Induction of egg maturation and oviposition in the tick Ornithodoros parkeri (Acari: Argasidae)

Hemocoelic injection and vaginal insertion of selected male reproductive and non-reproductive tissue homogenates into fed-virgin female Ornithodoros parkeri stimulated varying degrees of ovum maturation and/or oviposition during 14 and 30 day observation periods, respectively. Mean times for oviposition and mean numbers of eggs laid per ovipositing female receiving hemocoelic injections of male reproductive tissue homogenates did not differ significantly from fed-mated controls. In addition, hemocoelic injection of male salivary glandular homogenate induced oviposition, yet synganglial homogenate did not. Although vaginal insertion induced both ovum maturation and oviposition, the effect was not as pronounced as when similar doses were administered by hemocoelic injection. These results indicate that a complex interrelated series of precopulatory and copulatory stimuli are necessary for oviposition to occur in fed O. parkeri.

Effects of temperature and tick weight on expression of autogeny in the argasid tick Ornithodoros parkeri Cooley (acari: Argasidae)

The effects of different temperatures on the expression of autogenic development in unfed/mated Ornithodoros parkeri Cooley females were examined. High temperature (29 C) induced autogeny in lower, middle and higher weight classes (11-20, 21-30, 31-40 mg, respectively) with all females in the highest weight class and most in the middle weight class ovipositing within 51 days post-mate. At a lower temperature (21 C) autogenic development was not expressed by higher and middle weight females, whereas lower weight females exhibited similar degrees of autogeny at both temperatures. Results are discussed in relation to presumptive factors involved in the control and mediation of autogeny.

Movement and Host Finding by Unfed Nymphs of Two Australian Reptile Ticks

Unfed nymphs ofthe Australian reptile tick species Aponomma hydrosauri and Amblyomma limbatum stayed in aggregated groups in one spot, despite the presence of host lizards as close as 50 cm. The two tick species apparently wait for hosts to come by, in contrast to other species which actively respond to nearby hosts. It may be that, because the bodies ofthe reptile hosts are so close to the ground, the ticks do not have to give up the benefits of remaining in sheltered microhabitats for efficient host finding.

A Comparison of the Mating Behaviour Between Populations of the Reptile Ticks Aponomma Hydrosauri and Amblyomma Albolimbatum

Tests were conducted in Australia to determine the levels of reproductive isolation between geographically separated populations of reptile ticks. Mating behaviour was observed both on and off hosts in the laboratory when males were placed with females of their own or different populations. There was no evidence for reproductive isolation between South Australian populations of Aponomma hydrosauri (Denny) collected from the host lizard Trachydosaurus rugosus, despite one area of geographical isolation. Males of Amblyomma albolimbatum Neum. showed no discrimination between females from populations more than 2000 km apart. This contrasts with earlier reports of reproductive isolation between reptile tick species and contradicts hypotheses of rapid speciation in parasitic taxa.

Opting Out Isn't Easy, Even With a Computer

When a 13 member clinic group decided to opt out of medicare and set up a computerized billing system, they discovered many unforeseen problems. Cost of renting the program was one factor, unpaid accounts were another. The group eventually ended up opting back in to the medicare program. This article describes the experience and what the group learned from it.

Client correlates of community informant adjustment ratings

Explored similarities and differences among home and community adjustment ratings by clients, community informants, and psychiatrists. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventories, and Personality Adjustment and Role Skills (PARS) scales (Ellsworth, 1975) were administered to 169 consecutively-admitted psychiatric patients. Psychiatrists rated each client on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales and 141 community informants rated client's home and community adjustment on the PARS. Simple, multiple, and canonical correlational analyses were performed with scores from these tests. Although clients, community informants, and psychiatrists agree when rating clients' symptomatology, nevertheless each person highlighted different aspects of adjustment. Moreover, "impression management" (as measured by subtle-obvious MMPI scales) emerged as influential. These two findings suggest that outcome assessment must be based not only on ratings from multiple perspectives but also outcome assessment must entertain possible biases among raters. Supplementary analyses indicated that outcome assessment for psychiatric clients can be improved by adding response style scales which evaluate dimensions of "sick" and "healthy" symptom presentation and by identifying interaction of diagnosis with ratings of home and community and adjustment.