bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Descent into Hell as a Solution for the Problem of the Fate of Unevangelized Non‐Christians: Balthasar's Hell, the Limbo of the Fathers and Purgatory
Authors: D'COSTA GAVIN 
Published: March 2009

AbstractI critically examine Edward Oakes' claim that Hans Urs von Balthasar's theology of the descent into hell provides the best answer regarding the possible salvation of the unevangelized non‐Christian. First, I contest Oakes' claim based on christological and trinitarian difficulties in Balthasar's descent theology. Second, I utilize the early Christian tradition's understanding of Christ's descent into the limbo of the just to address the problem of the salvation of the unevangelized. Third, I draw on Joseph DiNoia's use of purgatory to further elaborate upon the ‘descent’ tradition as a resource to address the question of the salvation of the unevangelized. My overall claim is that the descent into hell is indeed an important theological resource for addressing the question of the possible salvation for the unevangelized, but not in the way that Balthasar and Oakes construe it.
Fish cleaning behaviour of shrimp
Authors: Jonasson Mark 
Published: March 2009

Cleaning behaviour of five species of shrimp from three families was studied at three different geographic locations in an effort to gain a quantitative understanding of cleaning behaviour, and to compare a broad cross‐section of cleaner shrimp species. Two shrimp from the genus Periclimenes, two from the genus Lysmata, and one from the genus Stenopus were used and 27 hours of recorded laboratory observations were made for each of the five shrimp species.All shrimp species were inactive most of the observed time, and most spent less than 2% of the observed time cleaning fish hosts. Also, the shrimp spent more time cleaning the ventral rather than the dorsal surface of the fish because they were reluctant to board the fish. However, evenness in cleaning does not appear to be an indicator of overall excellence in cleaning because the two best cleaners (based on number and duration of cleaning bouts) were among the least even in their cleaning.The fish cleaning behaviour of the shrimp appeared to be strictly stereotypic in form, but the stimulus‐response and the total amount of cleaning differed greatly among the five species. A Cleaning Efficiency Index (CEI) was created in an attempt to incorporate significant aspects of the cleaning behaviour. According to this CEI, Lysmata grabhami was by far the most efficient (best) cleaner, CEI = 55–51, compared to the others; Stenopus hispidus, 33–78; Periclimenes pedersoni, 6–29; Periclimenes yucatunicus, 5–60; and Lysmata californien, 2–12.The cleaners most widely distributed geographically have the highest CEI scores, while the most localized cleaners have the lowest CEIs. This relationship may allow the CEI score to be useful in determining a cleaner shrimp's potential geographical distribution, and may also serve as an indicator for the degree of phylogenetic relationship to other cleaner shrimps.
Scale epidermis of Natrix piscator during its sloughing cycle‐structural organization and protein histochemistry (Reptilia: Colubridae)
Authors: Mittal Ajay Kumar , Singh Jai Prakash Narain 
Published: March 2009

The structure and histochemistry of proteinaceous constituents in cellular components of various layers of the epidermis of the chequered water snake, Natrix piscator, throughout the sloughing cycle have been described.Histologically, six consecutive stages are recognized during one complete sloughing cycle. In Stage I, immediately following sloughing, the epidermis consists of an inner stratum germinativum, one or two layers of undifferentiated epidermal cells and the new outer epidermal generation represented by the Oberhautchen, β‐layer, mesos layer and an α‐layer which continues to differentiate and mature throughout Stage 1 and is observed even in Stage 2. The presence of several layers of undifferentiated epidermal cells over the stratum germinativum, a characteristic feature of Stage 2, results from the temporary slowing of their differentiation into the cells of various epidermal layers. Stage 3 includes differentiated lacunar tissue and the clear layer of the outer epidermal generation, and the presumptive Oberhautchen and β‐layer of the inner epidermal generation. In addition to marked cytological and histochemical changes in the lacunar tissue and the maturation of various keratinized layers. Stages 4 and 5 include the presumptive mesos and α‐layers, respectively. Stage 6 is characterized by total disintegration of the lacunar tissue and maturation of various keratinized layers, except the presumptive α‐layer, of the inner epidermal generation, which is still incomplete. The degeneration of the lacunar tissue is discussed in relation to the cessation of the supply of nutrients and other body fluids from underlying epidermal cells.Histochemically, the Oberhautchen resembles the mesos and α‐layers in being strongly positive for ‐SH and ‐NH2 groups, bound calcium and basic proteins. However, it shows more similarity with the α‐layer in its moderate reaction for tyrosine and tryptophan, which is more intense in the mesos layer; and shows more similarity with the mesos layer with its very strong reactions for ‐SS groups, unlike the α‐layer which remains unstained.The functional value of tyrosine‐ and tryptophan‐rich proteins in the keratinized layers of the epidermis is not immediately apparent.In addition to the high content of‐SS groups, providing durability and mechanical strength, and protein‐bound calcium, adding hardness, the vertical striations in the Oberhautchen of the scales probably reinforce the epidermal superficial layer to guard against wear and tear by abrasion.
Fracture toughness of horns and a reinterpretation of the horning behaviour of bovids
Authors: Kitchener Andrew 
Published: March 2009

The keratinous horns of bovids are used in intraspecific combat to gain access to females in oestrus. Horn sheath keratin is a composite material consisting of stiff protein fibres and a pliant protein matrix. Unlike antlers, horns are permanent structures which are likely to accumulate damage during fighting. Therefore, horn sheath keratin should be resistant to fracture (tough) and insensitive to surface defects (scratches and cracks) which may weaken horns by acting as stress concentrators.The effect of water on the toughness and notch‐sensitivity of horn sheath keratin was investigated in three‐point bending and tensile tests. Several measures of toughness were made on dry (0% water content), fresh (20%) and wet (40%) horn keratin, including total work of fracture, Gurney & Hunt work of fracture, critical strain energy release rate and critical stress intensity factor.The mean total work of fracture of fresh horn is about 40 kJ/m2 which is relatively much greater than most biological and synthetic materials. Most of the work of fracture is due to plastic yielding of the matrix (50–75%); the rest is due to crack‐tip specific fracture mechanisms such as fibre pull‐out and Cook Gordon crack‐stopping. Dehydration reduces the total work of fracture of horn keratin by preventing the yielding of the matrix.The strength of fresh and wet horn is insensitive to notches, but dry horn is very notch‐sensitive. Therefore, bovids must avoid dehydration of their horns due to the desiccating effect of the environment. The ‘horning’ behaviour of bovids may be a maintenance activity which ensures that the horn sheath is adequately hydrated to remain tough and notch‐insensitive.
Quantitative estimation of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) cells of islet tissue of pancreas in Australian mammals
Authors: Edwin Nalini 
Published: March 2009

Pancreases from three male and three female echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus), spinifex hopping mice (Notomys alexis) and water rats (Hydromys chrysogaster) were studied using a point‐intercept method and Weibel graticule (Weibel, Kistler & Scherle, 1966) on sections stained by an immunoperoxidase method for pancreatic polypeptide (PP). PP cells were assessed in the head, neck, body and tail regions. There was a greater percentage proportion of PP cells in the head than in the other regions of echidna, possum and water rat. PP cells were not identified in grey kangaroo and spinifex hopping mouse, although control sections were positive.These results show some agreement with a previously proposed hypothesis (Bonner‐Weir & Weir, 1979) concerning the distribution of cell types in the mammalian endocrine pancreas.
Maternal behaviour and early behavioural ontogeny of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on the Isle of May, UK
Authors: Kovacs Kit M. 
Published: March 2009

Female grey seals allocated more resources to individual sons than to individual daughters. Mothers of male pups spent significantly larger proportions of their time defending and feeding their young than did mothers of female pups. The amount of time females spent ashore and the proportion of time spent in various behavioural states was influenced by the habitat of the birth site and the age of the pup.Grey seal neonates spent the majority of their time prone and immobile, perhaps to allow maximum energy retention (maximum mass gain) and to facilitate mothers relocating their pups. The proportion of time pups spent in the various behavioural states was influenced by the whelping habitat. Pups became increasingly active with age. Males were significantly more aggressive than females and, at one site they performed nosing behaviour with their mothers significantly more often than did female neonates.
Food habits of the sympatric insectivorous bats Rhinolophus rouxi and Hipposideros lankadiva from Sri Lanka
Authors: Eckrich M. , Neuweiler G. 
Published: March 2009

The diets of Rhinolophus rouxi and Hipposideros lankadiva were studied during October 1984 in Sri Lanka, by analysing the faeces collected from individuals. As a comparison, insects were collected with a light trap at different sites in the study area.Rhinolophus rouxi showed no specialization for any particular insect prey. The diet composition in this species shows a good correspondence to the composition in dry weight of insects collected by light traps. Dipterans were under‐represented in the faeces compared to the numbers trapped. This suggests that R. rouxi forages unselectively on prey larger than the generally very small dipterans. After the first monsoon showers, the remains of beetles, especially scarabaeids, and termites were more common in the faeces of R. rouxi. Bats caught at hourly intervals during one night showed an increase in the proportion of moths consumed.In contrast, H. lankadiva was found to feed mainly on beetles, particularly scarabaeids, together with large, slow‐flying insects such as bugs or nuptial ants. The proportion of beetles (79%‐100%) in the faeces of this species was about three times higher than their representation in the insect collections. This suggests that H. lankudiuu forages selectively.
An application of common principal component analysis to cranial morphometry of Microtus californicus and M. ochrogaster (Mammalia, Rodentia): further remarks
Authors: AlROLDI J.‐P. , FLURY B. K. 
Published: March 2009

We welcome Dr Thorpe's interesting discussion (Thorpe, 1988), and we would like to take this opportunity to clarify some points.Both MGPCA (multiple group principal component analysis) and CPCA (common principal component analysis) serve essentially the same purpose, namely estimation of principal components simultaneously in several groups, based on the assumption of equality of principal component directions across groups, while eigenvalues may differ between groups. However, CPCA has the distinct advantage that this assumption can actually be tested, using the (CPC) statistic. In analyses involving more than two variables, it is usually difficult to decide, without a formal test, whether or not the assumption of common directions of principal components is reasonable.There is also a conceptual difficulty with MGPCA. In statistical terms, both methods assume that:(a) a certain set of parameters (namely those determining the eigenvectors) are common to all groups(b) there are sets of parameters (namely p eigenvalues per group) which are specific to each group.CPCA sets up a model that reflects this structure and estimates the parameters accordingly. MGPCA, on the other hand, ignores part (b), at least temporarily, by pooling the variance‐covariance matrices and extracting eigenvectors from the single pooled matrix. This may lead to reasonable results, but there is no guarantee that it will indeed do so. The reader may find a more familiar analog in the fitting of regression lines when data are in groups. If it is assumed that all regression lines are parallel, one should set up an appropriate model based on a single slope parameter common to all groups, and groupwise intercepts. One should then estimate the parameters of this model, and not simply apply a technique which is appropriate in the one‐group case only.
Ultrastructural data on the scales of the dipnoan Protoptems annectens (Sarcopterygii, Osteichthyes)
Authors: ZYLBERBERG L. 
Published: March 2009

The structure and the mineralization of the scales of the living dipnoan (lungfish) Protoptems annectens have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thin and imbricated scales are composed of two layers: the squamulae and the basal plate. At the outer surface, the squamulae form isolated plates superficially ornamented with spines and concretions and made up of acellular bone. After demineralization, the squamulae show a heterogeneous organic matrix composed of thin randomly oriented collagen fibrils forming a loose network within which the concretions appear as electronlucent circular areas. Abundant and aggregated concretions are located within the spines. The crystallites are oriented by the collagen fibrils except in the concretions. Anchoring bundles composed of parallel collagen fibrils arise from the squamulae and connect the scales to the overlying dermis.The basal plate, the most developed part of the scale, is made up of isopedine. Its main component consists of thick, closely packed collagen fibrils organized in a ‘double twisted plywood‐like structure’. Fibroblasts are present in the basal plate. Mineralization occurs only in few plies located beneath the squamulae. Mandl's corpuscles are found in front of the mineralization front. The mineral deposit is oriented by the collagen fibrils.The scales of Protoptems annectens differ from the typical elasmoid scales of the teleosts by the peculiar structure of the squamulae, nevertheless they show enough structural characteristics to support the hypothesis that they can be considered as scales of the elasmoid grade, which have retained some plesiomorphic characteristics.
Maternal care in house mice (Mus musculus): II. The energy cost of lactation as a function of litter size
Authors: KOUNIG BARBARA , RIESTER J. , MARKL H. 
Published: March 2009

In mammals, lactation performance may influence future reproduction of a mother and her young. We measured the quantity and quality of milk produced by female house mice (Mus musculus) during a period of 28 days after birth of a litter. We aimed to analyse how females cope with the energy demands of different sized litters as a tradeoff between current and future reproduction. Litter sizes examined were small (six young), intermediate (7.3 0–7), and large (12 young).Females met the energy demand of a growing litter both by increasing the amount of milk given to the young and by improving the quality (through an increase in total solid and fat concentrations) to a peak during days 9–16. At the onset of weaning (day 17), milk production decreased and young shifted to solid food. The main energy source in the milk of house mice was fat, which provided more than 80% of the energy to the suckling young. Average lipid concentrations were 20%, and peak values of 33% were reached during days 13–16. Protein concentrations were 6–8% and carbohydrate (lactose) concentrations 3–4%.With larger litters, females increased both the amount of milk and the absolute amount of major nutrients (lipids, proteins, lactose). However, regulation was imperfect. When litter size was doubled from six to 12, amount of milk produced rose by 44%, and energy content only rose by 30%. The reduction in milk supply for individual young in larger litters was reflected in slower growth and lower weaning weight.The efficiency of conversion of milk energy into biomass of young was highest for intermediate litters (51%; for small litters, 43%; for large ones, 36%). During days 5–16, a single pup in an intermediate litter needed less energy for metabolism and growth than pups in the other litter sizes examined.Although individual young of small litters have a relatively high weaning weight‐which might improve their future reproduction‐females gain higher reproductive success by dividing the energy available per litter between the largest number of young they can raise to a weaning weight of on average 9 g.For the time‐lifen reproductive success of a female house mouse‐at least for the strain used in this study‐an intermediate litter size of seven seems to be best because of a favourable ratio of energy cost of lactation to number and size of young produced.
Investigations of photoperiodically induced fattening in migratory blackheaded bunting (Emberiza melanocephala)(Ayes)
Authors: KUMAR VINOD 
Published: March 2009

The body fattening and weight gain preceding vernal migration in birds is timed by a set of environmental factors of which daylength is predominant. However, the mechanism(s) by which these events is determined is poorly understood. Previous investigations on a photoperiodic migratory species, the blackheaded bunting (Emberiza melanocephala), indicate the involvement of a light‐sensitive circadian rhythm during initiation of fat deposition and body weight gain. This communication presents data from another set of experiments aimed to characterize further the mechanism(s) of fat deposition in the same species.Groups of photosensitive, unstimulated and stimulated birds were subjected to transfer and superimposition experiments for 30 days. While the former set included shifting of long‐day (LD) birds to DD, SD (short days), DD/LD and SD/LD, in the latter a 90‐minute bright light was superimposed at two different times of the day during the dim‐green lighted phase 15L:9D of varying intensity. Birds were weighed at the beginning and at the end of experiments. Those in transfer cycles were also weighed at 10‐day intervals. The results suggest that the premigratory body fattening and weight gain in blackheaded buntings is light dependent and timed by environmental daylength in accordance with the photosensitive endogenous circadian rhythm (ECR). They also show that the photoperiodic responses in birds in general are mediated by circadian rhythm(s).
Shell morphometry in barnacles: quantification of shape and shape change in Balanus
Authors: SPIVEY HENRY R. 
Published: March 2009

Geometric design in the barnacle genus Balanus has been studied in relation to variation in adult shell form, that includes differences among species, and size‐related changes in shape. The genus comprises 40 Recent species, and as a group these display a more or less constant morphology over an extraordinary size range (10 to 200 mm in basal length).Linear and volumetric measurements were collected from 232 adult individuals of 14 species representing the variation in size, shell form and shell design thought to occur in the genus. Specimens were chosen to represent the size ranges of the species. Only isolated individuals growing on planar surfaces were used; shells were complete, undamaged and undistorted.Shell form differs among taxa, and no two species scale alike; intraspecific variation for five ratio variables shows strong allometry over the adult size range of each species. As size increases, there is a trend for the basis and orifice to maintain their shapes or to become slightly more elliptical, and for shells to become more conical and proportionately taller.Throughout their size ranges, species can be described by these geometries: paraboloid (6 species), frustum of an ellipsoidal cone (5 species), frustum of a cone (2 species) and a cone (1 species). Shell geometry is not a function of species size, but there does appear to be a correlation between shell geometry and shell volume. Species with relatively small shell volumes are described by a frustum of an ellipsoidal cone, or by a cone, while those with a relatively large shell volume are described by a paraboloid, or by the frustum of a cone.
Assessment of body condition in live birds; measurements of protein and fat reserves in the mute swan, Cygnus olor
Authors: SEARS JANE 
Published: March 2009

Condition in animals is often measured in relation to various demands, such as reproduction, migration and cold weather. Usually, indices of protein and fat reserves have to be measured on dead animals. Measurements on live animals enable variations in the condition of individuals to be monitored over time, and can be related to their life histories.In birds, the size of the breast muscle is the most commonly used measure of protein reserves. A technique for measuring breast muscle thickness was developed, using ultrasound, and was tested on mute swans. The measurements were accurate and highly repeatable. Breast muscle thickness was positively related to the lean dry weight of the breast muscle, and is likely to be a good indicator of total protein reserves.A system of fat scoring by colour was developed to assess the size of the subcutaneous fat layer. Although the method relies on subjective judgements, the results were highly correlated with the percentage of fat in the subcutaneous layer, and with other measures of fat reserves.Measurements were made on live, non‐breeding swans to monitor seasonal variations in reserves. The seasonal pattern of fat reserves was similar to the normal cycle of weight changes; high in winter and low in summer. There was no change in relation to the moult. No distinct seasonal variation in muscle thickness was found.There is an unusual pattern of change in the relative size of reserves during emaciation in swans. Muscle reserves appear to be depleted to a greater extent than fat reserves. This is possibly due to the effects of lead poisoning, causing protein necrosis and preventing muscle regeneration.