.Grass snakes fed, almost exclusively, on common toads (adult, juvenile, and tadpoles). A positive correlation was found between prey size and snake size. Large snakes did not appear to prey upon small toads, although clearly capable of doing so.Male and female snakes ate large meals (toads) approximately every 20 days between May and September, with females fasting for a period of about 45 days during gestation and egg‐laying. After allowing for differences in the number and size of toads predated by male and female snakes, the mean amount of food consumed per day was estimated to be 2.3% and 1.6% of body weight.
Ecological factors influencing sexual segregation and group size in fallow deer (Dama dama)
Authors: Thirgood S. J. 
Published: May 2009

Grouping patterns in fallow deer Dama dama were studied between 1986‐9 by direct observation from transects of eight populations in the New Forest and adjacent agricultural land in southern England. Study populations were chosen on the bais of pronounced differences in population density, sex ratio, and dispersion, and differences between the sites in habitat availability and patterns of habitat use.Within both forest and agricultural study sites, a large majority of female deer was observed in single sex female groups throughout the year. The lowest levels of female segregation occurred during the autumn reproductive period. Males generally exhibited lower levels of sexual segregation than females, particularly during winter and spring. In the forest sites, winter and spring mixed‐sex groups in agricultural sites contained mature males throughout the year and were not exclusively based on habitats used for feeding. There was a negative correlation between the extent of winter and spring male segregation and population sex ratio, suggesting that males join female groups when male densities are relatively low.Female group size varied seasonally in all sites, attaining maximum values in winter or spring and minimum values in summer or autumn. This was not a reflection of changing patterns of habitat use; group size varied seasonally in both open and closed habitats. Female groups were larger in open habitats than in closed habitats throughout the year. The size of female groups varied between the study sites but there were no clear differences in overall female group size between the forest and agricultural sites. There was a tendency for open habitat group size to be largest in the forest sites and closed habitat group size to be largest in the agricultural sites.Female group size overall was unrelated to the proportion of each site occupied by closed habitat. However, an increase in the amount of closed habitat was reflected by a decrease in closed habitat group size. Female group size overall was negatively related to the use of closed habitat; not surprisingly, an increase in use of open habitats resulted in increased overall group size. Female group size overall was not related to density; large groups occurred in both high and low density sites. However, in high density populations, open habitat group size was larger and closed habitat group size smaller than in low density populations.
Reproductive behaviour in Chironomus anthracinus (Diptera: Chironomidae), with a consideration of the evolution of swarming
Authors: Tokeshi M. , Reinhardt K. 
Published: May 2009

Reproductive behaviour in Chironomus anthracinus Zetterstedt (Diptera: Chironomidae), one of the most ubiquitous species in cold‐temperate lakes of Northern Europe, was investigated in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland. Aerial swarming is an indispensable part of mating in this species. It has been recognized that adults, emerging from offshore, travel to inshore resting sites for physical/sexual maturation, before gathering at lake margins to form swarms. After copulation, females immediately travel back to open‐water sites (up to 1000m offshore—the longest oviposition flight recorded for a chironomid species) for oviposition. Protandry was evident and sex ratios were completely reversed in the near‐shore swarming site and the offshore oviposition site. A sequence of mating behaviour was clarified, involving an initial grasp, landing, an end‐to‐end position, and separation. There was a high incidence of homosexual (male‐male) grasps, indicating that grasping is initiated with a fairly crude cue, and many (heterosexual) grasps failed to proceed to a correct mating position. This resulted in an estimation of only one out of eight grasps resulting in a proper copulation. More egg masses were found in the surface water farther offshore, together with spent females. An egg mass contained c. 1000 eggs and hatching occurred within one month of oviposition.Sexual differences in the pattern of reproductive migration between the emergence/oviposition site offshore, the inland resting site, and the near‐shore swarming site, and the modes of mating and mating success achieved, together point to a possibility that the conspicuous swarming behaviour in this species may have evolved primarily through mate selection on the part of females. A swarm occurring at the end of the males’ lives serves as an efficient mechanism for females to select the best‐quality mate, while males have no other strategy than to participate vigorously in a swarm if they are to attain a reproductive success with choosy females. Thus, two sexes apparently adopt different strategies in their reproductive life: males spend their energy in swarming, while females pass through the swarm site with a quick but guaranteed reward and spend their remaining energy in reaching offshore sites with muddy substrata which provide the best chance of survival for the offspring.
Effect of food availability on nestling growth and fledging success in manipulated pallid swift broods
Authors: Cucco M. , Malacarne G. 
Published: May 2009

Growth rate and fledging success were assessed in natural and manipulated broods of the pallid swift Apus pallidus. Daily measurements of chick mass, wing length, and insect abundance allowed us to examine the short‐term variation of chick growth in relation to food availability.The number of fledged nestlings increased with brood size. Wing length and body mass were slightly but significantly smaller in larger broods, and the nestlings of enlarged broods needed longer to fledge. We discuss how these differences could influence survival after fledging.Hatching asynchrony caused a significant difference in growth among siblings, and the difference between the oldest and youngest chick was greater in larger broods.Chick growth was independent of daily food availability. We suggest that this was due to an increased effort of the parents at their expense, when food availability was poor.The ability of this species to raise an additional chick is in line with most findings on birds, but partially in contrast with results for the common swift in which, at least during poor seasons, the additional nestling caused an increased mortality and lowered the reproductive success.
Sperm storage secretion of female cellar spiders (Pholcus phalangioides; Araneae): a gel‐electrophoretic analysis
Authors: Uhl Gabriele 
Published: May 2009

Glandular secretion in the genital cavity of female Pholcus phalangioides was removed and investigated gel‐electrophoretically. Different staining techniques indicate that the secretion contains proteinaceous substances. Some protein fragments show a clear reaction to glyco‐ and lipoprotein staining procedures.After copulation, female P. phalangioides keep the spermatozoa embedded in the secretion in the genital cavity. Since the spermatozoa are immobile, i.e. coiled and encapsulated, until shortly before oviposition, a nutritive function of the secretion during sperm storage is unlikely. The viscous quality of the material probably serves to retain the sperm mass in the sperm storage site. Lipoproteinaceous components are assumed to prevent desiccation of the sperm mass. Retaining the spermatozoa and maintaining them in a favourable environment are the most plausible functions of the secretion of female P. phalangioides. In spider species which possess receptacula seminis other functions can be attributed to sperm storage secretions.
Predator‐prey interactions among some intertidal gastropods on the Great Barrier Reef
Authors: Castell L. L. , Sweatman H. P. A. 
Published: May 2009

On an intertidal reef flat at Orpheus Island on the Great Barrier Reef, the gastropods Turbo brunneus and juvenile Trochus niloticus share the same habitat with the predatory gastropod Thais tuberosa. To determine if the two prey species differed in their antipredator behaviour and interactions with the predator, we examined: (1) the distributional pattern of the three species in the field; (2) the proportion of mortality attributable to non‐crushing predators (i.e. Thais tuberosa) in T. brunneus and T. niloticus, determined by the frequency of freshly dead and undamaged shells; and (3) the response of T. brunneus and T. niloticus to T. tuberosa in laboratory and field experiments. We compared the responses of hatchery‐reared and wild juvenile T. niloticus to determine if lack of previous exposure to the predator affected the behaviour of cultured juveniles. Finally, (4) we studied prey choice by Thais tuberosa.We found that: (1) the field distribution of all three species showed high overlap and prey and predator were often found in close proximity; (2) the proportion of recently‐killed, undamaged shells was 28% for T. brunneus and 10% for T. niloticus; (3) T. brunneus and T. niloticus responded very differently to the predator: Turbo brunneus showed a conventional flight escape response, moving nine times faster than normal when close to T. tuberosa. The flight response was observed in all trials with T. brunneus in the laboratory, but only in 52% of trials in the field. In contrast, T. niloticus did not change speed but instead released a white mucus in the presence of the predator. Response in the field was also less intense than in the laboratory. Cultured and wild T. niloticus showed the same response when exposed to T. tuberosa. although cultured juveniles were, on average, slightly more active than wild juveniles. Lastly, (4) Thais tuberosa showed a strong preference for T. brunneus as prey. Food value, expressed as dry flesh weight, did not explain this preference. Capture rate of the preferred species T. brunneus fell to zero in water containing mucus released by T. niloticus.The results indicate that predation by T. tuberosa is more intense for T. brunneus than for T. niloticus and that a likely cause for this difference lies in the antipredator responses of the two prey species. The mucous response of T. niloticus appeared to be more effective for avoiding predation by T. tuberosa than was the flight response of T. brunneus.
Recrudescence of sexual activity in a reproductively quiescent colony of the Damaraland mole‐rat (Cryptomys damarensis), by the introduction of an unfamiliar and genetically unrelated male—a case of incest avoidance in‘queenless’colonies
Authors: Rickard C. A. , Bennett N. C. 
Published: May 2009

Colonies of the eusocial Damaraland mole‐rat, Cryptomys damarensis, are founded from a single reproductive pair of animals genetically unrelated by common descent. All non‐reproductive members of the colony are progeny of this reproductive pair. In colonies where the reproductive female has been experimentally removed or has died a natural death, there is a strict incest avoidance and the colony remains reproductively quiescent. Reinstatement of sexual activity in a queenless colony may be brought about in the laboratory by the introduction of an unfamiliar and unrelated adult male.In the queenless colony under study, there was a marked change in social structure with an increase in Landau's index of linearity from 0.8 to 0.9 on introduction of the new male. The unrelated male became a high ranking dominant reproductive male. The youngest, but most dominant n on‐reproductive female became sexually active and subsequently became pregnant and hence acquired the position of reproductive female. The new reproductive female exhibited heightened progesterone (9nmols/mmol creatinine) and oestradiol (3000pmols/mmol creatinine) concentrations in the urine relative to the other non‐reproductive females. These hormone concentrations were indicative of a reproductively active female.Behavioural and hormonal data are presented to show that sexual activity can be re‐instated in queenless colonies of laboratory maintained mole‐rats by the introduction of unrelated male mole‐rats.
Bedside assessment of fibrinogen level in postpartum haemorrhage by thrombelastometry
Authors: Huissoud C , Carrabin N , Audibert F , Levrat A , Massignon D , Berland M , Rudigoz R‐C 
Published: May 2009

Objectives  To establish whether reagent‐supported thrombelastometry with the rotation thrombelastometry system (ROTEM®) point‐of‐care device correlated with fibrinogen level in postpartum haemorrhages.Design  Prospective observational study.Population and setting  Ninety‐one women at the third trimester of pregnancy: 37 with postpartum haemorrhage (study group) and 54 without abnormal bleeding (control group).Methods  Standard laboratory test results were compared with those obtained at bedside from the ROTEM with the FIBTEM® test (54 tests in the control group and 51 in the study group).Main outcome measures  Analysis of correlations between fibrinogen levels and FIBTEM test results: clotting time (CT), clot amplitude at 5 and 15 minutes (CA5; CA15) and maximal amplitude [maximum clot firmness (MCF)].Results  Median fibrinogen level was significantly lower in the haemorrhage group than in the control group (3.4 and 5.1 g/l, respectively, P < 0.0001). Median CT was higher in the haemorrhage group than in the control group (P = 0.05). CA5, CA15 and MCF were significantly lower in the haemorrhage group than in controls (P < 0.0001) and strongly correlated with fibrinogen levels in both groups (r = 0.84–0.87, P < 0.0001). A cut‐off value of CA5 at 5 mm and CA15 at 6 mm presented an excellent sensitivity (100% for both parameters) and a good specificity (respectively 85 and 88%) to detect fibrinogen levels <1.5 g/l in postpartum haemorrhage.Conclusions  The early parameters obtained from the FIBTEM test correlated well with fibrinogen levels. ROTEM might be helpful in guiding fibrinogen transfusion during postpartum haemorrhage.
Priorities in emergency obstetric care in Bolivia––maternal mortality and near‐miss morbidity in metropolitan La Paz
Authors: Rööst M , Altamirano VC , Liljestrand J , Essén B 
Published: May 2009

Objective  To document the frequency and causes of maternal mortality and severe (near‐miss) morbidity in metropolitan La Paz, Bolivia.Design  Facility‐based cross‐sectional study.Setting  Four maternity hospitals in La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia, where free maternal health care is provided through a government‐subsidised programme.Population  All maternal deaths and women with near‐miss morbidity.Methods  Inclusion of near‐miss using clinical and management‐based criteria.Main outcome measures  Maternal mortality ratio (MMR), severe morbidity ratio (SMR), mortality indices and proportion of near‐miss cases at hospital admission.Results  MMR was 187/100 000 live births and SMR was 50/1000 live births, with a relatively low mortality index of 3.6%. Severe haemorrhage and severe hypertensive disorders were the main causes of near‐miss, with 26% of severe haemorrhages occurring in early pregnancy. Sepsis was the most common cause of death. The majority of near‐miss cases (74%) were in critical condition at hospital admission and differed from those fulfilling the criteria after admission as to diagnostic categories and socio‐demographic variables.Conclusions  Pre‐hospital barriers remain to be of great importance in a setting of this type, where there is wide availability of free maternal health care. Such barriers, together with haemorrhage in early pregnancy, pre‐eclampsia detection and referral patterns, should be priority areas for future research and interventions to improve maternal health. Near‐miss upon arrival and near‐miss after arrival at hospital should be analysed separately as that provides additional information about factors that contribute to maternal ill‐health.
Effects of female genital mutilation on birth outcomes in Switzerland
Authors: Wuest S , Raio L , Wyssmueller D , Mueller MD , Stadlmayr W , Surbek DV , Kuhn A 
Published: May 2009

Objective  The primary aim of this study was to determine the desires and wishes of pregnant patients vis‐à‐vis their external genital anatomy after female genital mutilation (FGM) in the context of antenatal care and delivery in a teaching hospital setting in Switzerland.Our secondary aim was to determine whether women with FGM and non‐mutilated women have different fetal and maternal outcomes.Design  A retrospective case–control study.Setting  A teaching hospital.Population  One hundred and twenty‐two patients after FGM who gave consent to participate in this study and who delivered in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the University Hospital of Berne and 110 controls.Methods  Data for patients’ wishes concerning their FGM management, their satisfaction with the postpartum outcome and intrapartum and postpartum maternal and fetal data. As a control group, we used a group of pregnant women without FGM who delivered at the same time and who were matched for maternal age.Main outcome measures  Patients’ satisfaction after delivery and defibulation after FGM, maternal and fetal delivery data and postpartum outcome measures.Results  Six percent of patients wished to have their FGM defibulated antenatally, 43% requested a defibulation during labour, 34% desired a defibulation during labour only if considered necessary by the medical staff and 17% were unable to express their expectations. There were no differences for FGM patients and controls regarding fetal outcome, maternal blood loss or duration of delivery. FGM patients had significantly more often an emergency Caesarean section and third‐degree vaginal tears, and significantly less first‐degree and second‐degree tears.Conclusion  An interdisciplinary approach may support optimal antenatal and intrapartum management and also the prevention of FGM in newborn daughters.
Intensity of Nordic Walking in young females with different peak O2 consumption
Authors: Jürimäe Toivo , Meema Krislin , Karelson Kalle , Purge Priit , Jürimäe Jaak 
Published: May 2009

SummaryThe purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to determine the physiological reaction to the different intensity Nordic Walking exercise in young females with different aerobic capacity values. Twenty‐eight 19–24‐year‐old female university students participated in the study. Their peak O2 consumption (VO2 peak kg−1) and individual ventilatory threshold (IVT) were measured using a continuous incremental protocol until volitional exhaustion on treadmill. The subjects were analysed as a whole group (n = 28) and were also divided into three groups based on the measured VO2 peak kg−1 (Difference between groups is 1 SD) as follows: 1. >46 ml min−1 kg−1 (n = 8), 2. 41–46 ml min−1 kg−1 (n = 12) and 3. <41 ml min−1 kg−1 (n = 8). The second test consisted of four times 1 km Nordic Walking with increasing speed on the 200 m indoor track, performed as a continuous study (Step 1 – slow walking, Step 2 – usual speed walking, Step 3 – faster speed walking and Step 4 – maximal speed walking). During the walking test expired gas was sampled breath‐by‐breath and heart rate (HR) was recorded continuously. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were asked using the Borg RPE scale separately for every 1 km of the walking test. No significant differences emerged between groups in HR of IVT (172·4 ± 10·3–176·4 ± 4·9 beats min−1) or maximal HR (190·1 ± 7·3–191·6 ± 7·8 beats min−1) during the treadmill test. During maximal speed walking the speed (7·4 ± 0·4–7·5 ± 0·6 km h−1) and O2 consumption (30·4 ± 3·9–34·0 ± 4·5 ml min−1 kg−1) were relatively similar between groups (P > 0·05). However, during maximal speed walking, the O2 consumption in the second and third groups was similar with the IVT (94·9 ± 17·5% and 99·4 ± 15·5%, respectively) but in the first group it was only 75·5 ± 8·0% from IVT. Mean HR during the maximal speed walking was in the first group 151·6 ± 12·5 beats min−1, in the second (169·7 ± 10·3 beats min−1) and the third (173·1 ± 15·8 beats min−1) groups it was comparable with the calculated IVT level. The Borg RPE was very low in every group (11·9 ± 2·0–14·4 ± 2·3) and the relationship with VO2and HR was not significant during maximal speed Nordic Walking. In summary, the present study indicated that walking is an acceptable exercise for young females independent of their initial VO2 peak level. However, females with low initial VO2 peak can be recommended to exercise with the subjective ‘faster speed walking’. In contrast, females with high initial VO2 peak should exercise with maximal speed.