Sex-biased hatching sequences in the cooperatively breeding Noisy Miner

The Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala (Meliphagidae) is a cooperatively breeding bird species in which sons often remain on their natal home ranges and help one or both of their parents. In a population of Noisy Miners in SE Queensland, Australia, a molecular technique was used to explore adult and offspring sex ratios. and also hatching sequences. Among the adult population, there were 2.31 males for every female, and roughly 99% of helping was performed by males. At hatching and fledging, the population sex ratio was even, with exactly 57 males and 57 females. However, in 17 out of 18 broods the first egg to hatch was male, First-hatched males were significantly larger and heavier than their sisters just prior to fledging. Through their helping behaviour, large healthy sons could clearly enhance the future reproductive success of parents. and benefit the entire group. Sex-biased hatching sequences could potentially provide cooperatively breeding birds with a subtle and precise way of varying investment in the helping sex.

Optimal patch-leaving behaviour: a case study using the parasitoid Cotesia rubecular

1. Parasitoids are predicted to spend longer in patches with more hosts, but previous work on Cotesia rubecula (Marshall) has not upheld this prediction, Tests of theoretical predictions may be affected by the definition of patch leaving behaviour, which is often ambiguous. 2. In this study whole plants were considered as patches and assumed that wasps move within patches by means of walking or flying. Within-patch and between-patch flights were distinguished based on flight distance. The quality of this classification was tested statistically by examination of log-survivor curves of flight times. 3. Wasps remained longer in patches with higher host densities, which is consistent with predictions of the marginal value theorem (Charnov 1976). tinder the assumption that each flight indicates a patch departure, there is no relationship between host density and leaving tendency. 4. Oviposition influences the patch leaving behaviour of wasps in a count down fashion (Driessen et al. 1995), as predicted by an optimal foraging model (Tenhumberg, Keller & Possingham 2001). 5. Wasps spend significantly longer in the first patch encountered following release, resulting in an increased rate of superparasitism.

An exploratory study of gendered differences in young tourists perception of danger within London

This paper studies young tourists' perception of danger within the urban holiday environment of London, England. The study of perceived danger is important not only in its own right, but also because of the influence it may have on use of leisure spaces and times. This research assesses gender and group composition differences in perception of danger, addressing the relatively neglected issues of men's perception and the relationship between the genders. For the purpose of this paper 'danger' was assessed by studying how safe, relaxed, vulnerable, threatened, and at risk people felt while in London. The study found a number of similarities and differences between the men and women studied, in terms of how they perceived danger and their group composition during the day and nigh-time. These results indicate that gender may not be the only influence on perception and behaviour, and that men and women should not be regarded as-homogenous cohorts. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A for stage III and IV squamous carcinoma of the head and neck: a Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group Study

Purpose: The aims of this randomized controlled trial were to determine whether there were differences in the disease-free survival (DFS) and toxicity between conventional radiotherapy (CRT) and a continuous 3 week accelerated radiotherapy regimen (ART) in stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx. Patients and methods: Patients from 14 centres throughout Australia and New Zealand were randomly assigned to either CRT, using a single 2 Gy/day to a dose of 70 Gy in 35 fractions in 49 days or to ART, using 1.8 Gy twice a day to a dose of 59.4 Gy in 33 fractions in 24 days. Treatment allocation was stratified for site and stage. The accrual began in 1991 and the trial was closed in 1998 when the target of 350 patients was reached. Results: The median potential follow-up time was 53 months (range, 14-101). The DFS at 5 years was 41% (95% CI, 33-50%) for ART and 35% (95% CI, 27-43%) for CRT (P = 0.323) and the hazard ratio was 0.87 in favour of ART (95% CI, 0.66-1.15). The 5-year disease-specific survival rates were 40% for CRT and 46% for ART (P = 0.398) and the loco-regional control was 47% for CRT vs. 52% for ART (P = 0.300). The respective hazard ratios were 0.88 (95% CI, 0.65-1.2) and 0.85 (0.62-1.16), favouring the accelerated arm. In the ART arm, confluent mucositis was more severe (94 vs. 71%; P < 0.001) and peaked about 3 weeks earlier than in the CRT arm, but healing appeared complete in all cases. There were statistically significant reductions in the probability of grade 2 or greater late soft tissue effects over time in the ART arm (P < 0.05), except for the mucous membrane where late effects were similar in both arms. Conclusions: Differences in DFS, disease-specific survival and loco-regional control have not been demonstrated. ART resulted in more acute mucosal toxicity, but this did not result in greater prolongation of the treatment time compared with the CRT arm. There were less late effects in the ART arm, with the exception of late mucosal effects. This trial has confirmed that tumour cell repopulation occurs during conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. However, it has also provided additional evidence that overall improvements in the therapeutic ratio using accelerated fractionation strategies are seriously constrained by the need to limit total doses to levels that do not exceed acute mucosal tolerance. The accelerated schedule tested has been shown in this trial to be an acceptable alternative to conventionally fractionated irradiation to 70 Gy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behaviour rating scales for older people with dementia: which is the best for use by nurses?

There is increasing awareness of the importance of disruptive behaviour in people with dementia and the need for rating scales to accurately and reliably measure this behaviour. When rating scales are to be administered by nurses, scale characteristics must take into account the limitations of the nursing role and the nature of the environment in which nurses work. This paper reviews thirty-one rating scales that have been used to measure behaviour in dementia. From this analysis, five scales were identified as suitable for use by nurses when measuring disruptive behaviour in older people with dementia.

Mating behaviour and alternative oviposition sites for male eggs in the heteronomous hyperparasitoid Coccophagus gurneyi Compere (Hymenoptera : Aphelinidae)

The aphelinid parasitoid Coccophagus gurneyi Compere has unusual sex-related host relationships. Females are diploid and develop internally within mealybugs Pseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell). Males, in contrast, are haploid and hyperparasitic, developing on primary parasitoid larvae within the mealybugs. Furthermore, males have been claimed to be capable of either internal or external development, depending on the precise site of deposition of the haploid egg. This diversity of developmental pathways could indicate the existence of a sibling-species complex. We therefore quantified the mating and ovipositional behaviour of C. gurneyi, for comparison with that of an undescribed sibling species. We also checked whether the females deposit male eggs in alternative sites. The pattern of mating was found to be typical of mating behaviour in Coccophagus spp. and was consistent among all mating pairs, suggesting that the colony comprised one species. Further, the mating behaviour was significantly different from that of the undescribed sibling species. The site of male egg deposition varied and is apparently dictated by two factors; whether the mealybug is parasitised and, if so, the size of the parasitoid it contains. If the mealybugs were unparasitised or if the parasitoids within the mealybugs were small (< 0.53 mm), male eggs were deposited within the mealybug haemocoel. If the parasitoids were large (> 1.05 mm), male eggs were deposited within the parasitoids. These results support the claim of alternate host relationships and developmental pathways within males of C. gurneyi.

The Dubinin-Radushkevich equation and the underlying microscopic adsorption description

The Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR) equation is widely used for description of adsorption in microporous materials, especially those of a carbonaceous origin. The equation has a semi-empirical origin and is based on the assumptions of a change in the potential energy between the gas and adsorbed phases and a characteristic energy of a given solid. This equation yields a macroscopic behaviour of adsorption loading for a given pressure. In this paper, we apply a theory developed in our group to investigate the underlying mechanism of adsorption as an alternative to the macroscopic description using the DR equation. Using this approach, we are able to establish a detailed picture of the adsorption in the whole range of the micropore system. This is different from the DR equation, which provides an overall description of the process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal care and infant behaviour of the bridled nailtail wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata)

Bridled nailtail wallabies Onychogalea fraenata are endangered, medium-sized, nocturnal macropodids that persist at only one location in central Queensland, Australia. Characteristics of juvenile development, shelter use, anti-predator behaviour and maternal care were investigated in the wild using trapping, radio-tracking and spotlighting observations., Timing of developmental stages was identical to the pattern previously found in captivity, except for age at weaning which was much earlier in the wild. After young had left the pouch permanently at 17 weeks of age and weighing c. 800 g, they always spent the day concealed in dense cover, generally > 200 m from their mothers. Juveniles were also alone in > 50% of observations at night, and stayed closer to cover than did adult females. Young became independent of their mothers 7-8 weeks after permanent exit from the pouch and weighing c. 1800 g. Females with dependent juveniles changed their behaviour in ways likely to reduce predation on young. They reduced their home ranges, stayed closer to cover and became more wary than other females. Juveniles differed from adult females in their habitat use, anti-predator behaviour and shelter site preferences. Juveniles were more likely than adults to respond to threats by standing still or lying flat on the ground, whether or not they were in concealing cover. Juveniles used a wider range of smaller shelters than adults, and were less likely to use solid shelters such as hollow logs during the day. Because bridled nailtail wallabies have a 'hider' strategy of maternal care and the young rely on crypsis, successful breeding in the wild requires dense vegetation cover.

The walkeriana species-group of Euhesma Michener (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Euryglossinae)

The walkeriana species-group of iridescent Euhesma bees is described with the following nine species considered new: E. allunga, E. banksia, E. bronzus, E. dongara, E. lobata, E. spinola, E. sybilae, E. viridescens and E. xana. Two new synonymies are proposed: E. mica (Cockerell) with E. neglectula (Cockerell), and E. halictoides (Rayment) with E. latissima (Cockerell). A key enables the separation of species, and distributions are mapped.

Early toxicity from preoperative radiotherapy with continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil for resectable adenocarcinoma of the rectum: A phase II trial for the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group

Purpose: To assess the toxicity and the efficacy of preoperative radiotherapy with continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the rectum. Methods and Materials: Eligible patients had newly diagnosed localized adenocarcinoma of the rectum within 12 cm of the anal verge, Stage T3-4, and were suitable for curative resection. Eighty-two patients were treated with radiotherapy-50.4 Gy in 28 fractions in 5.6 weeks, given concurrently with continuous infusion 5-FU, using either 96-h/week infusion at 300 mg/m(2)/day or 7-days/week infusion at 225 mg/m(2)/day. Results: The median age was 59 years (range, 27-87), and 67% of patients were male. Pretreatment stages of the rectal cancer were T3, 89% and resectable T4, 11%, with endorectal ultrasound confirmation in 67% of patients. Grade 3 acute toxicity occurred in 5 of 82 patients (6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2-14%). Types of surgical resection were anterior resection, 61%; abdominoperineal resection, 35%; and other procedures, 4%. There was no operative mortality. Anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection occurred in 3 of 50 patients (6%; 95% CI, 1-17%). The pathologic complete response rate was 16% (95% CI, 9-26%). Pathologic Stages T2 or less occurred in 51%. Conclusion: Preoperative radiotherapy with continuous infusion 5-FU for locally advanced rectal cancer is a safe regimen, with a significant downstaging effect. It does not seem to lead to a significant increase in serious surgical complications. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc.