Winter ecology of house mice and the prospects for their eradication from Steeple Jason (Falkland Islands)

Invasive house mice Mus musculus are known to impact on seabird, invertebrate and plant communities on temperate and subantarctic islands, particularly where they are the sole rodent species. Steeple Jason, in the Falkland Islands, is an island which supports globally important seabird populations as well as introduced mice. To evaluate the prospects for mouse eradication, we investigated mouse ecology and undertook bait uptake trials on Steeple Jason in late winter. Mice were present in all habitats but were most abundant in tussac Poa flabellata where they occurred at 20–35 mice ha^?1. From 58 mature perforate females, 16 % were pregnant, with litters of 4–8 pups. The first lactating female was caught at the end of August, suggesting that breeding had recently begun. Bait trials replicating an aerial eradication were undertaken on two trapping grids of 7.7 and 6.8 ha, with non-toxic pellets containing the biomarker pyranine spread at 7.5–7.7 kg ha^?1. All 447 mice captured after baiting had consumed bait. The relatively low winter density, distribution and biology of house mice on Steeple Jason are similar to those observed before other successful mice eradications, and the study indicated 100 % bait acceptance. Before an eradication attempt, we suggest investigating whether breeding ceases completely earlier in the winter and urge careful consideration of non-target species.     

Reasonability and Conscientious Objection in Medicine: A Reply to Marsh and an Elaboration of the Reason‐Giving Requirement

In this paper I defend the Reasonability View: the position that medical professionals seeking a conscientious exemption must state reasons in support of their objection and allow those reasons to be subject to evaluation. Recently, this view has been criticized by Jason Marsh as proposing a standard that is either too difficult to meet or too easy to satisfy. First, I defend the Reasonability View from this proposed dilemma. Then, I develop this view by presenting and explaining some of the central criteria it uses to assess whether a conscientious objection is proper grounds for extending an exemption to a medical practitioner.     

The Psychological Theory of Activity : "Remembrances of the Future"

Communication I. Need for Self-Assertion: Chief Factor in the Behavior of Young Adolescents (Submitted by A. R. Luriia, Full Member, Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, RSFSR)     

Chromosomal location and molecular mapping of a tan spot resistance gene in the winter wheat cultivar Red Chief

The winter wheat cultivar Red Chief has been identified as the wheat cultivar most resistant toPyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr). This study was undertaken to determine the inheritance, chromosomal location and molecular mapping of a tan spot resistance gene in Red Chief. χ² analysis of the F₂ segregation data of the hybrids between 21 monosomic lines of the susceptible wheat cultivar Chinese Spring and the resistant cultivar Red Chief revealed that tan spot resistance in cv. Red Chief is controlled by a single recessive gene located on chromosome 3A. Linkage analysis using SSR markers in the Red Chief/Chinese Spring F2 population showed that thetsr4 gene is clustered in the region aroundXgwm2a, on the short arm of chromosome 3A. This marker has also been identified as the closest marker to thetsr3 locus on chromosome 3D in synthetic wheat lines. Validation analysis of this marker for thetsr3 andtsr4 genes using 28 resistant and 6 susceptible genotypes indicated that the 120 bp allele (thetsr3 gene) specific fragment was observed in 11 resistant genotypes, including the three synthetic lines XX41, XX45 and XX110, while the 130 bp allele was amplified only in cv. Red Chief and Dashen.Xgwm2a can be used to trace the presence of the target gene in successive backcross generations and pyramiding of thetsr3 &tsr4 genes into a commonly grown and adaptable cultivar.     

Design of Observational Studies edited by P. R. Rosenbaum

Design of Observational Studies (P. R. Rosenbaum) Peter B. Gilbert Longitudinal Data Analysis (G. Fitzmaurice, M. Davidian, G. Verbeke, and G. Molenberghs, Editors) Joseph W. Hogan Multiple Testing Problems in Pharmaceutical Statistics (A. Dmitrienko, A. C. Tamhane, and F. Bretz, Editors) Jason Stover Life Distributions: Structure of Nonparametric, Semiparametric, and Parametric Families (A. W. Marshall and I. Olkin) Yosef Rinott     

Withdrawn: Interaction of lincRNA ROR and p53/miR-145 correlates with lung cancer stem cell signatures

The above article, published online as accepted article, prior to the version of record, on 18 May 2017 in Wiley Online Library ( https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.25960 ) has been withdrawn by agreement between the journal's Editor in Chief, Prof. Dr. Christian Behl, and Wiley Periodicals LLC.     

Law and Social Norms in the Comparative Study of Islam

. History of Islamic Legal Theories: An Introduction to Sunni usul al-fiqh. Wael B. Hallaq. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 294 pp.
In the House of the Law: Gender and Islamic Law in Ottoman Syria and Palestine. Judith E. Tucker. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. 216 pp.
Pronouncing and Persevering: Gender and the Discourses of Disputing in an African Islamic Court. Susan F. Hirsch. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. 355 pp.
The Rule of Law in the Arab World: Courts in Egypt and the Gulf. Nathan J. Brown. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 258 pp.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed:
Reproductive Health and Human Rights: Integrating Medicine, Ethics and Law , Rebecca J. Cook, Bernard M. Dickens and Mahmoud F. Fathalla. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2003, xxvii + 554 pp. £16.99 (paperback), £45.00 (hardback). Reviewed by DENISE MEYERSON Professor in the Division of Law, Macquarie University, Australia.
Global Responses to AIDS: Science in Emergency , Cristiana Bastos. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1999, xvii + 225 pp. US $27.95 (hardback). Reviewed by CHARLES NGWENA Department of Constitutional Law University of the Free State, South Africa     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Ethnology: The Politics of Inequality: Competition and Control in an Indian Village . Miriam Sharma.
Ethnology: The Politics of Passion: Structure and Strategy in Sikh Society . Harry Izmirlian, Jr.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Ethnology: Differentiation and Co-operation in an Israeli Veteran Moshav. ELAINE BALDWIN.
Ethnology: Family and Community in the Kibbutz. YONINA TALMON.     

Ethnology: Inkonze: Magico-Religious Beliefs of Contact-Traditional Chipewan Trading at Fort Resolution, NWT, Canada. DAVID MERRILL SMITH

Book reviewed in this article:
Ethnology: The Middle Ground: Social Change in an Arctic Community, 1967–1971. JOEL S. SAVISHINSKY and SUSAN B. FRIMMER .
Ethnology: Leadership Among the Southwestern Ojibwa . JAMES G. E. SMITH.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Ethnology: Australian Aboriginal Paintings in Western and Central Arnhem Land: Temporal Sequences and Elements of Style in Cadell River and Deaf Adder Creek Art. E. J. Brandl
Ethnology: Kilenge Art and Life: A Look at a New Guinea People. Philip J. C. Dark     

The Archaeology of Communities: A New World Perspective

The Archaeology of Communities:. New World Perspective. Marcello A. Canuto and Jason Yaeger. eds. New York: Routledge, 2000.271 pp.     

Impact of introduced house mice (Mus musculus) on burrowing seabirds on Steeple Jason and Grand Jason Islands,Falklands, South Atlantic

Whilst there is good evidence for negative impacts of introduced rat species on island ecosystems, the effects of house mice (Mus musculus) are generally less well documented. In some situations, introduced house mice can exert severe impacts, particularly where this is the only introduced mammal. Here, we examine the distribution, relative abundance and breeding success of small burrowing seabirds on Steeple Jason Island, Falklands, in relation to habitat types and the distribution of house mice which is the sole introduced mammal species, and we make comparisons with seabird distribution and densities on the neighbouring island of Grand Jason where mice are absent. Grey-backed storm-petrel (Garrodia nereis) and Wilson’s storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), which due to their extremely small size are likely to be the most vulnerable to mouse predation, were considerably more abundant on mouse-free Grand Jason than on Steeple Jason. Grey-backed storm-petrel, which are typically associated with tussac grass, avoided this habitat on Steeple Jason where it is associated with high levels of house mouse activity (assessed from the proportion of wax baits gnawed overnight), whereas on mouse-free Grand Jason, there was no such avoidance. Wilson’s storm-petrel nesting on Steeple Jason suffered high rates of egg and chick loss. Whilst we found evidence for detrimental impacts of house mice on the two small storm-petrel species, there was no relationship between relative mouse activity levels and the distribution or abundance of the larger thin-billed Prion (Pachyptila belcheri).     

Population replacement strategies for controlling vector populations and the use of Wolbachia pipientis for genetic drive

In this video, Jason Rasgon discusses population replacement strategies to control vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. "Population replacement" is the replacement of wild vector populations (that are competent to transmit pathogens) with those that are not competent to transmit pathogens. There are several theoretical strategies to accomplish this. One is to exploit the maternally-inherited symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia pipientis. Wolbachia is a widespread reproductive parasite that spreads in a selfish manner at the extent of its host's fitness. Jason Rasgon discusses, in detail, the basic biology of this bacterial symbiont and various ways to use it for control of vector-borne diseases.     

Amazon Stranger: A Rainforest Chief Battles Big Oil

Amazon Stranger:. Rainforest Chief Battles Big Oil. Mike Tidwell. New York: Lyons and Burford, 1996.216 pp.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
SPLENDID ISOLATION: The curious history of South American mammals by G. G. Simpson. Yale University Press, London
BABOON MOTHERS and INFANTS by Jean Altmann. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., and London
THE MAMMALS OF ZAMBIA by W. F. H. Ansell. The National Parks and Wildlife Service, Chilanga. 1978.
MESOZOIC MAMMALS: The first two-thirds of mammalian history edited by Jason A. Lillegraven
THE ECOLOGY and CONSERVATION OF LARGE AFRICAN MAMMALS by S. K. Eltringham. Macmillan     

Science and society: Frozen delight

In the April, 1985 issue of Bio Essays, F. Vella presented an evaluation of the recent GPEP report, concerning medical school education in the United States. Here, Hilliard Jason and Jane Westberg present an additional discussion of the issues.