Reproductive cycle of the salmon-bellied racer, Mastigodryas melanolomus (Serpentes, Colubridae), from Costa Rica

The purpose of this paper is to present new information on the reproductive cycle of M. melanolomus from Costa Rica based onhistological examination of gonadal material from museum specimens. The first information on the timing of the testicular cycle is alsopresented

Reproduction in the Yellow-spotted night lizard, Lepidophyma flavimaculatum (Squamata, Xantusiidae), from Costa Rica

The purpose of this note is to add information on reproduction of L. flavimaculatum from a histological examination of gonadal materialfrom museum specimens from five Provinces of Costa Rica. The first information on the testicular cycle is presented. Minimum sizes forreproduction of males and females are given

Reproduction of the yellow-backed spiny lizard, Sceloporus uniformis (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from California

The reproductive cycle of Sceloporus uniformis was studied by a histological examination of gonads from specimens collected from five California counties: Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino. Males followed a testicular cycle in which sperm production (spermiogenesis) started in March and was completed in August. The smallest reproductively active male measured 79 mm SVL. Females were reproductively active from March into July. Mean clutch size for 20 females = 6.75 ± 2.0 Sd, range = 3-10. The smallest reproductively active female (enlarged follicles \u3e 5 mm) measured 78 mm SVL. Histological evidence is presented (oviductal eggs and concomitant yolk deposition) that multiple clutches are produced by some females of S. uniformis

Helminths from fifteen species of frogs (Anura, Hylidae) from Costa Rica

Fifteen species of Costa Rican hylid frogs were examined for helminths: Agalychnis annae, Agalychnis callidryas, Agalychnis spurrelli, Dendropsophus ebraccatus, Dendropsophus phlebodes, Duellmanohyla uranochroa, Hylomantis lemur, Hypsiboas rosenbergi, Isthmohyla pictipes, Isthmohyla rivularis, Isthmohyla tica, Scinax elaeochrous, Smilisca phaeota, Smilisca sordida, Tlalocohyla loquax. The frogs were found to harbor twelve species of helminths including one species of Monogenea, (Polystoma naevius), two species of Digenea (Gorgoderina diaster and Mesocoelium monas), eight species of Nematoda (Cosmocerca podicipinus, Falcaustra costaricae, Ochoterenella digiticauda, Oswaldocruzia costaricensis, Oxyascaris mcdiarmidi, Rhabdias savagei, Physaloptera sp. and Acuariidae gen. sp.) and one species of Acanthocephala (Anuracanthorhynchus lutzi). Mean number of helminth species per infected host species was 2.7 ± 0.3 SE (range 1-5). Thirty-nine new host records are reported

Helminths of two lizard species, Lepidophyma flavimaculatum and L. reticulatum (Squamata: Xantusiidae), from Costa Rica

We examined two species of xantusiid lizards, Lepidophyma flavimaculatum Duméril, 1851 and L. reticulatum Taylor, 1955 from Costa Rica for the presence of helminths

Strategic M&A’s: Stronger in Tough Times?

Global acquisitions were worth $6.5 billion in the first quarter of 2008, were down 44% from the previous quarter, and down 41% from the first quarter of 2007.1 But the value of strategic M&As dropped less, only 33%, while the number of deals rose 8%, and cross-border deals represented 38% of the total value of global M&As. Kroll argues that strategic M&As, while likely to experience some drop in volume in 2008 and until the credit crisis bottoms out, will withstand the pressures of financial markets much better than financial M&As. Strategic M&As are deals conducted by companies that want to integrate strategic and complementary additions to their firm’s existing competencies. Financial acquisitions are deals done by private equity or venture capital investors who are looking for portfolio picks that will bring a high return in a relatively short period of time. While the overall volume of M&A deals trended downward through 2007, strategic M&As took less of a hit and Asia was the only region that demonstrated an increase.2 In this article, we try to explain the reasons for this, including the current downturn in M&A activity, M&A trends today, success factors in financial M&As and then strategic M&As, and an update on IPO activity

How to Handle the Threat of Catastrophe

One of the principal jobs of chief executives is to minimize risk and vulnerability to catastrophic events. Analyzing risk has become more complex since September 11, 2001. In addition to terrorism, other catastrophes can change the course of life as we know it including cyber crime, biological attacks, and the spread of diseases such as SARS. Companies must realign corporate priorities and put the security issue at the forefront, as many companies have done since the 9/11 attacks. Risk management has dealt traditionally with two types of events: known risk and unknown risk. Known risks are events you know exist, and are somewhat likely to occur, such as fire, theft, accidents, lawsuits, economic or currency risk. Unknown risks are those that could happen, but are unlikely to affect you, your people or your property: earthquakes, tornadoes and other weather risks, political instability, and conventional terrorism, such as that to which the US was exposed prior to 9/11. We now have a third category: unknowable risk. Unknowable risks are those that are neither known nor unknown, and you don’t imagine they exist. Therefore, it is difficult to plan contingencies for unknowable risks. Examples of unknowable risk include SARS, or passenger aircraft being flown into Manhattan skyscraper