Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fewer People May Not Mean More Forest for Latin American Forest Frontiers

In "The Future of Tropical Forest Species" Wright and Muller-Landau (here after WML) (2006: 287) assert that "humans cause deforestation, and humans living in rural settings have the greatest impact on extant forest area in the tropics. " They point to a positive correlation observed between human rural population density and deforestation to support their assertion. WML correlate rural population densities for 45 Asian, African and American countries with the proportion of "potential" forest remaining in each, subsequently explaining 76 percent of deforestation to date. WML then project future net tropical deforestation until 2030 using rural population projections. On the basis of the population deforestation relationship, WML conclude that anticipated declines in rural populations via urbanization will herald net afforestation, particularly in Latin America. Drawing from the social science literature on land-use/cover change in tropical forests, I challenge WML's key analytical assumption char declines in rural population density after deforestation has occurred will result in widespread afforestation. WML do anticipate such challenges with their caveat that should land use become less labor intensive in future, then their predictions will be overly optimistic (2006: 295). WML fail to appreciate, however, that in Neotropical forest frontiers: (1) regrowth suppression via land-use extensification is a characteristic outcome of population decline; and (2) exogenous drivers of land-cover change are increasingly diminishing the role of local population in such change. These tendencies are both well established and ongoing, so challenging WML's predictions from their onset. I focus primarily, but not exclusively, on Latin America, as WML view this region most optimistically as an illustration of their expectations.
Spatio‐temporal variability in abundance of the parrotfish, Sparisoma cretense, in SE Apulia (SE Italy, Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract Spatio‐temporal variability in the abundance of the parrotfish, Sparisoma cretense, was investigated along the SE Apulian rocky coast (SE Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Underwater visual census surveys were carried out in three different times (August 2000, March 2001 and May‐June 2001) at four locations between Otranto (Lower Adriatic) and S.M. di Leuca (Ionian Sea), at three sites at each location, and at four depth levels from the surface down to about 30 m. The species was never observed near the surface nor in the deepest zones, while it was more abundant at 12–15 m (mean ± SE: 0.69 ± 0.05 individuals 100 m‐2) than at 5–7 m depth (0.27 ± 0.04 ind. 100 m‐2). This general pattern was observed during all three sampling times and at each location surveyed. Significant differences in the abundance of S. cretense were detected among depths, locations and, to a lesser extent, among times, while no differences were observed among sites within locations. This study provides evidence that, besides a given variability over a spatial scale of kilometres (i.e., among locations), this fish lives exclusively between about 5 and 15 m depth, suggesting that it could have specific habitat requirements in terms of physical conditions (e.g., water temperature, wave action) and substrate features (e.g., benthic cover). In addition; taking into account that juvenile parrotfishes appeared for the first time in August 2000 along the coast of SE Apulia, where neither adults nor juveniles had been previously recorded, these data could support the hypothesis that S. cretense is establishing a true population in this region. The results presented here, in fact show that the low winter water temperature did not affect survivorship of this ther‐mophilous fish.
Uses and abuses of genetic engineering

Ethical concerns remain central Genetic engineering refers to the techniques whereby recombinant DNA, hybrid DNA made by artificially joining pieces of DNA from different sources, is produced and utilised. The term has gradually broadened out from this earlier more stringent definition to encompass virtually any process involving DNA manipulation. The applications of genetic engineering are now so widespread and well established within the biomedical sciences that it is difficult for younger investigators to envisage what research life was like in the era before genetic engineering. A quick skim of the articles in the current issue of the Journal of Immunology , a journal that ranges from clinical perspectives to molecular characterisation, reveals that out of 79 articles no less than 65 (82%) utilised genetic engineering as an important component of their investigation. In the more molecular journals that figure would certainly be 100% and even in the most clinical journals genetic engineering utilisation is prominent. This helps to explain why biomedical research laboratories around the world now tend to look so similar: irrespective of the precise discipline involved, the widespread use of molecular biology imposes its own constraints upon architecture and, indeed, on the sociology of scientific communities. The publication of the mouse genome sequence in late 2002 highlighted the enormous importance of the mouse as a model for human disease.1 Of the roughly 30 000 genes present in both human and mouse, 99% of the human genes have homologues in the mouse genome (and vice versa). In practice what this means is that nearly all the genes that contribute to human disease can be studied in the mouse, although of course gene function is not necessarily identical in the two contexts. Deleting genes out of mice (“making knockouts” in laboratory jargon) and over-expressing genes in particular lineages (“making …
Influence of Water Temperature in Use of Deep Pools by Summer Steelhead in Steamboat Creek, Oregon (USA)

Abstract This study examined use of deep pools (>0.8 m mean depth) based on thermal characteristics by adult summer steelhead in Steamboat Creek, Oregon. Steamboat Creek had a heterogenous thermal profile, with some segments exceeding the preferred temperature of steelhead. Deep pools were scarce (4% of the total habitat types), and 39% of them were identified as cool pools (mean bottom water temperature 19°C). Adult summer steelhead were found primarily in deep pools, avoiding other habitats such as glides, riffles, and even cool tributary junctions. Adult abundance in deep pools did not show significant variation between years and was inversely associated with mean bottom temperature. Use of cool pools was estimated to be 11 times the use of warm pools. However, the presence of unoccupied cool pools suggested that other ecological variables may be involved in pool selection.
Critical Success Factors of SME Internationalization

This study was directed towards investigating the critical success factors of SME internationalization. Qualitative and explorative research work have been carried out to detect the key underlying variables existing in the context. Thorough review of literature reveals four important variables as key success factors. Those are: the current internationalization scenario, future internationalization prospects, internationalization competencies, and strategies for internationalization. A conceptual networking model was established from the literature which describes the multidimensional and networking relationship among the main variables and underlying constructs. This study contributed toward developing a model for successful internationalization framework by covering important literature in the field of SME internationalization.
Some behavioural differences between the European polecat, Mustela putorius, the ferret, M. furo, and their hybrids

The aim of this work was to identify behavioural differences between the domesticated ferret Mustela furo and its wild counterpart the European polecat M. putorius and to obtain objective measures of one or more of these differences. The animals used in this study were tame M. putorius, M. furo, wild caught hybrids and laboratory reared F1 hybrids between the two species. Ferrets differed in their behaviour in unfamiliar environments and in the fact that they do not develop fear of man. The F1 hybrids resembled M. putorius in that they develop a fear of man if left with their mother during a critical period between 7½ and 8½ weeks of age. The phenomenon of imprinting may be involved in this developmental process. The attention response to a rustling noise was investigated under controlled conditions revealing differences in response decrement between the four types of polecat. M. putorius and the hybrids habituated more rapidly to the sound than did the ferrets. The results obtained for F1 hybrids depended upon the previous environmental history of the individual. Those individuals which had been living in outdoor cages responded differently from the ones in indoor cages. The hypothesis was put forward that the hybrids respond more frequently if the experimental situation provides a greater contrast with their normal environment and that the individual's response threshold is therefore “set” to specific environmental conditions. The results obtained agree with the hypothesis first put forward by Lorenz (1953) that the behaviour of domesticated animals resembles that of juvenile individuals of their wild counterpart. Summary: A comparison is made between the behaviour of European polecats (Mustela putorius), the domesticated ferret (M. furo) and hybrids between the two species. Differences were found in exploratory behaviour, fear of man and the frequency of occurrence of the “attention response”. The occurrence of the “attention response” was studied under controlled conditions. It was found, on playing the rustling sound 40 times at minute intervals, that this sound elicited the attention response for longer in ferrets than in European polecats and hybrids between the two species. The most rapid habituation occurred in polecats, the F1 hybrids being intermediate in their response between M. putorius and M. furo. The results obtained for the F1 hybrids were influenced by the conditions under which the animals were previously caged. The results appear to support Lorenz' view that domesticated animals show juvenility in their behaviour as compared with their wild counterparts.
Soil inactivation of the Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki CryIIA insecticidal protein within transgenic cotton tissue : Laboratory microcosm and field studies

The environmental fate of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki CryIIA insecticidal protein expressed within transgenic cotton plant tissue (= Bt-cotton) was evaluated by determining reduction in the biological activity of the protein incubated in soil for 120 days. Studies were conducted in a laboratory microcosm and under field conditions during the fall and winter of 1995−1996 in St. Louis, MO. An insect bioassay, based on growth inhibition of larval Heliothis virescens (F.), was used to estimate DT50 values (50% dissipation time = “half-life” of bioactivity) of the CryIIA protein. DT50 values were 15.5 and 31.7 days for the laboratory and field, respectively. The percentages of initial CryIIA protein bioactivity remaining after 40 days of incubation were similar for the laboratory and field samples. In both environments, <25% of the initial bioactivity remained after 120 days. These results indicate that the biological activity of CryIIA protein, as a component of postharvest Bt-cotton plants, readil.
Diving and night-time behavior of long-finned pilot whales in the Ligurian Sea

Pilot whales Globicephala spp. have long been thought to be deep divers, yet little information is available on dive depths. During August 1999 we obtained detailed dive data from suction-cup-attached time-depth recorder/VHF radio tags deployed on 5 long-finned pilot whales G. melas. Pilot whales were tagged for short periods (average 5 h ind. -1 ) in deep (>2000 m) waters of the Ligurian Sea, off the NW coast of Italy. During the day all 5 whales spent their time in the top 16 m of the water column, and visible surface activities consisted primarily of rest and social behaviors. Tags re- mained attached after dark on 2 whales and shortly after sunset both whales made several deep dives (max. 360 and 648 m). Velocity on these deep dives was greater than during shallow dives either during the day or at night, suggesting that these deep dives function primarily for foraging. Our results confirm the supposition that long-finned pilot whales can dive deep, particularly within 2 h after sunset, which is the time that vertically migrating prey become more readily available as they move closer to the surface.
Cranial Nonmetrical Analyses of the Yayoi People in the Northwestern Kyushu Area

Incidence data of 22 cranial nonmetric traits were investigated in the Aeneolithic Yayoi people in the northwestern Kyushu area, and compared with those in Yayoi people in the northern Kyushu area, Yayoi people in Yamaguchi and Jomon people. Smith's Mean Measures of Divergence (MMD) were obtained in 8 groups after addition of modern people in the northwestern Kyushu area and others. Based on these data, principal co-ordinate analysis and cluster analysis were performed. The following results were obtained. The characteristics of the Yayoi people in northwestern Kyushu succeeded the characteristics of Neolithic Jomon people, and differ markedly from Yayoi people of continental lineage. Among the 22 traits, the incidences of supraorbital foramen, biasterionic suture vestige, hypoglossal canal bridging, pterygospinous foramen, transverse zygomatic suture vestige and mylohyoid bridging were greatly different between the Yayoi people in northwestern Kyushu and the Yayoi people of continental lineage. In the northwestern Kyushu area, a marked difference in cranial nonmetric traits was found between Yayoi and modern people. Such a difference probably developed because of the hereditary influence of Yayoi people of continental lineage in and after the Protohistoric Kofun period.
Deep-Water Shrimp (Crustacea: Penaeoidea) Off the Yucatan Peninsula (Southern Gulf of Mexico): A Potential Fishing Resource?

ABSTRACT Shrimp fisheries in the Mexican Gulf of Mexico arc limited to the 100-m-depth contour. We investigated potential penaeoidean shrimp resources on the continental slope of the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Gulf of Mexico) during 2 research cruises conducted during spring 1999 (cruise 1; number of hauls, 21; depth range, 300–599 m) and 2007 (cruise 2; number of hauls, 27; depth range, 300–999 m). During both cruises, the catch included 6 penaeoidean species: Aristaeomorpha foliacea, Aristaeopsis edwardsiana, Pleoticus robustus, Aristeus antillensis, Penaeopsis serrata, and Parapenaeus politus. The first 3 species constituted 85% and 91% of the total catch in weight obtained during cruise 1 and cruise 2, respectively. During cruise 1, the mean (± SE) biomass (1.05 ± 0.25 kg/ha) and catch per unit effort (CPUE: 3.21 ± 0.75 kg/h) of the combined species did not differ significantly between 100-m-depth strata. During cruise 2, by contrast, mean biomass and CPUE differed significantly between strata, with the highest mean values at the 600–699-m stratum (biomass, 1.37 ± 0.61 kg/ha; CPUE, 5.14 ± 2.30 kg/h) and the lowest at the 300–499-m stratum (biomass, 0.03 ± 0.01 kg/ha; CPUE, 0.10 ± 0.04 kg/h). High CPUE values (≥5.0 kg/h) were more prevalent at depths of 400–499 m during cruise 1 and 600–699 m during cruise 2. Mean size of shrimp differed significantly between and within species, except for A. foliacea. On average, our CPUE values compare with values obtained in fisheries for deep-water penacoideans around the world, and also with current CPUE values from the shallow-water shrimp fisheries in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, suggesting that these deep-water shrimp represent a potential fishing resource.
Growth and reproductive responses to elevated CO2 in wild cereals of the northern Negev of Israel

How might wild relatives of modern cereals have responded to past, and how might they respond to future, atmospheric CO2 enrichment under competitive situations in a dry, low‐nutrient environment? In order to test this, Aegilops and Hordeum species, common in semiarid annual grasslands of the Middle East, were grown in nine model ecosystems (400 kg each) with a natural matrix of highly diverse Negev vegetation established on native soil shipped to Basel, Switzerland. In a simulated, seasonally variable climate of the northern Negev, communities experienced a full life‐cycle in 280 (preindustrial), 440 (immediate future) and 600 ppm of CO2 (end of the next century). Neither Aegilops (A. kotschyi and A. peregrina), nor Hordeum spontaneum showed a significant biomass response to CO2 concentrations exceeding 280 ppm The reproductive output remained unaffected or even declined (A. peregrina) under elevated CO2. Non‐structural carbohydrates in leaf tissues increased and N concentration decreased with increasing CO2 concentration. N concentration, germination success and seedling development of newly formed grains were either unchanged or reduced in response to high CO2 treatment of parent plants. In a separate fertilizer × CO2 trial with A. kotschyi nested in smaller model communities, we found no effect of P addition, but a 2–3‐fold biomass increase by NPK addition compared to the unfertilized control. A significant stimulation of biomass by CO2 enrichment (+ 44% between 280 and 600 ppm) was obtained only in the NPK treatment. These data suggest that increased CO2 concentration had little direct effect on growth and reproduction in these ‘wild cereals’ in the recent past, and the same seems to hold for their future, except if N‐rich fertilizer is added.
Fisheries management scenarios: trade‐offs between economic and biological objectives

An age-structured, population biology submodel and an economic submodel with vessel-specific dynamics were applied to a demersal fishery in the North Aegean (NE Mediterranean) that consists of three main stocks: European hake Merluccius merluccius (L.), red mullet Mullus barbatus L. and striped red mullet Mullus surmuletus L. The Mefisto model is a bioeconomic simulation model through which the biological and economic submodels (disaggregated at the vessel level) are linked by means of a fishing mortality vector. Alternative management scenarios were built and tested based on input controls, and the performance of these strategies was examined against those of current policies. Three alternative management strategies were as follows: (1) reducing the coastal fisheries' fleet units; (2) limiting the effort level (days at sea) of the trawl fleets; and (3) changing the selectivity patterns of the trawl by increasing mesh size. The results show that for all three species, any of the three management measures (input controls) would be beneficial to both the stock and the fleets (over the medium and long terms) compared with the projections over time for the status quo. Improving the selectivity of the fishing gear proved to be more beneficial than limiting nominal effort, which was in turn more beneficial than decreasing coastal fleet size.
A model simulating the genesis of banded vegetation patterns in Niger

1 Two-phase mosaics, or striped vegetation patterns (densely vegetated bands alternating regularly with bare areas), have been reported in arid and semiarid zones. They can occur provided (a) total rainfall is not sufficient t o maintain a dense cover; and (b) sufficient and uniform sheet flow can compensate, at least partly, for the lack of water. 2 Recent studies demonstrate that vegetation bands follow a successional model, in which bare areas are colonized by a pioneer front. Local studies in South West Niger suggest that transitions could occur between the various patterns observed within the same ecological region, but with varying average rainfall and surface features. 3 Because these transitions could not be followed in the-field without long term studies, a simple model has been elaborated to simulate the different structures observed. This model, based on cellular automata, is derived from the 'ganze of life' and depends only on two hypotheses which reflect conzpetition and synergy: the establishment, growth and survival of a given plant will be affected negatively by the influence of plants situated up-slope and positively by lateral and down-slope plants. 4 A matrix with 9 x 3 elements is applied to the same initial tree distribution grid, with three values of the a coefficient reflecting up-slope resource competition and two values of b reflecting lateral synergies. 5 The results demonstrate that almost all the structures observed in the field can be generated by this simple model, by varying only the two parameters a and 2, and the number of iterations. This result is independent of the initial tree density, showing that observed structures could equally well be derived from more or less dense vegetation patterns.
Oestrogen modulates human macrophage apoptosis via differential signalling through oestrogen receptor‐α and β

Human macrophages express oestrogen receptors and are therefore competent to respond to the hormone present in their microenvironment, which is implicated in sexual dimorphism observed in several immune and autoimmune phenomena. An earlier study from this laboratory demonstrated 17β‐oestradiol (E2) induced apoptosis in macrophages derived from human peripheral blood monocytes and THP‐1 acute monocytic leukaemia cell line when Bcl‐2 was down‐regulated; however, the involvement of E2 receptor subtypes in the modulation of death pathways in these cells remain unknown. Using macrophages derived from THP‐1 human acute monocytic leukaemia cells as a model, we demonstrate that plasma membrane associated oestrogen receptor (ER) ‐α participate in E2 induced Bcl‐2 increase, through activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway whereas cytosolic ER‐β transmits signals for the pro‐apoptotic event of Bax translocation. The mechanistic basis of Bax translocation comprised of ER‐β mediated increase in intracellular pH, facilitated by activation of the Na+–H+ exchanger. Intracellular alkalinization accompanied by concomitant Bcl‐2 increase and Bax migration does not cause cellular apoptosis; however, siRNA mediated down‐regulation of ER‐α during E2 exposure leads to inhibition of Bcl‐2 increase and consequently apoptosis due to the unopposed action of mitochondrial Bax. In summary, this study underscores the importance of integrative signalling modality from multiple oestrogen receptor pools in modulating oestrogen effects on human monocyte‐derived macrophage apoptotic signalling pathway, which opens new vistas to explore the use of selective oestrogen receptor modulators in apoptosis‐based therapies.
Characteristics of ligands for the Ah receptor and sex steroid receptors in hepatic tissues of fish exposed to bleached kraft mill effluent

Male white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) from a population exposed to effluent from a bleached kraft mill and from a reference site were held in effluent or clean water for 4 d. To investigate bioavailable bioactive compounds, hepatic tissues were extracted and fractionated according to octanol−water partition coefficient (Kow) using reverse phase HPLC. Fractions were tested in vitro for the presence of compounds functioning as ligands for (i) the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) using mixed function oxygenase (MFO) induction in H4IIE cells, (ii) the estrogen receptor (ER) isolated from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) liver, (iii) the androgen receptor (AR) isolated from goldfish (Carassius auratus) testes, and (iv) sex steroid binding protein (SSBP) isolated from goldfish plasma. Polychlorinated dioxins and furans accounted for MFO activity of liver contaminants of log Kow > 5 but multiple nondioxin AhR ligands of log Kow 2 to 5 also caused significant induction. Compounds of log Kow 2 to 5 in livers.