bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimates of population size of white‐chinned petrels and grey petrels at Kerguelen Islands and sensitivity to fisheries
Authors: Barbraud C. , Delord K. , Marteau C. , Weimerskirch H.
Published: March 2009

White‐chinned petrelsProcellaria aequinoctialisand grey petrelsProcellaria cinereaare among the most frequently killed seabird species by accidental bycatch, and both species have received strong conservation concern. Data on population size are required to evaluate the impact of bycatch and to establish management plans. We estimated the population size of both species at Kerguelen, Southern Indian Ocean, from 2004 to 2006 by explicitly taking into account detection probability of burrows using distance sampling and burrow occupancy. A total of 31 line‐transects were distributed across the eastern part of Kerguelen, representing a total length of 566 km. Detectability was low (from 0.19 to 0.54 for white‐chinned petrels, 0.58 for grey petrels). Burrow densities varied from 1.37±0.67 to 25.77±5.23 burrows ha−1for white‐chinned petrels and was 2.78±0.79 burrows ha−1for grey petrels. For white‐chinned petrels, these densities were extrapolated to the entire surface area of vegetation and there were 234 000 (186 000–297 000) active burrows on Kerguelen. For grey petrels, the number of active burrows for the eastern part of Kerguelen was 3400 (1900–5600). Based on these estimates, the potential biological removal method suggests that the additional mortality on birds caused by the fisheries operating around Kerguelen can be considered a serious threat for the species at least at the regional scale of the Southern Indian Ocean, especially for grey petrels.
Analysis of the timing and pattern of emergence of the pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrettus)
Authors: BULLOCK D. J. , COMBES B. A. , EALES L. A. , PRITCHARD J. S.
Published: March 2009

This paper describes and compares methods for measuring the time of emergence and the pattern of emergence of Pipistrellus pipistrellus from its summer nursery roost. The time of first emergence was a poor statistic with which to describe the emergence time of the whole roost compared with either the median or mean emergence times. ‘Outburst activity’, whereby bats cluster in their emergence, can be recorded by counting the emergence rate per second. Using the log survivor function, clustering during emergence can be quantified. The degree of clustering appeared to be positively related to the total number of bats emerging from the roost.
Sexual segregation and density‐related changes in habitat use in male and female Red deer (Cerrus elaphus)
Authors: CLUTTON‐BROCK T. H. , IASON G. R. , GUINNESS F. E.
Published: March 2009

Sex differences in diet and habitat use in Red deer occur in several areas of Scotland. In some cases, they are a consequence of differences in the altjtude levels used but, on Rhum, both sexes use the same levels, concentrating in different areas of the same plant communities. Segregation between the sexes is most pronounced for animals feeding on short grasslands and increases in winter and at high population density. These results support the hypothesis that stags are less tolerant of low plant biomasses than hinds and can be excluded from mutually preferred communities by indirect competition
The retinae of Ewyattus bleekeri, an aberrant salticid spider from Queensland
Authors: BLEST A. D.
Published: March 2009

The retinal ultrastructure of an aberrant salticid spider, Euryattus bleekeri (Doleschall, 1859) is described, and discussed in the context of a model of the evolution of the Salticidae previously proposed by Jackson & Blest (1982a). The evolutionary model suggested that the Salticidae are derived from web‐building ancestors that acquired the strategy of invading the webs of other species and families of spiders; it predicts that the evolution of the principal eyes preceded that of the accessory eyes, and that traces of this sequence of events should be observable in contemporary forms. Euryattus exhibits an unusual pattern of web‐dependency (Jackson, 1985). The principal eyes conform to those of ‘advanced’ Salticidae, but the anterior lateral eyes exhibit two features associated, so far, with the primitive Spartaeinae: transverse sections of the rhabdoms present rectangular (rather than circular) profiles, and the non‐pigmented glial cytoplasm is depleted of microtubules. These findings marginally support a case for Euryattus having primitive affinities, but their import is ambiguous, and the evidence cannot be regarded as conclusive. Possible affinities between the Gnaphosidae and Salticidae based upon common tactics of web‐invasion are qualified by a comment on the retinae of the two families.
An investigation into the use of Fourier coefficients in characterizing cranial shape in primates
Authors: O'HIGGINS P. , WILLIAMS N. W.
Published: March 2009

An automated method of measuring cranial shape is described and tested on groups of extant and fossil hominoids. The method of Fourier analysis is applied to the lateral cranial projections. The patterns and extents of discrimination produced by the sine‐cosine and amplitude phase‐lag spectra are compared. The sine‐cosine series is utilized to determine the interrelationships of extinct and extant hominoids. It is demonstrated that the patterns of discrimination are consistent with current taxonomic classifications of the extant species. It seems that Fourier analysis can, in certain circumstances, offer advantages over more traditional methods of shape measurement, especially because of its relative independence of the need to define ‘homologous landmarks’.
Observations on the physiology and integumentary structure of the Antarctic pycnogonid Decolopoda austratis
Authors: DAVENPORT J. , BLACKSTOCK N. , DAVIES D. A. , YARRINGTON M.
Published: March 2009

The giant Antarctic pycnogonid Decolopoda australis Eights takes up oxygen by diffusion across the integument, particularly of the legs. The circulatory system is feeble and haemolymph pressure changes are induced by leg movements during locomotion rather than by cardiac action. Heart rate is about30–40 beats min‐1 between 1 and 5 °C; it becomes irregular above 5 °C and ceases (reversibly) at6–7 °C.

The integumentary structure appears to facilitate gaseous exchange. Although the cuticle (c. 200 μm thick) is chitinous, it is perforated (over 35% of the internal surface) by circular/ ellipsoidal tissue‐filled pits which are separated from the external environment by thin layers of chitinous cuticle no more than4–6 μm thick. The pits occur in all parts of the body and appendages (except arthrodial membranes). It is suggested that the primary function of the tissue within the pits is to form a route for gaseous diffusion, which bypasses the relatively thick impermeable chitinous layers of the rest of the cuticle. Calculations suggest that the pits reduce resistance to gaseous diffusion by about 90%.

To function as a respiratory surface, the general body surface has to be kept clean. The cleaning action of the ovigers appears to be effective, except in the regions between the contiguous lateral processes of the body where detrital material accumulates.
Annual cycles in moult, body mass, luteinizing hormone, prolactin and gonadal steroids during the development of sexual maturity in the White stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Authors: HALL M. R. , GWINNER E. , BLOESCH M.
Published: March 2009

Annual variations in moult, body mass, and the plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone, prolactin and the gonadal steroids, oestradiol and testosterone, were measured in captive White storks (Ciconia ciconia). Data were collected at approximately monthly intervals for 13 months on storks hatched over five successive years, the youngest ones being in their first, the oldest in their fifth, year of life.

Moulting of wing feathers occurred during the summer months, April through August. Young birds began to moult at least one month earlier, and replaced more wing feathers each year, than did three‐ to five‐year‐old birds. Body mass exhibited remarkably consistent annual cycles with minima of2–9‐3‐5 kg, during the summer months, and maxima of3–8‐4‐5 kg, during the winter months. Young males were heavier at all times of the year than young females, although this difference was gradually reduced to non‐significant levels by four years of age. Luteinizing hormone, prolactin and the gonadal steroids, oestradiol and testosterone, exhibited annual cyclic changes, usually of a bi‐modal nature. No major differences in hormone profiles, however, were found between any of the age groups. The phenomenon of deferred maturity in the stork does not parallel that of puberty found in many mammals.
Proboscis extrusion in Bullia (Nassariidae): A study of fluid skeletons in Gastropoda
Authors: TRUEMAN E. R. , BROWN A. C.
Published: March 2009

The pleurembolic proboscis of Bullia functions in the manner of a classical hydrostatic skeleton. Its protrusion occurs both with high pressure pulses (2 KPa) in the cephalic sinus and at a steady standing pressure (0‐2 KPa). The proboscis probably functions as a haemocoelic chamber separate from the cephalic sinus and pressure pulses from within the everted proboscis, but not the sinus, suggest that muscle antagonism occurs in a manner common to hydrostatic skeletons. The advantages of the proboscis having a hydrostatic skeleton are discussed.
Seasonal distribution of road kills in the European badger (Meles meles)
Authors: DAVIES J. M. , ROPER T. J. , SHEPHERDSON D. J.
Published: March 2009

Data from 984 road‐killed badgers collected in the south of England during 1984 show a bimodal distribution in mortality for both sexes, with peaks in mortality occurring in spring and late summer. There was no significant difference between the total number of males and females killed, and no difference in the seasonal distribution of deaths between the two sexes. Nor was there evidence that dispersal of young animals contributes to either of the seasonal peaks in mortality. We suggest that the seasonal peaks in mortality reflect increased activity in conjunction with mating.
Specific growth rates of parts in a Hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus: a reductionist approach to the study of allometry
Authors: BLACKSTONE N.W.
Published: March 2009

A reductionist approach to allometric analysis is proposed: (1) growing two or more closely related taxa in a common environment, (2) measuring changes in morphological dimensions over measured time intervals, and (3) calculating and comparing specific growth rates of parts. This approach complements studies of allometry which use field‐collected specimens and bi‐variate or multivariate analyses of logarithms of morphological distance measures. While field, cross‐sectional methods are more robust and easily applied, longitudinal studies provide a new class of information‐absolute growth rates of parts. This approach is illustrated by comparing two geographic populations of the Hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus. Ontogenetic equivalence is approximated by use of a reference dimension which exhibits the same initial sizes and specific growth rates in both populations. Differences between crabs from Connecticut and North Carolina in growth of the right claw relative to the thorax and in right/left claw symmetry are shown to be reducible to absolute differences in right claw growth. Further, geographic comparisons at separate ontogenetic stages show that both absolute and relative measures of growth change during the ontogeny, and geographic differences apparent in mid‐ontogeny disappear in late ontogeny. Functional constraints on the growth of the right claw provide a probable explanation for both the ontogenetic and the geographic patterns.
The influence of carotid arterial sounds on hearing sensitivity in mammals
Authors: PACKER DAVID J.
Published: March 2009

Pulsations of the internal carotid and stapedial arteries produce unwanted sounds (noise) in the middle ear cavity which influence hearing in some mammals. ‘Noise’ pressure levels calculated from pulse rates, volume pulsations of the arteries, and Fourier analysis of arterial waveforms, correlate well with low frequency thresholds of hearing in the Long‐eared hedgehog, Tree shrew and Kangaroo rat. In mammals adapted to hear low frequency sounds, such as the Kangaroo rat and fossorial insectivores, the arteries are enclosed in noise attenuating bony tubes. However, most small mammals possess extended high frequency hearing with little sensitivity at the low frequencies of the arterial sounds. In lower tetrapods such as anurans and most lizards, the broad connection between the middle ear cavity and the pharynx creates a leakage pathway which greatly reduces the noise from the stapedial artery. It is probably for these reasons that the large intratympanic arteries did not disturb hearing in early mammals or submammalian forms.
Canine tooth strength and killing behaviour in large carnivores
Authors: Valkenburgh B. Van , Ruff C. B.
Published: March 2009

Bending strength of upper canine teeth is examined among living canids, felids, hyaenids and several extinct species including sabretooth cats, borophagine dogs and the dire wolf, Canis dirus. The tooth is modelled as a cantilever with an elliptical cross‐section. Using beam theory, the bending strength of the upper canine is calculated given a constant force applied to the canine tip. Results indicate that felids and hyaenids have relatively stronger canines than canids, particularly in bending about the anteroposterior (AP) rather than the mediolateral axis. It is suggested that canine shape reflects the forces produced during killing and feeding. As shown by an analysis of jaw muscle moment arms, felids and hyaenids have relatively stronger bites than canids. Moreover, the canines of hyaenids and felids are perhaps more likely to contact bone during feeding and killing and consequently may be subjected to larger and more frequent bending moments about the AP axis. The canines of sabretooth cats are shown to be more similar in shape and strength characteristics to those of living canids than felids, whereas those of the borophagine dogs and the dire wolf are closer to modern hyaenas.
Food habits of the otter (Lutra lutra) in two habitats of the Doñana National Park, SW Spain
Authors: Adrian M. I. , Delibes M.
Published: March 2009

Food habits of otters Lutra lutra were studied in two localities of the Doñana National Park (SW Spain) 16 km apart. These were the lowest stretch of Arroyo Rocina, a eutrophic stream where American red‐swamp‐crayfish were introduced in 1976, and at Lucio Bolín, an artificial pond 150 m in diameter, situated on the border of the Guadalquivir marshes. In all, 598 spraints were analysed between 1979 and 1984. Crayfish, occurring in 80% of the spraints, was the dominant food item in Arroyo Rocina, where other common foods were fish (63%), insects (55%) and amphibians (18%). Fish, occurring in 94% of the spraints, were by far the most abundant food item in Lucio Bolin, followed by insects (32%) and amphibians (28%). Seasonal differences in diet were small but interesting: reptiles were eaten more often in the dry season (April‐September) and insects and crayfish in the rainy season (October‐March). Among fish, eels were more commonly eaten in the rainy period and the remaining species in the dry period. This pattern of seasonal variation is opposite to the usual in temperate Europe. Mean size of the captured eels was statistically higher in Lucio Bolin than in Arroyo Rocina. A large amount of very small fish such as Gambusia was eaten. A comparison of prey consumed with estimates of prey abundance reveals a strong preference for eels. The diet of Mediterranean European otters seems to be more diverse than that of northern European ones, including more insects, amphibians and reptiles.
Recruitment of grey and red‐legged partridges (Perdix perdix and Alectoris rufa) in relation to population density and habitat
Authors: Rands M. R. W.
Published: March 2009

The recruitment of first‐year grey and red‐legged partridges into subsequent breeding populations was investigated on 17 study areas in Britain.

The density of birds recruited per unit area increased with the density of birds available in their first autumn for potential recruitment in the following spring but decreased with adult density. The relationship between recruitment and adult density, while always negative, differed significantly between areas. These differences were correlated with variation in the amount of nesting habitat available to both species of partridge and with variation in nesting habitat quality. Recruitment of grey partridges was related to length of available nesting habitat, the amount of residual dead grass in the nesting cover, and earth bank height at the base of the nesting cover. Recruitment of red‐legged partridges was also related to length of nesting habitat, together with the amount of nettle in the nesting cover.

It is suggested that the attractiveness of different areas to settling recruits is determined by the amount and quality of nesting habitat available.
Predation by domestic cats in an English village
Authors: Churcher P. B. , Lawton J. H.
Published: March 2009

We studied predation by approximately 70 domestic cats (Felis catus L.) in the Bedfordshire village of Felmersham over a one‐year period. All the prey items brought home by virtually all the cats in the village were recorded and, where possible, identified. A total of 1090 prey items (535 mammals, 297 birds and 258 unidentified animals) were taken, an average of about 14 per cat per year. Twenty two species of birds and 15 species of mammals were identified. The most important items were woodmice (17%), house sparrows (16%) and bank voles (14%).

Old cats of both sexes caught fewer prey over the year than young cats. Female cats on the edge of the village also caught more prey than female cats in intermediate or central areas of the village; male cats showed no such effect. The type of prey caught also varied with position in the village; ‘core’ cats caught proportionately more birds than ‘edge’ cats. There was some indication in the data that cats caught fewer prey in areas where cat density was highest, but this effect was impossible to disentangle from position in the village. Weather apparently influenced hunting success. Temperature had no direct influence, but fewer prey were caught in winter; cats also caught less on wet days and windy days.

Estimates of the number of house sparrows in the village at the start of the breeding season, and the number of sparrows known to have been caught by the cats, suggest that at least 30% of the sparrow deaths in the village were due to cats. Domestic cats would appear to be major predators in this typical English village.
Static intraspecific allometry of jaws and teeth in Cercopithecus aethiops
Authors: Kieser J. A. , Groeneveld H. T.
Published: March 2009

Adult static intraspecific allometry of jaw size and tooth area was evaluated in a sample of 100 Cercopithecus aethiops crania (50 male, 50 female). Tooth areas were calculated from mesiodistal and buccolingual measurements of all the teeth in both arcades and were scaled to four viscero‐cranial measurements: bimaxillary breadth, maxillo‐alveolar length, mandibular length and bigonial width. Allometric coefficients calculated for jaw dimensions alone indicate tighter viscerocranial integration in females than in males. A finding of note was that half of the variation in maxillo‐alveolar length may be accounted for by variation in mandibular length: females are isometric, males negatively allometric.

A similar degree of allometric mosaicism was found when maxillary incisor size was scaled to maxillary length and width. In females, the relationship was negatively allometric, whilst incisor size in males was found to be unrelated to either. Negative allometry characterized the relationship of canine base area to jaw length in both sexes, with males additionally being positively allometric to mandibular width.

The scaling of postcanine tooth areas to jaw length was characterized by a dichotomous pattern: males showed significant mandibular integration whilst females showed only significant maxillary integration. Compensatory tooth size interaction between maxillary canine base area and the summed incisor and postcanine areas was suggested by the significant negative allometric relation between them.
The process of total tail autotomy in the South‐American rodent, Proechimys
Authors: Dubost Gérard , Gasc Jean‐Pierre
Published: March 2009

Tail autotomy in Proechimys cuvieri was studied both morphologically and histologically. The rupture always occurs at the base of the external tail, e.g. in the immediate vicinity of its junction with the body. It thus concerns the whole caudal appendage. The distal epiphysis is separated from the fifth caudal vertebra and lost with the rest of the tail. There is no single reason responsible for the constancy of this breaking point, but several morphological factors can act together: these include strong binding of the five first caudal vertebrae to the body, disappearance of the plurisegmental muscles beyond this level, and the great extent and loose structure of the epiphyseal plates. Autotomy is a biological event occurring throughout the life of the animals, but it is of a cumulative nature. Tail loss is much more prevalent in older and heavier animals than in juveniles. Overall, about 9% of wild populations show this loss. Owing to the increasing percentage of occurrence from young to old, tail autotomy seems to enhance the survival chances of its owner, although direct proof of any predation influence are still lacking.
Home range use and habitat selection by Red deer (Cerrus elaphus) in a Sitka spruce plantation as determined by radio‐tracking
Authors: CATT D. C. , STAINES B. W.
Published: March 2009

The home range behaviour and habitat selection by Red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in a mixed‐age Sitka spruce plantation was studied from1979–82 using radio‐telemetry. Females used areas with rides, young replanted and pre‐thicket crops, older stands where there were checked trees, more in proportion to availability than old closed‐canopy stands, open‐hill ground and high‐elevation newly‐established forest. They used open areas more at night, dusk and dawn, and the more secluded thickets during the day. Compared to females, young males were found more in older stands, high‐altitude young plantation and on open‐hill ground.

Home range size (406–1008 ha for females and1062–3059 ha for males) was smaller for animals with a high proportion of favourable habitats in their range, although larger range size did not incorporate a higher total area of favourable habitat. Individual ranges overlapped.

Females used the same range from season to season and from year to year. Intensity of range usage is discussed. Males dispersed a mean distance of 15 km from their area of capture during their first or second year of age. One young male used different areas each season after dispersal. Females centred their activity in the same river catchment from season to season, but male activity centres changed from one catchment to another.

Comparison is made with the results of studies of habitat selection in the same forest using dung‐accumulation techniques, and with the ranging behaviour of Red deer on open‐hill ground.
Microclimatic adaptation and differences in food consumption and assimilation efficiency of different shell colour morphs of the land snail Arianta arbustorum
Authors: ABDEL‐REHIM A. H.
Published: March 2009

Food consumption and assimilation efficiency of different shell colour morphs adapted to various microclimatic conditions were determined. Five‐factor analysis of variance (adaptation temperature, relative humidity, phenotypic shell colour, age class and time of acclimatization) was used. There are differences between different levels of adaptation temperature and relative humidity in the effect on food consumption in the two morphs. The interaction of these two factors is also significant. There is no effect of the phenotypic shell colour on the food consumption, but there is a relation between shell colour and adaptation temperature. Food consumption is greater in the juveniles. The interactions between age class and adaptation temperature or relative humidity are relevant. Acclimatization to these conditions shows a highly significant effect on the food consumption. The brown and yellow morphs of Arianta arbustorum consumed different amounts of food in relation to the adaptation temperature.

Assimilation efficiency is independent of temperature but declines at high relative humidity. There is a relation between adaptation temperature and relative humidity, but not between the phenotypic shell colour and age class factors. The yellow morphs show higher assimilation efficiencies than the brown morphs during cold adaptation to 5 °C and at the highest level of relative humidity (98%).
The Vetigastropoda and the systematics of streptoneurous Gastropoda (Mollusca)
Authors: SALVINI‐PLAWEN L. V. , HASZPRUNAR G.
Published: March 2009

The status of the Vetigastropoda, created 1980 to unite zeugobranch and trochoid archaeo‐gastropods, is reconsidered and confirmed in the light of recent investigations. The most important synapomorphic characters of the Vetigastropoda are the ctenidial sense organs (so‐called bursicles), the epipodial sense organs, and the special structure of the oesophagus. The conditions of the archaeogastropod oesophagus are comparatively described.

An examination of the relationships of the Vetigastropoda establishes the archaeogastropod nature of the Architaenioglossa. It also demonstrates the monophyletic origin of all higher gastropods, including the Caenogastropoda (s.str.) as well as the Pentaganglionata (= Euthy‐neura). The Campanilidae, Valvatidae, Rissoellidae, Omalogyridae, and the Allogastropoda (= Architectonicoidea and Pyramidelloidea) share characteristics with both of the above‐mentioned groups, but cannot be classified within any of them. These groups are regarded as subsequent offshoots between the caenogastropod and the pentaganglionate level of organization. The level of Archaeogastropoda is redefined by the hypoathroid/dystenoid nervous system and simple tentacle nerves; the remaining Streptoneura are classified as Apogastropoda with epiathroid nervous system, parapedal commissure, and bifurcated tentacle nerves.
The breeding biology of the white‐chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis at South Georgia
Authors: Hall A. J.
Published: March 2009

Aspects of the breeding biology of the whitc‐chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis were studied at South Georgia. Laying, hatching and fledging dates, together with egg and adult measurements, rate of weight loss of eggs and incubating adults and data on the duration of incubation shifts were recorded. Chick growth in weight, tarsus length, culmen length and wing length from hatching to fledging was followed in detail and breeding success and causes of mortality documented. Comparisons are made with other populations of the species, other members of the genus Procellaria and other Procellariiformes. Despite being the largest burrow‐nesting petrel in the world, P. aequinoctialis conforms well to the overall relationships between body weight and breeding parameters for Procellariiformes in general.
Sexual segregation in winter, spring dispersal and habitat use in the pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Authors: Hill D. A. , Ridley M. W.
Published: March 2009

Sexual segregation, spring dispersal and late winter to spring habitat selection were studied in the pheasantPhasianus colchicusL. on two areas for which the proportions of different habitats were similar. On one of the sites (Damerham) hand‐reared pheasants were released for shooting. On the other (Fulwell) no releasing or shooting took place.

The sex ratio of birds feeding in fields in autumn favoured males because females fed in groups within woods. Groups of birds were significantly segregated by sex during early to late winter periods, but by late March they were not. Male groups and solitary males in winter were more evenly dispersed than female groups.

At Fulwell, female winter groups consisted of regular group members (mainly adults) and transitory individuals called ‘drifters’ (mainly immatures).

Females in their first breeding attempt dispersed further from their winter range to their breeding range than did adult females and females dispersed further than males. Males gaining a territory for the first time moved significantly further than old territory owners. Territorial males moved less than non‐territorial males between successive spring ranges.

During March June, habitat use by 33 radio‐tagged females changed markedly from mixed and deciduous woodland to fields sown with winter and spring corn. The implications for management are outlined.
Prolactin secretion in a brood parasite, the brown‐headed cowbird, Molothrus ater
Authors: Dufty A. M. , Goldsmith A. R. , Wingfield J. C.
Published: March 2009

Blood samples were collected from a free‐living population of male and female brown‐headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, during the breeding season and plasma levels of prolactin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Prolactin concentrations in both sexes increased significantly in mid to late May; peak levels were reached by June and were maintained throughout June and into July. Prolactin levels in juveniles were significantly lower than in adults but were still elevated. Prolactin has been implicated in parental care in several avian species; however, cowbirds are brood parasites with complete absence of parental behaviour, suggesting that prolactin must function in another capacity in cowbirds, or that cowbirds have developed target tissue insensitivity to this hormone.
Incorporation and Resistance: Analytical Issues in the Conventionalization Debate and Alternative Food Chains
Authors: PRATT JEFF
Published: March 2009

This article examines arguments about the relationship between mainstream agriculture and alternative food chains. It begins with a summary of Guthman's study of organic agriculture in California and her conclusion that it has come to resemble conventional, industrial agriculture in its agrarian structures and its supply chains. The article raises questions about both the evidence that smaller alternative producers have been squeezed out, and the assumptions underlying the analysis of relations between capitalist and non‐capitalist forms. The issues are contextualized through a summary of earlier debates about the fate of non‐capitalist producers in the ‘development’ process, and through reference to studies in economic anthropology, including research on household farming strategies in Italy. The article concludes that alternative food chains do not follow a simple linear trajectory, and that we need to include an ethnographic approach to understand both their economic values and political objectives.
Farmer Initiatives and Livelihood Diversification: From the Collective to a Market Economy in Rural China
Authors: YE JINGZHONG , WANG YIHUAN , LONG NORMAN
Published: March 2009

This paper explores how, despite relatively undifferentiated economic, cultural and land tenure conditions, some farmers in a rural area of Hebei Province, north‐east China, have managed to devise innovative livelihood activities that provide them with better living standards than the majority of villagers. The research concludes that the dynamics of farmer innovations emerge from a variety of factors: the building of effective social networks and sources of information, ‘enlightenment’ deriving from small‐group interactions, and the construction of trust relations, self‐help and cooperation. These factors belong to the sphere of social resources rather than to those of natural, physical, human or financial assets. Hence it is social components that constitute the mobilizers of change in regard to farmers’ livelihood development.
Technology, Environment and the Productivity Problem in African Agriculture: Comment on theWorld Development Report 2008
Authors: WOODHOUSE PHILIP
Published: March 2009

This paper is concerned with the need for a ‘productivity revolution in smallholder farming’ that the World Development Report 2008 (WDR08) identifies is required in sub‐Saharan Africa. It reviews the technological options for such a productivity revolution in Africa, and how these are conditioned by the ‘agriculture‐based’ model the WDR08 uses to characterize African economies. It argues that the model effects, firstly, a disconnection of agriculture from ‘urban’ Africa that constitutes its principal market and the source of investment and inputs with which to raise productivity, and, secondly, an adherence to unrealistic and sometimes contradictory assumptions about the way markets link agriculture to other parts of the economy.
Late endocytic dysfunction as a putative cause of amyloid fibril formation in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Yuyama Kohei , Yanagisawa Katsuhiko
Published: March 2009

The assembly of amyloid β‐protein to amyloid fibrils is a critical event in Alzheimer’s disease. Evidence exists that endocytic pathway abnormalities, including the enlargement of early endosomes, precede the extraneuronal amyloid fibril deposition in the brain. We determined whether endocytic dysfunction potently promotes the assembly of amyloid β‐protein on the surface of cultured cells. Blocking the early endocytic pathway by clathrin suppression, inactivation of small GTPases, removal of membrane cholesterol, and Rab5 knockdown did not result in amyloid fibril formation on the cell surface from exogenously added soluble amyloid β‐protein. In contrast, blocking the late endocytic pathway by Rab7 suppression markedly induced the amyloid fibril formation in addition to the enlargement of early endosomes. Notably, a monoclonal antibody specific to GM1‐ganglioside‐bound amyloid β‐protein, an endogenous seed for Alzheimer amyloid, completely blocks the amyloid fibril formation. Our results suggest that late but not early endocytic dysfunction contributes to the amyloid fibril formation by facilitating the generation of amyloid seed in the Alzheimer’s brain.
Prenatal ethanol exposure persistently impairs NMDA receptor‐dependent activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase in the mouse dentate gyrus
Authors: Samudio‐Ruiz Sabrina L. , Allan Andrea M. , Valenzuela Carlos Fernando , Perrone‐Bizzozero Nora I. , Caldwell Kevin K.
Published: March 2009

The dentate gyrus (DG) is the central input region to the hippocampus and is known to play an important role in learning and memory. Previous studies have shown that prenatal alcohol is associated with hippocampal‐dependent learning deficits and a decreased ability to elicit long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the DG in adult animals. Given that activation of the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling cascade by NMDA receptors is required for various forms of learning and memory, as well as LTP, in hippocampal regions, including the DG, we hypothesized that fetal alcohol‐exposed adult animals would have deficits in hippocampal NMDA receptor‐dependent ERK1/2 activation. We used immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry techniques to detect NMDA‐stimulated ERK1/2 activation in acute hippocampal slices prepared from adult fetal alcohol‐exposed mice. We present the first evidence linking prenatal alcohol exposure to deficits in NMDA receptor‐dependent ERK1/2 activation specifically in the DG of adult offspring. This deficit may account for the LTP deficits previously observed in the DG, as well as the life‐long cognitive deficits, associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Effects of Shot‐Peening on Fretting Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior in Ti‐6Al‐4V
Authors: Mall S. , Jain V. K. , Fadag H. A.
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  The effects of shot‐peening on fretting fatigue crack growth behaviour in titanium alloy, Ti‐6A1‐4V were investigated. Three shot‐peening intensities: 4A, 7A and 10A were considered. The analysis involved the fracture mechanics and finite element sub‐modelling technique to estimate crack propagation lives. These computations were supplemented with the experimentally measured total fretting fatigue lives of laboratory specimens to assess the crack initiation lives. Shot‐peening has significant effect on the initiation/propagation phases of fretting fatigue cracks; however this effect depends upon the shot‐peening intensity. The ratio of crack initiation and total life increased while the ratio of the crack propagation and total life decreased with an increase of shot‐peening intensity. Effects of residual compressive stress from shot‐peening on the crack growth behaviour were also investigated. The fretting fatigue crack propagation component of the total life with relaxation increased in comparison to its counterpart without relaxation in each shot‐peened intensity case while the initiation component decreased. Improvement in the fretting fatigue life from the shot‐peening and also with an increase in the shot‐peening intensity appears to be not always due to increase in the crack initiation resistance from shot‐peened induced residual compressive stress.
Inhibition of transmitter release from rat sympathetic neurons via presynaptic M1muscarinic acetylcholine receptors
Authors: Kubista H , Kosenburger K , Mahlknecht P , Drobny H , Boehm S
Published: March 2009

Background and purpose: M2, M3and/or M4muscarinic acetylcholine receptors have been reported to mediate presynaptic inhibition in sympathetic neurons. M1receptors mediate an inhibition of Kv7, CaV1 and CaV2.2 channels. These effects cause increases and decreases in transmitter release, respectively, but presynaptic M1receptors are generally considered facilitatory. Here, we searched for inhibitory presynaptic M1receptors.

Experimental approach: In primary cultures of rat superior cervical ganglion neurons, Ca2+currents were recorded via the perforated patch‐clamp technique, and the release of [3H]‐noradrenaline was determined.

Key results: The muscarinic agonist oxotremorine M (OxoM) transiently enhanced3H outflow and reduced electrically evoked release, once the stimulant effect had faded. The stimulant effect was enhanced by pertussis toxin (PTX) and was abolished by blocking M1receptors, by opening Kv7 channels and by preventing action potential propagation. The inhibitory effect was not altered by preventing action potentials or by opening Kv7 channels, but was reduced by PTX and ω‐conotoxin GVIA. The inhibition remaining after PTX treatment was abolished by blockage of M1receptors or inhibition of phospholipase C. When [3H]‐noradrenaline release was triggered independently of voltage‐activated Ca2+channels (VACCs), OxoM failed to cause any inhibition. The inhibition of Ca2+currents by OxoM was also reduced by ω‐conotoxin and PTX and was abolished by M1antagonism in PTX‐treated neurons.

Conclusions and implications: These results demonstrate that M1, in addition to M2, M3and M4, receptors mediate presynaptic inhibition in sympathetic neurons using phospholipase C to close VACCs.
5‐hydroxytryptamine induced relaxation in the pig urinary bladder neck
Authors: Recio Paz , Barahona María Victoria , Orensanz Luis M , Bustamante Salvador , Martínez Ana Cristina , Benedito Sara , García‐Sacristán Albino , Prieto Dolores , Hernández Medardo
Published: March 2009

Background and purpose: 5‐Hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) is one of the inhibitory mediators in the urinary bladder outlet region. Here we investigated mechanisms involved in 5‐HT‐induced relaxations of the pig bladder neck.

Experimental approach: Urothelium‐denuded strips of pig bladder were mounted in organ baths for isometric force recordings of responses to 5‐HT and electrical field stimulation (EFS).

Key results: After phenylephrine‐induced contraction, 5‐HT and 5‐HT receptor agonists concentration‐dependently relaxed the preparations, with the potency order: 5‐carboxamidotryptamine (5‐CT) > 5‐HT = RS67333 > (±)‐8‐hydroxy‐2‐dipropylaminotetralinhydrobromide > m‐chlorophenylbiguanide > α‐methyl‐5‐HT > ergotamine. 5‐HT and 5‐CT relaxations were reduced by the 5‐HT7receptor antagonist (2R)‐1‐[(3‐hydroxyphenyl)sulphonyl]‐2‐[2‐(4‐methyl‐1‐piperidinyl)ethyl]pyrrolidine hydrochloride and potentiated by (S)‐N‐tert‐butyl‐3‐(4‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐piperazin‐1‐yl)‐2‐phenylpropanamide dihydrochloride (WAY 100135) and cyanopindolol, 5‐HT1Aand 5‐HT1A/1Breceptor antagonists respectively. Inhibitors of 5‐HT1B/1D, 5‐HT2, 5‐HT2B/2C, 5‐HT3, 5‐HT4, 5‐HT5Aand 5‐HT6receptors failed to modify 5‐HT responses. Blockade of monoamine oxidase A/B, noradrenergic neurotransmission, α‐adrenoceptors, muscarinic and purinergic receptors, nitric oxide synthase, guanylate cyclase and prostanoid synthesis did not alter relaxations to 5‐HT. Inhibitors of Ca2+‐activated K+and ATP‐dependent K+channels failed to modify 5‐HT responses but blockade of neuronal voltage‐gated Na+‐, Ca2+‐ and voltage‐gated K+(Kv)‐channels potentiated these relaxations. Adenylyl cyclase activation and cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibition potentiated and reduced, respectively, 5‐HT‐induced responses. Under non‐adrenergic, non‐cholinergic, non‐nitrergic conditions, EFS induced neurogenic, frequency‐dependent, relaxations which were resistant to WAY 100135 and cyanopindolol.

Conclusions and implications: 5‐HT relaxed the pig urinary bladder neck through muscle 5‐HT7receptors linked to the cAMP‐PKA pathway. Prejunctional 5‐HT1Areceptors and Kvchannels modulated 5‐HT‐induced relaxations whereas postjunctional K+channels were not involved in such responses. 5‐HT7receptor antagonists could be useful in the therapy of urinary incontinence produced by intrinsic sphincter deficiency.
G protein‐coupled receptor hetero‐dimerization: contribution to pharmacology and function
Authors: Milligan Graeme
Published: March 2009

The concept that G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) can form hetero‐dimers or hetero‐oligomers continues to gain experimental support. However, with the exception of the GABABreceptor and the sweet and umami taste receptors few reported examples meet all of the criteria suggested in a recent International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology sponsored review (Pinet al., 2007) that should be required to define distinct and physiologically relevant receptor species. Despite this, there are many examples in which pairs of co‐expressed GPCRs reciprocally modulate their function, trafficking and/or ligand pharmacology. Such data are at least consistent with physical interactions between the receptor pairs. In recent times, it has been suggested that specific GPCR hetero‐dimer or hetero‐oligomer pairs may represent key molecular targets of certain clinically effective, small molecule drugs and there is growing interest in efforts to identify ligands that may modulate hetero‐dimer function selectively. The current review summarizes key recent developments in these topics.
Community Participatory Ecological Art and Education
Authors: Song Young Imm Kang
Published: March 2009

This paper presents a phenomenological case study on ecological artist Lynne Hull by investigating the connections between ecological art, nature, and education. The research examines Hull's ‘positive gesture towards the Earth’ as conceptualized in her work of creating habitats for wildlife (Hull, 2004, para 1). It illustrates how she seeks to inspire changes in human behaviour through her artwork in addition to developing action steps based on her works.

Through an examination of Hull's work, the researcher explores how ecological art can inspire environmental education by presenting innovative ways of thinking about existing concepts. The paper discusses how educators can incorporate inquiries about ecological art into the school curriculum. Furthermore, it considers ways in which educators can adopt Hull's art‐making processes and integrate these into the curriculum. It argues that educators can help students to interact with these artworks and develop their own creative processes in a meaningful way that involves art, aesthetics, and nature – all of which may raise students' consciousness about the environment in themselves and others. Ultimately, appreciating the elements of nature and their connection to the aesthetic can become a vehicle for raising awareness about broader
Assessment Focus in Studio: What is Most Prominent in Architecture, Art and Design?
Authors: De La Harpe Barbara , Peterson J. Fiona , Frankham Noel , Zehner Robert , Neale Douglas , Musgrave Elizabeth , McDermott Ruth
Published: March 2009

What can be learned about assessment from what educators in the creative practices focus their studio publications on? What should form the focus of assessment in architecture, art and design studios? In this article we draw on 118 journal articles on studio published over the last decade in three disciplines; architecture, art and design to inform the focus of studio assessment. We believe that what is published by educators themselves in these disciplines reveals what matters most to them. In addition, we argue that regardless of the primary emphasis placed in each discipline, assessment in studio should encompass a broad set of indicators. Within the wider literature including in architecture, art and design, a view of assessment is emerging that recognises the process and the person, beyond a view that positions the product or art/design arte‐fact above all else. Therefore, drawing on what educators in architecture, art and design mentioned most in the journal publications analysed, as well as the literature on good assessment, we offer a holistic model to guide and take studio assessment in the creative disciplines further.
The City of Richgate: A/r/tographic Cartography as Public Pedagogy
Authors: Irwin Rita L. , Bickel Barbara , Triggs Valerie , Springgay Stephanie , Beer Ruth , Grauer Kit , Xiong Gu , Sameshima Pauline
Published: March 2009

The City of Richgate project worked with eight intergenerational immigrant families and examined immigrant experiences and narratives through a community‐engaged process that employed a/r/tography as a methodology. As such, the research also investigated the extent to which a/r/tographical research could visually and narratively portray the analysis of data collected by the co‐a/r/tographers. After interviewing and collecting images from each family, large artistic gates (banners) were created. This first phase of the project revealed the power of images in situ, and thus the power of a/r/tography in situ. For the community members and co‐a/r/tographers meanings were constructed within ongoing a/r/tographic inquiries described as collective artistic and educational praxis. The second phase involved the identification of important places by each family within the City of Richmond. After analysing all of the data, several works of art were created with each family in mind: bus shelter images juxtaposing close‐up and far away geographical images; side‐by‐side images portraying historical and contemporary images of family ideals and/or issues; banners illustrating families in meaningful poses; and archival collections portraying the importance of identity and memory in the transformation of culture. This phase culminated in a citywide exhibition of the artwork performing public pedagogy. The exhibition questioned the idea of a City of Richmond having a community centre, and instead exhibited many Richgates, or conceptions of Richmond. Rather than having a city centre, there are many centres, a Network of Cities of Richgates, where centres are constantly changing and shifting to reflect the narratives of individuals living in a psycho‐geographical region of a city.