bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The therapeutic power of play: examining the play of young children with leukaemia
Authors: Gariépy N. , Howe N. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractBackground  The therapeutic function of play has been investigated in relation to recognized stressors such as hospitalization, illness and medical treatments for ill children. While medical treatments in the past 30 years have improved survival rates, children's psychological experiences and quality of life during and after their illness have received limited attention.Objective  The present study investigated the therapeutic effects of play on 3‐ to 5‐year‐old children with leukaemia compared with a control group of healthy children.Method  The participants with leukaemia (n = 11) were from the external oncology clinic of an urban children's hospital; control children (n = 11) attended a day care centre. Measures included children's experience of stress, social and cognitive play behaviours, and daily mood.Results  A series of manova revealed that the children with leukaemia, compared with the control children, engaged in (a) significantly fewer total play behaviours, and in particular less (b) parallel, (c) group and (d) dramatic play. Pearson correlations revealed significant relationships between reports of ‘being happy’ and play only for children with leukaemia. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed a pattern of repetitive play activities week after week for children with leukaemia, but not controls.Discussion  Findings are discussed in light of the theoretical and practical implications for children undergoing treatment for leukaemia.
Static balance in children with hand–eye co‐ordination problems
Authors: Forseth A. K. , Sigmundsson H. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractObjective The aim of the present study was to examine static balance on one leg in 10‐year‐old children with and without hand–eye co‐ordination problems (HECP) in an attempt to come closer to an understanding of developmental co‐ordination disorder in children.Method The children were compared on three different balance tasks with the right and/or left leg together with a systematic manipulation of vision.Results The results showed that when the scores for both legs were combined, the control group, in general, had superior performance in all conditions. Separate preferred and non‐preferred leg analyses demonstrated that the differences between the HECP group and control group could be accounted for by lowered performances when the non‐preferred leg was used in only one static balance task, stork stand with vision. In the two other balance tasks, balance on beam and one‐board balance, the HECP group displayed significantly worse performance than the control group irrespective of the use of the preferred or non‐preferred leg.Conclusions Explanation related to the development of the hemispheres controlling the preferred and non‐preferred leg is invoked to account for the poor performance in the HECP group.
The infection of nymphal Baetisbicaudatus by the mermithid nematode Gasteromermis sp.
Authors: VANCE SARAH , PECKARSKY BARBARA 
Published: November 2003

1. This study reports the infection in nymphs of a bivoltine mayfly host (Baetisbicaudatus) in a high‐elevation watershed by the mermithid nematode Gasteromermis sp. Infection by Gasteromermis causes mortality in two ways. Fifty per cent of the infections do not successfully develop beyond the initial stage of penetration and result in the early death of both host and parasite.2. Infected hosts that survive this initial stage are rendered completely sterile by the infection (reproductively dead). In addition to complete sterility, the emergence size of parasitized nymphs is reduced and development time lengthened compared with unparasitized nymphs.3. Parasite infection levels are stable from year to year at one site, but with a higher incidence of infection in the mayfly summer generation. Size differences between the generations at the time of infection may account for their different susceptibilities.4. Within a year infection levels vary seasonally and spatially from 1 to 71%. Seasonally, there is a condensation of parasitized hosts towards the end of development as unparasitized nymphs emerge earlier. Spatially, infection levels show a downstream decline that may result from upstream dispersal by infected hosts or differential parasite survivorship at different elevations.
Combined effects of allelochemical‐fed and scarce prey on the generalist insect predator Podisusmaculiventris
Authors: BOZER STEPHEN , TRAUGOTT MATTHEW , STAMP NANCY 
Published: November 2003

1. The simultaneous effects of allelochemicals ingested by herbivorous insect prey and prey scarcity on the performance of a generalist insect predator were examined.2. Fifth‐instar predatory stinkbugs (Podisusmaculiventris: Pentatomidae) were fed caterpillars (Manducasexta: Sphingidae) in three prey scarcity treatments: every day (unlimited amount), one caterpillar every third day, one caterpillar every fifth day. The caterpillars were fed either a plain diet or a diet containing rutin, chlorogenic acid and tomatine, which are three of the major allelochemicals in tomato leaves (Lycopersiconesculentum: Solanaceae), the preferred food of these caterpillars.3. Food consumed, efficiency of conversion of ingested food to biomass (ECI), biomass gained, stadium duration and relative growth rate (RGR) of predators were negatively affected by prey scarcity. The allelochemicals negatively affected food consumed and ECI.4. There were prey scarcity by allelochemical interactions for ECI, biomass gained and RGR. For ECI, the allelochemicals had a greater negative impact on the predatory stinkbugs when prey were scarce. When prey diet contained allelochemicals, biomass gained and RGR declined more steeply with increased prey scarcity. There was an allelochemical by predator gender interaction for biomass gained. Allelochemicals had no effect on biomass gained by female stinkbugs, whereas biomass gained declined more steeply with increased prey scarcity for male stinkbugs fed caterpillars containing allelochemicals than for males fed control caterpillars.
Synchronization of larval emergence in winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.) and budburst in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) under simulated climate change
Authors: BUSE ALAN , GOOD JOHN 
Published: November 2003

1. The hypothesis that a 3 °C elevation in temperature and doubled CO2 concentration would have no effect on the synchronization of winter moth egg hatch with budburst in oak was tested by comparing the separate and interactive effects of ambient and elevated (+ 3 °C) temperature and ambient and elevated (doubled to 340 p.p.m.) CO2 in eight experimental Solardomes. In addition, an outdoor control was compared with the ambient temperature/CO2 treatment combination.2. Elevated temperature accelerated darkening (preceding egg hatch by about 5–10 days) and hatching of eggs developing off the trees; elevated CO2 had no effect. The same effects were observed in eggs developing on the trees.3. Within treatments, date of egg hatch was the same on trees with early or late budburst.4. Egg darkening and budburst were closely synchronized at both ambient and elevated temperatures.5. Both eggs and trees required fewer cumulative heat units (day degrees > 4 °C), for hatching and budburst, respectively, at ambient than elevated temperatures. The requirements in the outdoor control treatment were similar to those in the ambient Solardome treatment.6. Egg hatch between 10 and 25 °C, on a temperature gradient in the laboratory, required a constant number of heat units; fewer were required below 10 °C.7. Elevated temperatures, in the Solardomes and the field, delayed adult emergence from the pupae.8. The results suggest that a general increase in temperature with climatic change would not affect the closeness of the synchronization between egg hatch of winter moth and budburst of oak.
Plant effects on prey choice by a vespid wasp, Polistes arizonensis
Authors: GEITZENAUER HEATHER L. , BERNAYS ELIZABETH A. 
Published: November 2003

Abstract.

The effects of sunflower, Helianthus annuus, and groundcherry, Physalis pubescens, eaten by the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), on predation by paper wasps (Polistes arizonensis) were examined.
Polistes arizonensis foragers took more caterpillars from H. annuus plants than P. pubescens in paired‐choice tests.
They took longer to locate prey and apparently gave up searching faster on artificial plants mimicking P. pubescens than on artificial plants mimicking H. annuus.
In paired‐choice tests for chemical effects, wasps chose more caterpillars within H. annuus odour than in P. pubescens odour.
They also chose more H. annuus‐reared larvae than P. pubescens‐reared larvae when they were presented without plants. Handling time was not affected.
Oviposition of the dung beetle Aphodius ater in relation to the abundance of yellow dungfly larvae (Scatophaga stercoraria)
Authors: HIRSCHBERGER PETRA , DEGRO HELGA NAVINA 
Published: November 2003

1. The dung beetle Aphodius ater and the yellow dungfly Scatophaga stercoraria are temporally co‐occurring species in sheep dung, which they use for reproduction and nutrition (A. ater) or for reproduction only (S. stercoraria) during the spring in northern Germany. Scatophaga stercoraria uses fresh sheep dung pellets a few hours old for oviposition, whereas A. ater lays eggs into 2–10‐day‐old pellets. In the present study, the egg laying behaviour of A. ater in sheep dung in relation to the presence of larvae of S. stercoraria was investigated experimentally.2. Choice experiments, based on examining the egg laying behaviour of beetles in 2‐ and 4‐day‐old pellets with and without high and low densities of fly larvae, showed the following. In 2‐day‐old pellets, the beetles did not distinguish between pellets without fly larvae or with fly larvae at low larval density but avoided laying eggs into pellets with a high larval density. In 4‐day‐old pellets, the beetles always preferred to lay their eggs into pellets without fly larvae, regardless of larval density.3. The influence of different densities of larvae of S. stercoraria on dung depletion was examined by measuring the dry weight, organic matter content and organic nitrogen content of the remaining dung after larval development. The presence of the larvae led to a reduction in all three parameters.4. The beetles’ behaviour of laying eggs into older pellets, and their awareness of the presence of high densities of fly larvae, enables them to avoid egg laying into pellets that will have been depleted by fly larvae before the beetle larvae have finished their development.
The relationships between host selection and subsequent larval performance in three free‐living graminivorous sawflies
Authors: BARKER A. M. , MACZKA C. J. M. 
Published: November 2003

1. Selection of host plants for oviposition by females of three graminivorous sawfly species, Doleruspuncticollis C. G. Thomson, Doleruspicipes Klug. and Pachynematusclitellatus Lepeletier, was investigated experimentally using three grass species, Loliumperenne L., Festucarubra L. and wheat, Triticum aestivum L. cv. Hunter.2. Both species of Dolerus showed significant preferences for one grass over the other two, D. puncticollis preferring L. perenne and D. picipes selecting F. rubra. P. clitellatus females used L. perenne and F. rubra equally for oviposition, but avoided wheat.3. The results correlated closely with larval performance trials, with D. puncticollis larvae having maximal survival and growth rates on L. perenne, and D. picipes larval performance being maximized on F. rubra. P. clitellatus larvae survived well on both grasses, but had a high level of mortality on wheat.4. P. clitellatus larval growth rates were significantly higher on L. perenne than on F. rubra. Individual P. clitellatus adult females developing from larvae reared on L. perenne reached a significantly greater dry weight than those reared on F. rubra, but there was no significant difference in weight between males reared on the two hosts. There was some evidence that this disproportionate effect of host plant quality on the weight gain of the two sexes was translated into a bias in sex ratio of the eggs laid towards a greater proportion of females on L. perenne than on F. rubra. This manipulation of sex ratio would have a potential benefit for ovipositing females through disproportionate fecundity gains for female offspring.
Factors determining the distribution of the green spruce aphid, Elatobium abietinum, on young and mature needles of spruce
Authors: JACKSON DEBORAH , DIXON ANTHONY 
Published: November 2003

1. The green spruce aphid Elatobium abietinum, was less active and more likely to feed when on mature rather than young needles of Sitka spruce.2. Compared with survival on mature needles, survival of aphids on young needles was significantly reduced, especially on newly flushed needles, but became less so as the needles matured. The survival of aphids kept close to, but not in contact with, young needles was similarly reduced.3. On young needles stripped of epicuticular wax, aphids were less active and fed and survived for longer than aphids on untreated young needles. In contrast, the supply of additional amino acids to shoots bearing young needles did not significantly improve the survival of aphids on these needles.4. In a choice test, aphids were able to discriminate between epicuticular wax from young and mature needles. The reciprocal transfer of wax between young and mature needles reversed the aphids’ marked preference for mature needles.5. These results indicate that the aphid is deterred from settling and feeding on young needles by a volatile substance present in the epicuticular wax.
Variations in sperm number in relation to larval crowding and spermatophore size in the armyworm, Pseudaletia separata
Authors: HE YIBIN , MIYATA TADASHI 
Published: November 2003

1. Number of sperm and its relationship with larval rearing density were investigated in the armyworm Pseudaletia separata. Males that emerged from crowded larvae produced significantly more apyrene sperm than those from solitary larvae (375 700 ± 116 600 and 290 300 ± 99 600 at a mating with a 3‐day old virgin, respectively), with no significant difference in number of eupyrene sperm between the two types being observed.2. For both solitary‐ and crowded‐type, the amount of fertile sperm the males produced at a mating exceeded the number needed to fertilize all of a female’s eggs, suggesting that sperm competition may be a major selective force for keeping sperm numerous. The production of more apyrene sperm by crowded‐type males may be an adaptation to cope with the increased sperm competition from rival males at high density.3. The relationship between number of sperm and spermatophore size was also studied using solitary‐type moths. Large spermatophores were found to have more eupyrene and apyrene sperm than small ones.
The significance of prey in the diet of the phytophagous thrips, Frankliniella schultzei
Authors: M. MILNE  , G. H. WALTER  
Published: November 2003

1. Patterns of mite egg consumption by the phytophagous thrips Frankliniella schultzei Trybom were investigated. Although F. schultzei predation is somewhat similar to that of F. occidentalis (Pergande), the understanding of predation by these two phytophagous thrips was extended, allowing the functional significance of flower thrips’ predatory behaviour to be reinterpreted.2. Second‐instar larvae consumed significantly more eggs than any other life‐stage, and the daily intake of eggs by second‐instar larvae declined significantly with each successive day of the 4‐day duration of instar two.3. Mite eggs that had had their silken webbing removed were consumed at a significantly greater rate than those with their webbing intact.4. Frankliniella schultzei immatures developed successfully both on diets containing cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaf tissue plus mite eggs and on cotton leaf tissue alone. Supplementing a leaf tissue larval diet with mite eggs lowered the developmental time from egg to adult significantly, as well as lowering the percentage mortality. Continuation of the mite egg supplement beyond adult eclosion increased fecundity significantly and extended life span over that achieved on a leaf diet alone.5. In laboratory choice tests, mite eggs and pollen of Wax Mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus Cav.), the usual host of F. schultzei in Brisbane, were encountered with similar frequencies. Furthermore, the mean proportion of encounters with pollen grains that resulted in consumption of pollen did not differ significantly from the encounter : consumption rate for mite eggs.6. Frankliniella schultzei, like F. occidentalis, does not seem to be specifically adapted for preying on mite eggs, even though such predation enhances performance and reproductive output of F. schultzei when constrained on cotton leaves. Comparison of performance results with those published for F. schultzei when reared on the floral parts of one of its primary hosts (M. arboreus) (Milne et al., 1996), indicates that mite egg predation does not make up completely for a deficient adult or larval diet.
Sexual size dimorphism and sex‐specific survival in adults of the damselfly Lestes disjunctus
Authors: ANHOLT BRADLEY 
Published: November 2003

1. A population of adult Lestes disjunctus (Odonata: Lestidae) was studied in eastern Ontario, Canada. Mass at sexual maturity and activity rates of individuals were measured. Population density was estimated on transects, while survival rates and population size were estimated using mark−recapture methods.2. There was no difference in mass of mated and unmated males. Females were more than 50% heavier than males, and were also more active than males.3. Males were almost eight times more abundant on transects than females, but Manly−Parr estimates of male population size were only a maximum of 2.5 times larger than estimates for females.4. Males were 2.5 times more likely to be resighted after marking than were females. This accounts for much of the discrepancy between transect estimates and mark−recapture estimates of relative population size.5. Daily survival rates of sexually mature females were not significantly less than those of males, and therefore cannot account for a change in sex‐ratio from 1 : 1 at emergence to more males than females in sexually mature adults.6. Differences in mortality must occur prior to sexual maturity, coincident with the time during which differences in mass gain are also taking place.
Rainfall, nitrogen and host plant condition: consequences for the processionary caterpillar, Ochrogaster lunifer
Authors: FLOATER GRAHAM 
Published: November 2003

1. At the end of November in subtropical areas of Australia, second‐instar larvae of the processionary caterpillar Ochrogaster lunifer (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae) initiate feeding on the peripheral shoots of acacias (first‐instar larvae do not feed). Field surveys at ten localities in south‐east Queensland showed that larval survival was highly variable both among and within localities. Within‐locality variation in larval growth was low compared with variation among localities. Larval growth and survival rates were higher at coastal and island localities, where November rainfall was high, than at drier inland localities.2. Potted Acacia concurrens were grown in the greenhouse under high and low watering regimes, with and without nitrogen‐rich fertilizer. Plant vigour (height, foliar water content and quantity of flush growth) was significantly greater in high‐water treatments than in low‐water treatments. Watering also affected foliar nitrogen, with plants in the high‐water/no fertilizer treatment having similar nitrogen levels to those in fertilized treatments. Fertilizer increased foliar nitrogen levels of plants in low‐water treatments and increased the number of shoots in high‐water treatments. Different treatments had no effect on leaf toughness. After the first 3 weeks of feeding, size and survival of larvae were significantly reduced on the small, less vigorous plants in low water treatments. These results do not support the plant stress hypothesis.3. Early‐instar larvae (instar II–IV) developed more quickly and grew larger when reared on flush leaves than when reared on senescent leaves of A. concurrens. As water uptake affects the quantity of flush growth available to early stage larvae as well as foliar quality, rainfall and water availability may have important consequences for the distribution and population dynamics of the moth at local and regional scales.
Female size and fitness in the leaf‐cutter bee Megachile apicalis
Authors: KIM JONG‐YOON 
Published: November 2003

1. The effects of female size on fitness of the leaf‐cutter bee Megachile apicalis Spinola (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) were examined using artificial nesting sites in the field.2. Although female size had no significant effect on female longevity or sex ratio of progeny, it did have a significant effect on fecundity; larger females attained greater realized fecundity than did smaller females.3. This significant effect of female size on fecundity occurred because larger females produced cells faster than did smaller females.4. Female size also had a significant effect on egg size; larger females laid larger eggs than did smaller females.5. Female size had a significant effect on the size of investment in each progeny. The size of investment estimated by brood cell weight was greater for larger females than for smaller females. This pattern was largely absent, however, when the size of investment was estimated by adult progeny weight.6. Female size had a significant effect on nest usurpation behaviour; larger females had a higher capacity to usurp nests than did smaller females.
Effects of density on the reproductive success of pine engravers: is aggregation in dead trees beneficial?
Authors: ROBINS GENEVA , REID MARY 
Published: November 2003

1. The pine engraver bark beetle Ips pini (Say) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), aggregates primarily on dead or dying pine trees. In this study pine engravers were laboratory‐reared on logs at a range of low densities to determine whether there was a fecundity advantage of breeding aggregations.2. Mean reproductive success for both males and females declined exponentially with increasing density.3. Female pine engravers had shorter egg galleries at higher densities, suggesting that they left high‐density breeding sites earlier. This would reduce the number of eggs that failed to survive due to larval competition.4. Some pine engravers colonized the logs voluntarily during the experiment. These volunteers settled independently of the original density.5. The fungus Ophiostoma sp. was present on the logs and may be competing with the pine engravers for limited bark area.6. Aggregation resulted in a considerable cost to pine engraver reproductive success even at low densities. Thus, it remains perplexing why pine engravers aggregate actively in nature.