bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Culture Wars in State Education Policy: A Look at the Relative Treatment of Evolutionary Theory in State Science Standards*
Authors: Gibson M. Troy 
Published: December 2004

Objectives. Students of public policy have recognized that not all policies are completely or mostly shaped by socioeconomic factors. Some policies, known as morality policies, derive from the deeply held values and beliefs of effective participants in the policy‐making process. To better understand this distinct policy category and where it exists, policy analysts must test for the impact of both socioeconomic forces and explanatory factors developed in morality politics theory (particularly religious contexts). This study attempts to explain differences in state science education standards with regard to stipulated instruction in evolutionary theory as morality policy.Methods. A cross‐sectional study of the American states employing ordinary least squares and logistic regression analysis assesses the impact of popular evangelical adherence over the presence of evolution‐friendly state science standards, ceteris paribus.Results. Socioeconomic factors inadequately explain the variation in state science standards. Furthermore, these standards are morality policies with clearly defined religious implications and are better explained by state religious divisions than by other cultural forces such as state ideological context.Conclusion. This study demonstrates that some policies have clear implications for religious beliefs and may represent a subcategory of morality policy. These kinds of policies are better explained by religious contexts than other political and cultural determinants of morality policies.
Guns, Hollywood, and School Safety: Defining the School‐Shooting Problem Across Public Arenas*
Authors: Lawrence Regina G. , Birkland Thomas A. 
Published: December 2004

Objective. Research in agenda setting has demonstrated that dramatic news events can drive particular issues to the top of the media and governmental agendas. The objective of this study is to analyze how different aspects of an event‐driven problem compete for attention in those arenas.Methods. The method is content analysis of media coverage and congressional legislative activity following the 1999 Columbine High School shootings.Results. The results show that while both agendas converged on the gun‐control aspect of the problem, they substantially diverged on other understandings of what kind of problem the Columbine shooting represented and how to address it.Conclusions. We conclude that the differing institutional structure and incentives of the news media and Congress can create or inhibit interinstitutional positive feedback in the problem‐defining process. Agenda divergences are amplified when prominent politicians cue the media to follow particular story lines that depart from actual legislative activity.
Latinos and School Vouchers: Testing the “Minority Support” Hypothesis*
Authors: Leal David L. 
Published: December 2004

Objectives. Voucher proponents, as well as some researchers, argue that minorities and individuals of relatively low socioeconomic status (SES) particularly favor school vouchers. Little work has specifically explored Latino attitudes, with the focus typically on African‐American opinions. This article will therefore examine whether Latinos hold unique attitudes toward vouchers.Methods. Ordinal probit regression analysis of a recent national survey of Latinos, African Americans, and Anglos (non‐Latino whites).Results. In the aggregate, Latinos and African Americans are more likely than Anglos to support vouchers. The Latino population variable is statistically insignificant, however, while the African‐American measure is significant and positive. When the aggregate Latino variable is disaggregated into four major Latino national‐origin groups, Puerto Ricans are shown to hold uniquely favorable opinions about vouchers. In addition, there are no opinion differences by income and education.Conclusions. When Catholicism is taken into account, the voucher opinions of Latinos and Anglos are generally indistinct. This suggests that aggregate Latino support for vouchers may drop if Catholic affiliation further declines.
The SAT II: Minority/Majority Test‐Score Gaps and What They Could Mean for College Admissions*
Authors: Thomas M. Kathleen 
Published: December 2004

Objective. Although most colleges and universities do not currently use SAT II subject tests to make admissions decisions, changing sentiment against aptitude tests could lead to more widespread use of the SAT II. This study examines score gaps on the SAT II between white and minority students.Methods. Using data from the Texas Schools Microdata Panel, I estimate the influence of race/ethnicity on SAT II writing scores after controlling for sample selection.Results. This study shows that although the average white student performs better than the average minority student on the SAT II writing exam, Asian and black students outperform white students when controlling for academic performance, family background, and high school fixed effects, while allowing different returns to characteristics.Conclusions. These score gaps reverse only if the average minority student is given the same characteristics as the average white student. Unequal incomes and educational environments virtually ensure these score gaps will endure well into the future.
Anticipating Likely Consequences of Lottery‐Based Affirmative Action*
Authors: Grofman Bernard , Merrill Samuel 
Published: December 2004

Objectives. To better understand the consequences of whole or partial reliance on test scores as a screening mechanism for college or university admissions or for job placement or promotion.Methods. We introduce a simple hurdles/threshold model to study one particular mechanism that has been recently proposed to generate a “compromise” between race‐normed or gender‐normed standards for acceptance, on the one hand, and the decision to select those with the highest score regardless of race or gender, on the other—a method we call lottery‐based rules with minimum thresholds of acceptance.Results. We show the factors that determine how close acceptance rates for the disadvantaged group under lottery‐based methods will be to the acceptance rates under either race‐normal or pretest‐score‐based mechanisms.Conclusions. We argue that the likely consequences of using this method are not nearly as attractive as they might first appear to reformers.
Pregnancy‐induced sympathetic overactivity: a precursor of preeclampsia*
Authors: Fischer T. , Schobel H. P. , Frank H. , Andreae M. , Schneider K. T. M. , Heusser K. 
Published: December 2004

AbstractBackground  Preeclampsia has been shown to constitute a state of sympathetic overactivity. However, it remains unclear if the sympathetic activity precedes preeclampsia or represents only a secondary phenomenon. To further investigate this issue, we performed a prospective study in pregnant women considered to be at increased risk for preeclampsia owing to preeclampsia during a preceding pregnancy.Materials and methods  Twenty‐two women with a history of preeclampsia were longitudinally studied on three occasions: twice during pregnancy (M1: 22 ± 4, M2: 33 ± 5 weeks) and once postpartum (M3: 26 ± 6 weeks postpartum). We measured muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), forearm blood flow, and blood pressure at rest and during reactive hyperaemia after forearm occlusion.Results  At M1 and M2, none of the subjects was hypertensive, however, muscle sympathetic nerve activity levels were significantly augmented, compared with their postpartum values (M1: 21 ± 9, M2: 29 ± 14, M3: 9 ± 5 bursts min−1; P < 0·05). Forearm vascular resistance did not significantly change from M1 through M3 (M1: 16 ± 9, M2: 15 ± 7, M3: 16 ± 7 U; P = NS). Gestational muscle sympathetic nerve activity values did not differ significantly among the subjects with subsequent preeclampsia compared with those who remained normotensive [with preeclampsia (n = 6): M1: 21 ± 5, M2: 27 ± 6, M3: 7 ± 4 bursts min−1; without preeclampsia (n = 16): M1: 21 ± 11, M2: 30 ± 16, M3: 9 ± 6 bursts min−1; P = NS].Conclusion  Invariably, all women at risk for preeclampisa showed a pregnancy‐induced increase in MSNA (pregnancy‐induced sympathetic overactivity, PISO), which normalized after delivery. Most importantly, PISO is not necessarily associated with peripheral vasoconstriction and hypertension. Furthermore, only a subset of patients developed preeclampsia later on. Therefore, we hypothesize that PISO constitutes a precursor of preeclampsia which is physiologically compensated for by vasodilating mechanisms, leading to preeclampsia only when they fail.
Long‐term variation in the abundance of the brown shrimp Crangon crangon (L.) population of the German Bight and possible causes for its interannual variability
Authors: SIEGEL V. , GRÖGER J. , NEUDECKER T. , DAMM U. , JANSEN S. 
Published: December 2004

AbstractTime series on Crangon crangon densities in the German Wadden Sea show a considerable degree of interannual variability, for the entire region in spring and in autumn as well as for three subareas, North Frisia, East Frisia and Elbe estuary. Across the entire survey area C. crangon density was inversely related to water depth. In autumn after the recruitment, settlement shrimp densities are correlated across a larger spatial scale (>100 km longshore), whereas in spring the overwintering adult spawning stock is uncorrelated across subareas. Interannually, extreme density variations can develop even over a short time span of 1 yr. On a large spatial scale shrimp abundance in autumn was correlated with year‐to‐year changes in physical environmental and biological parameters, winter water temperature, autumn river runoff and the winter NAO index. On a regional scale (North Frisia), density of gadoid predators was an additional component affecting shrimp stock abundance. No correlations to such parameters could be detected for the C. crangon stock in spring. Possible causes for the spring situation and additional sources for variability are discussed.
Using commercial landings data to identify environmental correlates with distributions of fish stocks
Authors: SUNDERMEYER MILES A. , ROTHSCHILD BRIAN J. , ROBINSON ALLAN R. 
Published: December 2004

AbstractWe examined the efficacy of using commercial landings data to identify potential environmental correlates with fish distributions. Historical landings data for two commercially important species, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), were used along with historical conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) data to infer monthly mean spatial distributions of catch per unit effort (CPUE), temperature, salinity, density, and stratification over Georges Bank. Relationships between CPUE and these environmental variables plus bottom sediment type and bottom depth were examined on seasonal, annual, and interannual time scales. Empirical analysis suggests that both cod and haddock are found preferentially in water temperatures of approximately 5°C in winter/spring, and as high as 10–11°C during late fall. Both species are also found preferentially over coarse sand and gravel as opposed to fine sand, and in water depths between 60 and 70 m. These preferences appear to vary seasonally. The above results are consistent with findings of previous investigators using semi‐annual research trawl survey data, and suggest that commercial landings data, despite their known errors and biases, can be used effectively to infer associations between fish and their environment.
Assessing the variability of hydrographic processes influencing the life cycle of the Sicilian Channel anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, by satellite imagery
Authors: LAFUENTE JESÚS GARCÍA , VARGAS JUAN MIGUEL , CRIADO FRANCISCO , GARCÍA ALBERTO , DELGADO JAVIER , MAZZOLA SALVATORE 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThree oceanographic surveys carried out in the Sicilian Channel during the spawning season (June to July) of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) showed a close relationship between anchovy reproductive strategy and important hydrographic structures. A time series of satellite‐derived sea surface temperature images of the Sicilian Channel were analysed by means of empirical orthogonal functions and the dominant empirical modes were studied in detail. The first empirical mode captured much of the original variance and reproduced the trajectory of the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS), the principal hydrodynamic feature of the area. The time coefficients of modes 1 and 2 had seasonal signals which, when combined, accounted for the enhancement of the thermal front, clearly visible off Cape Passero (southernmost coast of Sicily) during summer. As the area constituted the principal nursery ground of the Sicilian Channel anchovy, the combination of the time coefficients of these modes was considered a potential indicator of the food particle concentration usually associated with oceanic fronts, which provided the energy requirements for larval growth. Mode 3 described the north/south displacements of the mean AIS trajectory, which modified the surface temperature regime of the anchovy spawning habitat. Therefore, the time coefficients of this mode were used as a potential indicator of anchovy spawning habitat variability. The capability of time coefficients of modes 2 and 3 to modify the main pattern depicted by mode 1 were tested successfully against in situ oceanographic observations.
ANNA: A new prediction method for bioassessment programs
Authors: Linke Simon , Norris Richard H. , Faith Daniel P. , Stockwell David 
Published: December 2004

Summary1. Cluster analysis of reference sites with similar biota is the initial step in creating River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS) and similar river bioassessment models such as Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS). This paper describes and tests an alternative prediction method, Assessment by Nearest Neighbour Analysis (ANNA), based on the same philosophy as RIVPACS and AUSRIVAS but without the grouping step that some people view as artificial.2. The steps in creating ANNA models are: (i) weighting the predictor variables using a multivariate approach analogous to principal axis correlations, (ii) calculating the weighted Euclidian distance from a test site to the reference sites based on the environmental predictors, (iii) predicting the faunal composition based on the nearest reference sites and (iv) calculating an observed/expected (O/E) analogous to RIVPACS/AUSRIVAS.3. The paper compares AUSRIVAS and ANNA models on 17 datasets representing a variety of habitats and seasons. First, it examines each model's regressions for Observed versus Expected number of taxa, including the r2, intercept and slope. Second, the two models’ assessments of 79 test sites in New Zealand are compared. Third, the models are compared on test and presumed reference sites along a known trace metal gradient. Fourth, ANNA models are evaluated for western Australia, a geographically distinct region of Australia. The comparisons demonstrate that ANNA and AUSRIVAS are generally equivalent in performance, although ANNA turns out to be potentially more robust for the O versus E regressions and is potentially more accurate on the trace metal gradient sites.4. The ANNA method is recommended for use in bioassessment of rivers, at least for corroborating the results of the well established AUSRIVAS‐ and RIVPACS‐type models, if not to replace them.
Effects of increased flow in the main stem of the River Rhine on the invertebrate communities of its tributaries
Authors: Beckmann Melanie C. , Schöll Franz , Matthaei Christoph D. 
Published: December 2004

Summary1. We hypothesised that increased flow in the main stem of the River Rhine would influence the invertebrate communities of its tributaries and therefore investigated the invertebrate fauna of six tributaries over 2 years.2. We collected quantitative invertebrate samples at three sites in each tributary: in the tributary mouth (influenced by Rhine water whenever flow in the Rhine exceeded mean annual level), in the zone reached by average floods (return period 1.5 years) in the Rhine (average flood level sites), and immediately upstream of the range of extreme Rhine floods (reference sites). Samples were taken in spring, summer and autumn of each year, at different flow levels of the Rhine. We also compared substratum composition at the three sites.3. Tributary mouth sites had the finest substratum, the lowest total invertebrate density and the lowest taxon richness. At average flood level and reference sites, these three parameters were similar.4. Taxa known to prefer larger rivers were mostly confined to the tributary mouth sites, and species preferring upland streams dominated at the average flood level and reference sites.5. Multivariate analyses confirmed the influence of the Rhine on the tributary mouth sites. Invasive invertebrate species, which usually appear only in the Rhine itself, were found at the tributary mouth sites but not further up in the tributaries.6. Our study shows that increased flow in the main stem of the Rhine influenced substratum composition and invertebrate communities at the tributary mouth sites. These results imply that the relationship between the main stem of a river and its tributaries is not one‐way (from tributary to main stem), but rather a two‐way interaction.
Are populations of mayflies living in adjacent fish and fishless streams genetically differentiated?
Authors: Peckarsky Barbara L. , Hughes Jane M. , Mather Peter B. , Hillyer Mia , Encalada Andrea C. 
Published: December 2004

Summary1. Conspecific populations living in habitats with different risks of predation often show phenotypic variation in defensive traits. Traits of two species of mayflies (Baetidae: Baetis bicaudatus and Baetis sp. nov.) differ between populations living in fish and fishless streams in a high altitude drainage basin in western Colorado, U.S.A. We tested for genetic differentiation between mayfly populations in these two habitat types, assuming that lack of genetic differentiation would be consistent with the hypothesis that those traits are phenotypically plastic.2. Previous work has shown that larvae of both species behave differently and undergo different developmental pathways in adjacent fish and fishless streams. These phenotypic differences in behaviour and development have been induced experimentally, suggesting that populations from fishless streams have the genetic capability to respond to fish.3. During summer 2001 we collected Baetis larvae from several fish and fishless streams, and from fish and fishless sections of the same streams. We used allozymes and a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene to examine genetic variation of Baetis individuals within and among streams.4. Results showed that genetic variation exists among populations of the same species of Baetis from different streams, but none of that variation was associated with the presence or absence of fish. These data confirm that populations of Baetis living in fish and fishless streams are not genetically distinct, and are consistent with the hypothesis that traits associated with environments of different risk are phenotypically plastic.
Determinants of macrophyte palatability to the pond snailLymnaea stagnalis
Authors: ELGER A. , LEMOINE D. 
Published: December 2004

Summary1. This study aimed to identify the chemical and structural determinants of macrophyte palatability to the pond snailLymnaea stagnalis. Eleven macrophyte species were investigated, and one of them (Potamogeton lucens) was collected at four sites, on two different dates in the year, to study palatability determinants at an intra‐specific level.2. Plant palatability toL. stagnaliswas determined through non‐choice feeding assays. Dry matter content (DMC), total phenolic content and protein content were measured for each macrophyte species. These parameters, and soluble carbohydrate content, were also measured for each sample ofP. lucens.3. The palatability of macrophytes was positively related to their protein content (between species only) and negatively related to their DMC (both between species and withinP. lucens). No simple relationship was found between the palatability of macrophytes and their phenolic content, but highly palatable macrophytes consistently exhibited a low phenolic content.4. These results emphasise that macrophyte palatability is a multifactorial attribute, potentially depending on both structural and chemical traits. Because some of these traits were correlated, further investigations are required to assess their respective influence on macrophyte palatability.
Hide, rest or die: a light‐mediated diapause response in Daphnia magna to the threat of fish predation
Authors: Ślusarczyk Mirosław , Dawidowicz Piotr , Rygielska Ewa 
Published: December 2004

Summary1. In a laboratory batch culture experiment, a diapause response of Daphnia magna to a simulated threat of fish predation was tested at various light intensities, which under natural conditions determine potential vulnerability of Daphnia to visual planktivorous fish.2. Under moderate light intensity (1.4 μmol m−2 s−1) that allows effective predation by fish, the proportion of females producing dormant eggs was significantly higher than under dim light conditions (0.001 μmol m−2 s−1) that are not favourable for visual detection of prey. Production of dormant eggs was not observed in complete darkness or in treatments missing fish kairomones, irrespective of tested light conditions.3. The observed phenomenon is interpreted as a flexible response of prey to the conditional risk of predation assessed by Daphnia according to the presence of fish‐derived cues on the one hand and the presence of dark refugia on the other. Irrespective of the presence of fish kairomones, Daphnia may not produce resting eggs as long as a safe, dark, bottom zone is accessible.
Introduction of the non‐indigenous amphipod Gammarus pulex alters population dynamics and diet of juvenile trout Salmo trutta
Authors: KELLY DAVID W. , DICK JAIMIE T. A. 
Published: December 2004

Summary 1. The amphipod Gammarus pulex, introduced to Irish rivers with the aim of enhancing trout feeding, is displacing the native Gammarus duebeni celticus. These two species are generally associated with different environmental conditions and macroinvertebrate communities, confounding assessment of effects of the invader as compared with the native on fish populations. Here, we uncouple effects of the two Gammarus species from environmental gradients.2. A weir dissects a lowland stretch of the River Lissan, slowing the upstream invasion by G. pulex and resulting in contiguous G. pulex, mixed species and G. d. celticus reaches. Total invertebrate abundance and biomass in the benthos were significantly higher in the G. pulex reach, driven by high invader abundance, with low abundance of other taxa. Gammarus pulex was particularly prominent in night‐time drift.3. Correspondingly, densities and biomass of 0+ trout were significantly higher in the G. pulex reach, while instantaneous loss rates were lower. Fish growth rates were similar among the three reaches.4. In the G. pulex reach, this invader dominated the diet of 0+ trout, leading to ingestion of significantly higher invertebrate biomass than fish in the other reaches. Fish generally preyed on Gammarus in proportion to its abundance, but exhibited some positive selection for G. pulex in the invaded reach.5. The negative effects of the invader on native invertebrates are contrasted with positive effects on juvenile trout. This indicates changes in energy flux after invasion, with differential resource use or assimilation by G. pulex probable underlying mechanisms. As the frequency of amphipod invasions increases globally, investigations of their role as strong interactors at multiple levels of ecological organisation is required if the consequences of deliberate and unintentional introductions are to be predicted, and ultimately, prevented.