bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Testosterone Manipulation of Male Attractiveness has no Detectable Effect on Female Home‐Range Size and Behavior During the Fertile Period
Authors: Neudorf Diane L. , Ziolkowski Jr David J. , Jr Val Nolan , Ketterson Ellen D. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractFemale dark‐eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) are socially monogamous, but they engage in extra‐pair copulations (EPCs). We examined spatial activity and behavior of female juncos during their fertile period to determine whether they engaged in tactics likely to facilitate EPCs and whether any such tactics varied with the attractiveness of their social mates. We manipulated the attractiveness of social mates by implanting experimental males with tubes containing testosterone (T‐males) and control males with empty tubes (C‐males). Previous findings in free‐living juncos showed that females mated to C‐males were more likely to produce extra‐pair young than females mated to T‐males. We radio‐tracked 13 females (eight C‐mated, five T‐mated) for an average of 15 h each over 3 d during their fertile periods. We predicted that C‐mated females, to compensate for the induced relative unattractiveness of their social mates, would foray from their territories to seek EPCs and as a result would have larger home ranges than T‐mated females. Females of both treatment groups made extra‐territorial forays, some of considerable distances, but we observed no EPCs during forays. Further, neighboring T‐ and C‐males frequently made incursions into the home ranges of T‐ and C‐mated females but we saw no EPCs during these incursions. Our ability to detect statistical differences was limited by sample size, but given that constraint, we found no detectable difference in female home‐range size in relation to the treatment of their mates, nor did other female behavior differ according to male treatment. Male behavior was significantly affected by testosterone treatment. C‐males guarded their mates more closely than did T‐males. We conclude that female juncos make extra‐territorial movements during their fertile period without regard to male attractiveness (testosterone treatment), but we found no evidence that these function as a special tactic to gain EPCs.
Can Marmoset Mothers Count to Three? Effect of Litter Size on Mother–Infant Interactions
Authors: Tardif Suzette D. , Layne Donna G. , Smucny Darlene A. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractHarper (Parental Care in Mammals, Plenum Press, New York, 1981, p. 158) proposed that ‘there may be lower and upper limits for frequency or intensity of offspring stimulation that, on average, serve as reliable boundaries, below or above which it would be uneconomical to invest at all or at current levels.‘ This proposition was tested in captive common marmosets by comparing the responses of marmoset mothers exposed to differing number of infants. Fifteen common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) litters (seven twin and eight triplet litters) from 11 different dams were observed for 6–12, 30‐min sessions over days 1–4 following birth. Mothers nursed smaller infants less frequently (F = 4.208, df = 1, 22; p = 0.052) regardless of litter size. The percent time mothers spent transporting (nursing and carrying) each infant was less for triplets than twins (F = 11.785, df = 1, 12; p = 0.005). Average transport bout length was significantly shorter for smaller infants (F = 7.566, df = 1, 22; p = 0.012) and was half as long for triplet infants as for twins (F = 10.733, df = 1, 7; p = 0.013). Twice as many transport bouts for triplets included maternal harassment of infants, than for twins (F = 42.742, df = 1, 24; p = 0.0001). Infant‐initiated transfers to the mother were more common for triplets than for twins (Mann–Whitney U = 79.50, p = 0.006). The overall maternal carrying score (% carry × number of infants carried) was lower for triplet litters than for twin litters (F = 15.38, df = 1, 3; p = 0.029); i.e. mothers of triplets did not, overall, invest in more carrying and nursing than did mothers of twins but instead invested less. These findings suggest that, as opposed to the strong attraction to infants that is common for many primates, the marmoset mother's tolerance for carrying infants does not increase with increasing infant stimuli present; rather, marmoset mothers will only tolerate a limited amount of time transporting and nursing infants, regardless of litter size. This limited tolerance may be due to the species’ small body size and anti‐predator strategies (e.g. concealment) that make infant care incompatible with other essential activities, such as foraging.
Olfactory Individual Recognition of Mothers by Young Guinea‐Pigs (Cavia porcellus)
Authors: Jäckel Manuela , Trillmich Fritz 
Published: March 2003

AbstractIn mammals, olfactory cues play a major role in individual recognition and urine is one source of potentially individual‐specific olfactory cues. We studied how soon young of the extremely precocial domestic guinea‐pig (Cavia porcellus) establish specific preferences for maternal urine smell by offering 5–30‐d‐old young a simultaneous choice between a urine sample of the mother and urine from an unfamiliar unrelated lactating female. Young showed increasing preference for the smell of maternal urine from day 5 of life onwards. On day 10 of life, they discriminated between maternal urine and that of other lactating females when these were unfamiliar and related, unfamiliar and unrelated or familiar unrelated, but not when the urine of the other female came from a familiar and related lactating animal. The last result is based on fewer litters and, therefore has to be considered as preliminary. As our results are based on spontaneous preferences for just one source of olfactory cues, discrimination of live animals is likely to be even better than demonstrated here. Learning or phenotype matching of individual specific cues enable these precocial young to form a specific bond with their mother soon after birth.
The impact of Phytophthora disease on riparian populations of common alder (Alnus glutinosa) in southern Britain
Authors: Gibbs J. N. , Lipscombe M. A. , Peace A. J. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryIn 1994 a survey was established to obtain information on Phytophthora disease of common alder (Alnus glutinosa) on the riverbanks of southern England and east Wales. Within an area of 70 000 km2 63 observation plots were set up on stretches of river over 8 m wide. Average alder densities varied widely in different parts of the survey area; from 0.7 to 22.2 trees per 100 m of river. From the density figures and data on the total length of rivers over 8 m wide within the survey area, it was estimated that there were approximately 585 000 alder trees growing on the banks of such rivers.In 1994 3.9% of the trees showed crown symptoms of Phytophthora disease, and an additional 1.2% of trees were dead, although not all of these had been killed by Phytophthora. The disease occurred widely through the survey area with an indication that the highest percentage of affected trees was to be found in the south‐east of England. Subsequent surveys showed that the combined percentage of symptomatic and dead trees rose to 6.0% in 1995 and to 7.9% in 1996. In the latter year, for an alder population of 585 000 trees, this would correspond to 32 800 symptomatic and 13 500 dead trees.The percentage of trees showing symptoms was seven times as high in trees growing within 1 m of the riverbank as in trees growing between 1 and 10 m of the bank. An examination of the relationships between disease incidence and various indices of water pollution revealed a positive association with total oxidized nitrogen. These results are discussed in relation to the biology and possible origin of the disease.
Early infection by Heterobasidion annosum in Larix x eurolepis seedlings planted on infested sites
Authors: Rönnberg J. , Vollbrecht G. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe incidence of Heterobasidion annosum was examined in three young hybrid larch (Larix × eurolepis) plantations in southern Sweden that were established after felling Norway spruce (Picea abies) stands heavily infected by the fungus. The incidence of H. annosum was 7 %, 33 %, and 70 %, respectively, in the 2‐, 3‐, and 5‐year‐old plantations. In all plantations, H. annosum was the most frequent rot‐causing fungus (81 %) and all isolates tested belonged to the P‐intersterility group. No visible external differences between infected and healthy seedlings were found on any site. Both tap and lateral roots were infected by H. annosum. The results suggest that when hybrid larch is planted on sandy soils after clear felling of Norway spruce heavily infected by H. annosum, it is very susceptible to infection by H. annosum. Furthermore, transfer of H. annosum from infected stumps to hybrid larch occurs during the first few years after planting on scarified sites. In this study, scarification may have exacerbated the root disease situation and actually led to more early infections by distributing pieces inoculum across the sites.
Effect of inoculum density and borate concentration in a stump treatment trial against Heterobasidion annosum
Authors: Pratt By J. E. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe effectiveness of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) as a stump treatment chemical for Sitka spruce in Britain was tested on six occasions by inoculating treated and untreated stumps with basidiospores of Heterobasidion annosum at three concentrations ranging from an average 49 viable spores/ml to 4.9 × 105/ml of water. The extent of colonization of heartwood by H. annosum was measured and, along with the incidence of infected stumps, provided a measure of the combined effects of spore concentration and of the two DOT treatments (15 and 30 g/m2) on the trial results. On untreated stumps, both the incidence of infection and the cross‐sectional area of stump heartwood colonized by the fungus increased with inoculum density. The same effect was evident in treated stumps, but it was reduced by increasing DOT application. Infection was at its lowest in stumps treated with DOT at 30 g/m2, being entirely absent from those 60 stumps that were inoculated with the fewest spores. The implications of these findings for the design of trials of control agents that rely on artificial inoculation with H. annosum and for the selection of dose rates to use in harvesting operations are discussed.
Susceptibility of Sitka spruce and grand fir trees to decay by Heterobasidion annosum
Authors: Redfern D. B. , MacAskill G. A. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe susceptibility of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and grand fir (Abies grandis) to decay by Heterobasidion annosum was compared on a site with a previous history of serious disease. The incidence of decay 15–16 years after planting was 1.5% in grand fir, compared with 34.8% in Sitka spruce. These results are broadly similar to those reported from other trials. More information is required for older trees in Britain but the evidence so far available suggests that grand fir is more resistant to H. annosum than Sitka spruce. Planting grand fir on severely infested sites may therefore significantly reduce the serious losses that could be expected with Sitka spruce. In 14 out of 271 decayed Sitka spruce H. annosum was absent from the middle or base of the decay column but present at the top. Approximately 3% of infected spruce showed features suggesting some degree of resistance. Resin bleeding was observed at the base of 23.2% of the infected spruce, and the mean height of the decay column in these trees was significantly greater (0.96 m) than in those without this feature (0.66 m). The inoculum for infection was provided by stumps of the previous crop, and the genets of H. annosum that were present in some infected trees were also identified in stumps. The majority of infected trees contained only a single genet but three trees contained two genets. In this young crop individual genets were smaller than those found elsewhere; the largest extended to include six trees.
A philosophical analysis of evidence‐based practice in mental health nursing
Authors: Lines Karin 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT: Mental health nurses need to be aware that their knowledge base does not exist in isolation from other cultural practices. They/I/we must become more willing to engage in theoretical problem solving that directly affects clinical practice issues such as the introduction of evidence‐based practice. Critical discussion of evidence‐based practice should be informed by the complex issues that permeate all our socio‐cultural and linguistic practices. This paper examines some of the major philosophical problems in the debate over the use of evidence‐based practice in mental health nursing using both Foucault’s formulation of discourse analysis and Derrida’s construal of deconstruction. The conclusion reached is that postmodern philosophy offers a way to rid nursing of incessant naiive attacks on either quantitative or qualitative research methods which underpin the debate over evidence‐based practice in mental health nursing.
Common experiences of mental health nurses and consumers: Ingredients of a symbiotic relationship?
Authors: Shanley Eamon 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT:Examination of the history of consumers and mental health nurses reveals that both consumers and mental health nurses have much in common in terms of their powerlessness and their sense of being undervalued. This paper argues that their common problems have a shared solution. It is in the interest of both groups to develop a symbiotic relationship, with each other benefiting by achieving greater influence over the delivery of care. The development of a close alliance requires a change in perception and behaviour towards each other. This paper identifies some of the factors militating against developing a symbiotic relationship and suggests possible ways of addressing them.
RURAL HEALTH SUPPORT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM (RHSET): WHERE TO NOW?
Authors: Harvey David , Webb‐Pullman Julie , Strasser Roger 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACTThe Rural Health Support Education and Training (RHSET) Program is a Commonwealth Government grants program established in 1990 to enhance the access of rural communities to effective health services. The emphasis has been on professional workforce issues. Up until December 1997, 431 applications for funding had been approved and close to $37 million allocated. This article considers the grants awarded in that period according to their main topic of interest within three broad groupings: policy and tertiary service provision; health discipline‐specific groups; and special interest groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and community organisations. Each subgroup is introduced and its contents outlined. It also suggests that despite heightened government interest in rural and remote health, a niche can still be found for RHSET. It further argues that the time has come for a major evaluation of project activity to ensure non‐duplication and to develop performance indicators for evaluating projects addressing rural and remote area workforce issues.
DIABETIC FOOT CARE: DEVELOPING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE EDUCATIONAL TOOLS FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA
Authors: Watson Jennifer , Obersteller Elizabeth A. , Rennie Linda , Whitbread Cherie 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT:Evidence shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the highest national percentage of morbidity in relation to diabetes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also suffer the greatest risk of amputation as a complication of diabetes. This participatory action research project sought to discover the opinions of a range of people, including registered nurses, general practitioners, Aboriginal health workers, cross‐cultural liaison officers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes. Focus groups provided valuable information regarding relevant issues of foot care education in the Northern Territory. The emergent themes included communication issues, educational resources, changing behaviour and other practical resources required for health education. The themes provided evidence of the inherent issues of foot care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and guidance for the development of a visual educational tool. The results have lead to the development of a foot care educational tool that will be used by health‐care professionals and clients in urban, community, rural and remote areas. The use of a participant action research process will ensure that the educational tool will be owned by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and health‐care professionals.
JOHN FLYNN SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS: CASE STUDIES OF USEFUL CONTRIBUTIONS TO REMOTE HEALTH CARE
Authors: Mak Donna , Plant Aileen J. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT:In 1997, the John Flynn Scholarship (JFS) program was launched as an initiative to increase recruitment of doctors to rural areas. These scholarships enable undergraduate medical students to spend 2 weeks each year for 4 years at the same rural location. Given the magnitude of Australia’s unmet rural health needs, we asked whether the experience could be enhanced by ensuring the students undertook meaningful work that was useful for the community. This paper describes, using case studies, some of the activities in which four JFS students have been involved and the positive contributions that they have made to rural health. The case studies indicate that pre‐clinical students can be valuable members of the rural health workforce. We hope that if JFS students are given the opportunity to work as responsible health professionals they will have a better learning experience and will be more likely to return to the bush as doctors.
MEDIA REPORTS OF RURAL HEALTH AND SAFETY: A REVIEW OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE LAND NEWSPAPER
Authors: Shea Robyn , Chapman Simon 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT: The Land is one of the main newspapers that service Australia’s rural community. A content analysis of reports on health issues in

The Land was undertaken for the period April 1998 to October 1999 (76 editions, 10 336 pages). Fifty‐four articles were published, with most being about causes of farm injury. Very few articles concerning non‐injury health issues facing rural residents were published. People working in health promotion should consider

The Land to be an under‐utilised vehicle for news and commentary on rural health and safety issues.
Diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy in Fiji: Comparison with data from an Australian diabetes centre
Authors: Brooks Belinda , Chong Robert , Ho Ivan , Capstick Fiona , Molyneaux Lynda , Oo Than T , Tester Malcolm , Yue And Dennis 
Published: March 2003

Background: As part of a project to improve diabetes care in Fiji, we assessed the magnitude of problems posed by diabetic retinopathy in that country and compared the findings with those from an Australian diabetes centre. The relationship between diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy was also examined in a subset of patients. Methods: A medical team from Australia screened a total of 446 type 2 diabetic patients (ethnicity: Fijian/Indian 16/84%) for diabetic retinopathy in five towns from the Western Division of Viti Levu, Fiji. The findings were compared with data obtained from 1659 type 2 diabetic patients who had attended an Australian diabetes centre (ethnicity: Indian/ Anglo‐Celtic 12/88%). In both cohorts, retinopathy was assessed by direct fundoscopy and a spot urine sample was collected for determination of albuminuria (defined as a concentration > 50 mg/L). Results: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy increased linearly with duration of diabetes. It was higher in Fiji, even when cases from the same ethnicity (i.e. Indians) and duration were compared (P < 0.05). Extrapolation of the data points suggests a delay in the diagnosis of diabetes in Fiji. Of those patients with retinopathy in Fiji, more than half had moderate to severe non‐proliferative diabetic retinopathy or proliferative diabetic retinopathy, significantly higher than patients in the Australian cohort (χ2 = 29.2; P < 0.0001). Retinopathy was not a predictor of albuminuria in Fijian Indians (χ2 = 0.4; P = 0.5). In contrast, Australian Indians with retinopathy had significantly more albuminuria (χ2 = 10.2; P = 0.001). Conclusions: Severe diabetic retinopathy is common in both ethnic groups in Fiji. A delay in the diagnosis of diabetes as well as poor glycaemic control are possible factors. The availability of laser therapy is important to prevent loss of vision, but it is also essential that appropriate training of health professionals is integrated with a programme of diabetic complication screening to support this form of therapy.
Retrospective study of macular holes treated with pars plana vitrectomy
Authors: Livingstone BI , Bourke RD 
Published: March 2003

Background: Tangential vitreo‐foveal traction resulting in full‐thickness macular hole is an important cause of visual loss. Purpose: To determine, correlate and evaluate the factors that affect the anatomical and visual outcome of macular hole surgery. Method: Retrospective analysis of all cases of macular hole surgery undertaken by a single surgeon (RDB) between 1995 and 1998. Results: One hundred eyes were analysed with a minimum follow‐up of 3 months. One operation anatomical success rate was 95%. Anatomically successful eyes had visual acuity improvement of one or more lines in 73.4% and two or more lines in 66.3%. Failure to remove diaphanous contractile ‘epiretinal’ membranes (presumably the internal limiting membrane) around the macular hole was significantly associated with anatomical failure (P < 0.001). Improvement of two or more lines of visual acuity was significantly associated with successful anatomical closure of the macular hole (P = 0.001). The success rate was highest in the more recent cases, suggesting a learning curve effect. Postoperatively, cataract developed or progressed in 96% of phakic eyes. Retinal detachment occurred in 6%, with all eyes having the retina reattached following subsequent surgery. Gross retinal pigment epithelial changes at the macula region developed in 3%. Conclusion: Meticulous rapid dissection of adherent, diaphanous ‘epiretinal’ membrane around the macular hole, combined with gas tamponade and postoperative posturing, result in successful anatomical closure with improved visual acuity.