bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE OLDEST THEROCEPHALIANS (THERAPSIDA, EUTHERIODONTIA) AND THE EARLY DIVERSIFICATION OF THERAPSIDA
Authors: ABDALA FERNANDO , RUBIDGE BRUCE S. , Van Den HEEVER JURI
Published: July 2008

Abstract: The oldest records of mammal‐like therapsids in Laurasia are from the Ocher Complex of Russia and the Xidagou Formation of China, whereas in Gondwana they are restricted to theEodicynodonAssemblage Zone, Beaufort Group of the South African Karoo. This fauna, which is relatively depauperate when compared with younger assemblage zones from the Karoo, shows an amazing diversity of therapsids including: dinocephalians (already represented by the carnivorous anteosaurids and the herbivorous tapinocephalids), anomodonts (including dicynodonts), gorgonopsians, and therocephalians. The last group is represented by two specimens in this assemblage zone. This paper presents a full description of these therocephalians, which are assigned to the scylacosaurid speciesGlanosuchus macropsandIctidosaurus angusticeps. We also discuss diversity trends of therocephalians and explore some hypotheses implicated by the diverse oldest record of therapsids, represented by five of the six major lineages of the group.
A CLADISTIC ANALYSIS AMONG TRILOPHODONT GOMPHOTHERES (MAMMALIA, PROBOSCIDEA) WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE SOUTH AMERICAN GENERA
Authors: PRADO JOSÉ LUIS , ALBERDI MARÍA TERESA
Published: July 2008

Abstract: The trilophodont gomphothere group is a monophyletic group of genera separated from other proboscideans by one synapomorphy, the presence of trefoil‐shaped wear patterns on the occlusal surfaces of their teeth. These wear patterns vary from being just a single trefoil, through double trefoils, to more complex combinations of trefoils. They are present in all of the genera studied here. Our cladistic analysis makes use of 12 genera as terminal taxa. It was performed using 43 cranial, dental and postcranial morphological characters. The polarity of characters was based on outgroup criteria using the genusPhiomiaas the outgroup. All characters are considered to be unordered (34 are binary and nine are multistate). The present analysis leads us to reject the hypothesis that consideredRhynchotheriumas a direct ancestor of South American gomphotheres and supports the hypothesis thatSinomastodonis the sister group ofCuvieroniusandStegomastodon.High congruence between the stratigraphical record and the phylogenetic hypothesis is observed.
A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF SPHENODONTIAN FROM THE GHOST RANCH COELOPHYSIS QUARRY (UPPER TRIASSIC: APACHEAN), ROCK POINT FORMATION, NEW MEXICO, USA
Authors: HECKERT ANDREW B. , LUCAS SPENCER G. , RINEHART LARRY F. , HUNT ADRIAN P.
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  We document here a new taxon of sphenodontian, Whitakersaurus bermani gen. et sp. nov., that is also the most complete sphenodontian fossil from the Upper Triassic Chinle Group in the south‐western USA and the first Chinle sphenodontian represented by more than a single fragmentary dentulous element. The holotype was recovered during preparation of block C‐8‐82 from the famous Coelophysis (Whitaker) quarry at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, and is the most complete small vertebrate recovered from the quarry. Detailed lithostratigraphy and geologic mapping demonstrate that the Whitaker quarry is in the Rock Point Formation of the Chinle Group, so Whitakersaurus is the first sphenodontian reported from this unit. Records of the phytosaur Redondasaurus at the quarry and elsewhere in the Chinle Group demonstrate that the quarry, and thus Whitakersaurus, is of Apachean (late Norian–Rhaetian) age. The sphenodontian specimen consists of incomplete left and right dentaries, a partial left? maxilla?, and impressions of a probable palatal element, all of which preserve multiple teeth. Whitakersaurus is distinct from other sphenodontians in possessing a unique combination of the following features: marginal dentition pleurodont anteriorly and posteriorly acrodont; pronounced heterodonty in dentary, with as many as 15 smaller, peg‐like teeth anteriorly and several larger, posterior teeth that are conical and striated; faint radial ornamentation of posterior tooth crowns; presence of c. 19 dentary teeth; and absence of a distinct flange on posterior teeth. Numerous other details distinguish it from both more primitive and more derived taxa. Whitakersaurus, therefore, helps to document further mosaic evolution and an extensive diversification event of sphenodontians during Triassic time. Although sphenodontian taxa are relatively easily recognized, widely distributed, and common small‐ or microvertebrate fossils, the long stratigraphic ranges of taxa known from multiple specimens hinders their utility as index fossils with which to correlate strata across Pangaea.
A NEW AMPHICYONINE (CARNIVORA: AMPHICYONIDAE) FROM THE UPPER MIOCENE OF BATALLONES‐1, MADRID, SPAIN
Authors: PEIGNÉ STÉPHANE , SALESA MANUEL J. , ANTÓN MAURICIO , MORALES JORGE
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  The vertebrate community of the late Miocene locality of Batallones‐1, Madrid Province, Spain, is mainly composed of mammals of the order Carnivora, which represents 98 per cent of the total number of macro‐mammal fossils. Here, we describe craniodental remains of approximately 12 individuals of a new, highly specialized member of the Amphicyonidae, previously assigned to Amphicyon sp. cf. A. castellanus. A phylogenetic analysis of Amphicyoninae shows that this new form, named Magericyon anceps gen. et sp. nov., is markedly distinct from all other known Amphicyoninae, specifically in its hypercarnivorous features (strongly compressed upper canines, absence of dP1/dp1 and P2/p2, single‐rooted p3, absence of a metaconid on the lower molars, and reduction of M2 relative to M1).
THREE‐DIMENSIONAL MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF DINOSAUR TRACKWAYS
Authors: BATES KARL T. , MANNING PHILLIP L. , VILA BERNAT , HODGETTS DAVID
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Light Detection And Range (LiDAR) imaging provides a means to model the 3D geometry of fossil tracks in the field with high accuracy. This represents a considerable advance for the science of vertebrate ichnology in which traditional field methods suffer from a significant degree of abstraction and lack the resolution required to interpret tracks quantitatively. Three‐dimensional LiDAR models provide additional morphometric information and allow the application of new analytical tools unique to the digital environment. The method will enable fossil track morphometrics to develop into an iterative process that combines 3D visualization and multivariate statistical methods, blending qualitative and quantitative approaches and allowing track morphologies to be compared holistically. Modelling of trackways from Fumanya (south‐east Pyrenees) using LiDAR has enabled variation in linear track dimensions to be explained by the varied contribution of different modes of shear with increasing depth below the foot/sediment interface. Features in the relief of pes traces indicate that subsurface zones within their track volumes are defined by the interaction of puncture and local shear, below a surface zone of liquefaction failure now lost to erosion. This model of mechanical failure enables a preliminary review of the pedal kinematics of titanosaurid sauropod dinosaurs and suggests multiphase loading of the sediment by the titanosaurid pes. However, from inspection of these 3D surfaces alone it is not possible to differentiate between the possibility of one or two discrete phases of pedal motion preceding the toe‐off event at the maximum height of the support phase. By integrating LiDAR models with analogue modelling within a 3D digital environment it will be possible to clarify such interpretations of fossil tracks and the locomotor mechanics of extinct animals.
MODES OF REPRODUCTION IN RECENT AND FOSSIL CUPULADRIID BRYOZOANS
Authors: O’DEA AARON , JACKSON JEREMY B. C. , TAYLOR PAUL D. , RODRÍGUEZ FELIX
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Cupuladriid cheilostome bryozoans can make new colonies both sexually and asexually. Sexual (aclonal) colonies are derived from larvae while asexual (clonal) colonies result from the fragmentation or division of larger colonies. A number of specialised morphologies exist which either enhance or discourage clonality, and cupuladriids preserve these in their skeletons, meaning that it is possible to count the abundances of individual modes of reproduction in fossil assemblages, and thus measure the mode and tempo of evolution of life histories using fossil colonies. In this paper we categorise, illustrate and describe the various clonal and aclonal methods of propagation in cupuladriids through the Cenozoic. Sexual reproduction is the only aclonal method of propagation, while four clonal methods are described comprising: (1) mechanical fragmentation, (2) autofragmentation, (3) colonial budding and (4) peripheral fragmentation. The processes involved in each are discussed and we explain how their prevalence can be measured in the fossil record using preservable morphologies. Compiling a record of the occurrence and distribution of the various modes of propagation through time and space we discover a general trend of evolution towards more complex modes in all three cupuladriid genera, but a geologically recent extinction of some modes of propagation that has left the present‐day assemblage relatively depauperate. We see striking similarities in the general timing of expansion of modes of reproduction between the two most important genera, Cupuladria and Discoporella, although it is clear that Discoporella evolved a much wider range of special morphologies either to enhance or to discourage clonality than did Cupuladria.
A NEW, LARGE ORNITHOMIMID FROM THE CRETACEOUS DINOSAUR PARK FORMATION OF ALBERTA, CANADA: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STUDY OF DISSOCIATED DINOSAUR REMAINS
Authors: LONGRICH NICK
Published: July 2008

Abstract: Only two ornithomimid genera,OrnithomimusandStruthiomimus, are currently known from the Upper Cretaceous of North America. However, a number of ornithomimid elements from Alberta’s Dinosaur Park Formation (Upper Campanian), cannot be assigned to eitherOrnithomimusorStruthiomimus. These bones, including a frontal, caudal vertebrae, and unguals of the manus and the pes, come from animals significantly larger than any previously known Judithian ornithomimid. The frontal exhibits several unusual features, including transverse expansion over the prefrontals, and extreme reduction of the supratemporal fossae. Caudal vertebrae are characterized by neural arches that are posteriorly shifted and transversely expanded. Manual unguals possess a highly concave articular surface, a flexor tubercle divided by a sulcus, and a broad claw. Pedal unguals display highly concave articular surfaces, and a ridge‐like flexor tubercle dividing a deep ventral fossa. Although it is difficult to know whether these elements represent a single taxon, this is currently the most parsimonious hypothesis. This study demonstrates how isolated dinosaur bones can extend our knowledge of dinosaur faunas.
SKELETAL MICROSTRUCTURE INDICATES CHANCELLORIIDS AND HALKIERIIDS ARE CLOSELY RELATED
Authors: PORTER SUSANNAH M.
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Chancelloriids are problematic, sac‐like animals whose sclerites are common in Cambrian fossil assemblages. They look like sponges, but were united with the slug‐like halkieriids in the group Coeloscleritophora Bengtson and Missarzhevsky, 1981 based on a unique mode of sclerite construction. Because their body plans are so different, this proposal has never been well accepted, but detailed study of their sclerite microstructure presented here provides additional support for this grouping. Both taxa possess walls composed of a thin, probably organic, sheet overlying a single layer of aragonite fibres orientated parallel to the long axis of the sclerite. In all halkieriids and in the chancelloriid genus ArchiasterellaSdzuy, 1969, bundles of these fibres form inclined projections on the upper surface of the sclerite giving it a scaly appearance. On the lower surface of the sclerite, the projections are absent. This microstructure appears to be unique to chancelloriids, halkieriids, and their relatives, siphogonuchitids and sachitids. (The sclerites of another putative halkieriid relative, WiwaxiaWalcott, 1911, are unmineralized, making direct comparisons impossible.) Thus, similarity both at the level of sclerite construction and the level of sclerite microstructure suggests that chancelloriid, halkieriid, sachitid, and siphogonuchitid sclerites are homologous. The difference in chancelloriid and halkieriid body plans can be resolved in two ways. Chancelloriids either represent a derived condition exhibiting complete loss of bilaterian characters or they represent the ancestral condition from which the bilaterally symmetric halkieriids, and the Bilateria as a whole, derived. The latter interpretation, proposed by Bengtson (2005), implies that coeloscleritophoran sclerites (‘coelosclerites’) are a plesiomorphy of the Bilateria, lost or transformed in descendent lineages. Given that mineralized coelosclerites appear in the fossil record no earlier than c. 542 Ma, this in turn implies either that the Ediacaran record of bilaterians has been misinterpreted or that coelosclerite preservability increased at the beginning of the Cambrian Period. The former is difficult to reconcile with Ediacaran trace and body fossil evidence, but the latter may be possible, reflecting either independent mineralization of organic‐walled sclerites in chancelloriids and halkieriids or the opening of a taphonomic window that favours coelosclerite preservation.
A NEW BASAL LINEAGE OF EARLY CRETACEOUS BIRDS FROM CHINA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE AVIAN TAIL
Authors: GAO CHUNLING , CHIAPPE LUIS M. , MENG QINJING , O’CONNOR JINGMAI K. , WANG XURI , CHENG XIAODONG , LIU JINYUAN
Published: July 2008

Abstract: We report on a new Early Cretaceous bird from China that sheds significant light on the evolutionary transition between primitive birds with a long bony tail and those with a short tail ending in a pygostyle. A cladistic analysis of basal birds supports the placement of the new fossil as the sister‐taxon of all pygostylians. Possessing a unique hand morphology with a phalangeal formula of 2‐3‐3‐x‐x and a reduced number of caudal vertebrae lacking a pygostyle, the new specimen reveals anatomical information previously unknown and increases the taxonomic diversity of primitive, non‐pygostylian birds. We infer from the specimen that during the evolution of the avian tail, a decrease in relative caudal length and number of vertebrae preceded the distal fusion of caudals into a pygostyle.
Engaging Recreational Fishers in Management and Conservation: Global Case Studies
Authors: GRANEK E. F. , MADIN E. M. P. , BROWN M. A. , FIGUEIRA W. , CAMERON D. S. , HOGAN Z. , KRISTIANSON G. , De VILLIERS P. , WILLIAMS J. E. , POST J. , ZAHN S. , ARLINGHAUS R.
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Globally, the number of recreational fishers is sizeable and increasing in many countries. Associated with this trend is the potential for negative impacts on fish stocks through exploitation or management measures such as stocking and introduction of non‐native fishes. Nevertheless, recreational fishers can be instrumental in successful fisheries conservation through active involvement in, or initiation of, conservation projects to reduce both direct and external stressors contributing to fishery declines. Understanding fishers' concerns for sustained access to the resource and developing methods for their meaningful participation can have positive impacts on conservation efforts. We examined a suite of case studies that demonstrate successful involvement of recreational fishers in conservation and management activities that span developed and developing countries, temperate and tropical regions, marine and freshwater systems, and open‐ and closed‐access fisheries. To illustrate potential benefits and challenges of involving recreational fishers in fisheries management and conservation, we examined the socioeconomic and ecological contexts of each case study. We devised a conceptual framework for the engagement of recreational fishers that targets particular types of involvement (enforcement, advocacy, conservation, management design [type and location], research, and monitoring) on the basis of degree of stakeholder stewardship, scale of the fishery, and source of impacts (internal or external). These activities can be enhanced by incorporating local knowledge and traditions, taking advantage of leadership and regional networks, and creating collaborations among various stakeholder groups, scientists, and agencies to maximize the probability of recreational fisher involvement and project success.
Phylogeography and Limited Genetic Connectivity in the Endangered Boring Giant Clam across the Coral Triangle
Authors: DeBOER TIMERY S. , SUBIA MATTHEW D. , AMBARIYANTO  , ERDMANN MARK V. , KOVITVONGSA KATIE , BARBER PAUL H.
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  The Coral Triangle is the global center of marine biodiversity; however, its coral reefs are critically threatened. Because of the bipartite life history of many marine species with sedentary adults and dispersive pelagic larvae, designing effective marine protected areas requires an understanding of patterns of larval dispersal and connectivity among geographically discrete populations. We used mtDNA sequence data to examine patterns of genetic connectivity in the boring giant clam (Tridacna crocea) in an effort to guide conservation efforts within the Coral Triangle. We collected an approximately 485 base pair fragment of mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) from 414 individuals at 26 sites across Indonesia. Genetic structure was strong between regions (φST=0.549, p < 0.00001) with 3 strongly supported clades: one restricted to western Sumatra, another distributed across central Indonesia, and a third limited to eastern Indonesia and Papua. Even within the single largest clade, small but significant genetic structure was documented (φST=0.069, p < 0.00001), which indicates limited gene flow within and among phylogeographic regions. Significant patterns of isolation by distance indicated an average dispersal distance of only 25–50 km, which is far below dispersal predictions of 406–708 km derived from estimates of passive dispersal over 10 days via surface currents. The strong regional genetic structure we found indicates potent limits to genetic and demographic connectivity for this species throughout the Coral Triangle and provides a regional context for conservation planning. The recovery of 3 distinct evolutionarily significant units within a well‐studied taxonomic group suggests that biodiversity in this region may be significantly underestimated and that Tridacna taxa may be more endangered than currently recognized.
Wood Density as a Conservation Tool: Quantification of Disturbance and Identification of Conservation‐Priority Areas in Tropical Forests
Authors: SLIK J. W. FERRY , BERNARD CAROLINE S. , BREMAN FLORIS C. , VAN BEEK MARLOES , SALIM AGUS , SHEIL DOUGLAS
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Inventories of tree species are often conducted to guide conservation efforts in tropical forests. Such surveys are time consuming, demanding of expertise, and expensive to perform and interpret. Approaches to make survey efforts simpler or more effective would be valuable. In particular, it would be good to be able to easily identify areas of old‐growth forest. The average density of the wood of a tree species is closely linked to its successional status. We used tree inventory data from eastern Borneo to determine whether wood density can be used to quantify forest disturbance and conservation importance. The average density of wood in a plot was significantly and negatively related to disturbance levels, with plots with higher wood densities occurring almost exclusively in old‐growth forests. Average wood density was unimodally related to the diversity of tree species, indicating that the average wood density in a plot might be a better indicator of old‐growth forest than species diversity. In addition, Borneo endemics had significantly heavier wood than species that are common throughout the Malesian region, and they were more common in plots with higher average wood density. We concluded that wood density at the plot level could be a powerful tool for identifying areas of conservation priority in the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia.
Effects of Illegal Harvest of Eggs on the Population Decline of Leatherback Turtles in Las Baulas Marine National Park, Costa Rica
Authors: TOMILLO PILAR SANTIDRIÁN , SABA VINCENT S. , PIEDRA ROTNEY , PALADINO FRANK V. , SPOTILA JAMES R.
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Within 19 years the nesting population of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas declined from 1500 turtles nesting per year to about 100. We analyzed the effects of fishery bycatch and illegal harvesting (poaching) of eggs on this population. We modeled the population response to different levels of egg harvest (90, 75, 50, and 25%) and the effect of eradicating poaching at different times during the population decline. We compared effects of 90% poaching with those of 20% adult mortality because both of these processes were present in the population at Las Baulas. There was a stepwise decline in number of nesting turtles at all levels of egg harvest. Extirpation times for different levels of poaching ranged from 45 to 282 years. The nesting population declined more slowly and survived longer with 20% adult mortality (146 years) than it did with 90% poaching (45 years). Time that elapsed until poaching stopped determined the average population size at which the population stabilized, ranging from 90 to 420 nesting turtles. Our model predicted that saving clutches lost naturally would restore the population when adult mortality rates were low and would contribute more to population recovery when there were short remigration intervals between nesting seasons and a large proportion of natural loss of clutches. Because the model indicated that poaching was the most important cause of the leatherback decline at Las Baulas, protecting nests on the beach and protecting the beach from development are critical for survival of this population. Nevertheless, the model predicted that current high mortality rates of adults will prevent population recovery. Therefore, protection of the beach habitat and nests must be continued and fishery bycatch must be reduced to save this population.
Healthcare Cost Differences with Participation in a Community‐Based Group Physical Activity Benefit for Medicare Managed Care Health Plan Members
Authors: Ackermann Ronald T. , Williams Barbara , Nguyen Huong Q. , Berke Ethan M. , Maciejewski Matthew L. , LoGerfo James P.
Published: July 2008

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether participation in a physical activity benefit by Medicare managed care enrollees is associated with lower healthcare utilization and costs.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING: Medicare managed care.

PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 1,188 older adult health maintenance organization enrollees who participated at least once in the EnhanceFitness (EF) physical activity benefit and a matched group of enrollees who never used the program.

MEASUREMENTS: Healthcare costs and utilization were estimated. Ordinary least squares regression was used, adjusting for demographics, comorbidity, indicators of preventive service use, and baseline utilization or cost. Robustness of findings was tested in sensitivity analyses involving continuous propensity score adjustment and generalized linear models with nonconstant variance assumptions.

RESULTS: EF participants had similar total healthcare costs during Year 1 of the program, but during Year 2, adjusted total costs were $1,186 lower (P=.005) than for non‐EF users. Differences were partially attributable to lower inpatient costs (−$3,384; P=.02), which did not result from high‐cost outliers. Enrollees who attended EF an average of one visit or more per week had lower adjusted total healthcare costs in Year 1 (−$1,929; P<.001) and Year 2 (−$1,784; P<.001) than nonusers.

CONCLUSION: Health plan coverage of a preventive physical activity benefit for seniors is a promising strategy to avoid significant healthcare costs in the short term.
Self‐Reported Health Status of Vietnamese and Non‐Hispanic White Older Adults in California
Authors: Sorkin Dara , Tan Angela L. , Hays Ron D. , Mangione Carol M. , Ngo‐Metzger Quyen
Published: July 2008

Vietnamese Americans are a rapidly growing minority group in the United States, yet little is known about their health status. Chronic medical conditions and self‐rated health of older Vietnamese Americans were compared with those of non‐Hispanic white adults living in California using the 2001 and 2003 California Health Interview Surveys (CHISs). The CHIS employed a random‐digit‐dial telephone survey, and its sample is representative of California's noninstitutionalized population. The sample included 359 Vietnamese and 25,177 non‐Hispanic white adults aged 55 and older. Vietnamese and non‐Hispanic white adults were compared in terms of limitations in activities of daily living, chronic medical conditions (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, asthma), mental health care, and self‐reported health, adjusting for age, sex, and education. Vietnamese were more likely than white participants to report needing help for mental health problems (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.4–3.1) but less likely to have had their medical providers discuss their mental health problems with them (aOR=0.3, 95% CI=0.1–0.5). In addition, Vietnamese participants reported significantly worse health than white adults on five of eight domains of the Medical Outcomes Survery 12‐item Short Form survey (P<.006). Clinicians caring for older Vietnamese individuals should be aware of the high risk for mental health needs in this population and should initiate discussions about mental health with their patients. Further research is needed to better understand why older Vietnamese Americans are at higher risk for worse self‐reported health than older white adults.
Postmortem Changes of Human Bodies on the Bathyal Sea Floor—Two Cases of Aircraft Accidents Above the Open Sea
Authors: Dumser Thomas K , Türkay Michael
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Forensic taphonomy in the marine context recently received growing attention. However, only limited information is available about the fate of human bodies at greater sea depth. Following two fatal aircraft accidents (west of Namibia, south of Sicily) human remains were recovered from a depth of 540–580 m (both cases) after 3 months (Namibia)/34 days (Sicily). In the Namibia case fully skeletonized bones were lifted. In the Sicily case a complete, dressed body was found exhibiting a partially skeletonized skull, starting adipocere formation and pink teeth. The rate and mode of decomposition of human bodies in the deep sea varies considerably and is mainly influenced by the local faunal composition. Of special relevance for the understanding of both cases was the oceanographic observation that the highly efficient necrophageous lyssianassids are abundant off Namibia but are rare in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of collaboration of forensic and marine scientists in such case work.
The Use of Material Culture to Establish the Ethnic Identity of Victims in Genocide Investigations: A Validation Study from the American Southwest*
Authors: Komar Debra A. , Lathrop Sarah
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Successful prosecution of genocide requires that the victims constitute one of four protected groups: national, religious, ethnic, or racial. Establishing victim identity in prior trials has relied on positive identification of decedents, been largely presumptive, or was based on untested methodology. This report details a validation study of one untested method: the use of material culture in establishing ethnic identity. Classes of clothing and personal effects were scored on 3,430 individuals of known Hispanic or White ancestry from autopsy records in New Mexico. Significant differences were seen in evidence of language, nationality, and religious affiliation between the two groups, as well as clothing types and currency. Predictive models used to estimate ethnic identity in random, blind subsets produced an overall accuracy of 81.5% and estimates of 61–98% in specific subsets. Results suggest material culture, when present, can provide reliable evidence of ethnic affinity in genocide investigations.
Melatonin as a negative mitogenic hormonal regulator of human prostate epithelial cell growth: potential mechanisms and clinical significance
Authors: Tam Chun W. , Chan Kwok W. , Liu Vincent W. S. , Pang Bo , Yao Kwok‐Ming , Shiu Stephen Y. W.
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Circannual variation in the human serum levels of prostate‐specific antigen, a growth marker of the prostate gland, has been reported recently. The present study was conducted to investigate the role of the photoperiodic hormone melatonin (MLT) and its membrane receptors in the modulation of human prostate growth. Expression of MT1 and MT2 receptors was detected in benign human prostatic epithelial tissues and RWPE‐1 cells. MLT and 2‐iodomelatonin inhibited RWPE‐1 cell proliferation and up‐regulated p27Kip1 gene and protein expression in the cells. The effects of MLT were blocked by the nonselective MT1/MT2 receptor antagonist luzindole, but were not affected by the selective MT2 receptor antagonist 4‐phenyl‐2‐propionamidotetraline. Of note, the antiproliferative action of MLT on benign prostate epithelial RWPE‐1 cells was effected via increased p27Kip1 gene transcription through MT1 receptor‐mediated activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) in parallel, a signaling process which has previously been demonstrated in 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells. Taken together, the demonstration of the MT1/PKA+PKC/p27Kip1 antiproliferative pathway in benign and malignant prostate epithelial cell lines indicated the potential importance of this MLT receptor‐mediated signaling mechanism in growth regulation of the human prostate gland in health and disease. Collectively, our data support the hypothesis that MLT may function as a negative mitogenic hormonal regulator of human prostate epithelial cell growth.
Melatonin‐evoked in vivo secretion of protein and amylase from the parotid gland of the anaesthetised rat
Authors: Aras Hülya Çevik , Ekström Jörgen
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  The intravenous infusion of melatonin (5 and 25 mg/kg over 10 min) evoked a dose‐dependent output of protein and amylase but no overt fluid secretion from the parotid gland of the pentobarbitone‐anaesthetised rat, as revealed by increased concentrations of protein and amylase activity in a subsequent wash‐out flow of saliva in response to an intravenous bolus injection of methacholine (5 μg/kg) 10 min later. The secretory responses to melatonin occurred in the presence of α‐ and β‐adrenoceptor antagonists. They were not affected by the cholecystokinin A‐receptor antagonist, lorglumide, and they were reproduced in eviscerated animals acutely subjected to postganglionic sympathetic and parasympathetic denervation of the gland. The responses to melatonin were partially dependent on nitric oxide generation, through the activity of nitric oxide synthase of the neuronal type. Immunoblotting showed both melatonin receptors of type 1 and type 2 to be expressed in parotid gland tissue. The relative specific melatonin 2‐receptor antagonist luzindole prevented the expected secretory effects of melatonin. The results favour a direct action by melatonin on melatonin receptors of parotid secretory cells and suggest a potential physiological role for melatonin in the regulation of salivary glandular activities.
The Sacramentality of Things
Authors: Sherry Patrick
Published: July 2008

I discuss the recent tendency to extend the concept of sacramentality by applying it to the world or to aspects of it like beauty, e.g. by David Brown in his God and the Enchantment of Place. I look at the Church's traditional teaching on sacraments, in terms of signs, words, and effectiveness, making use of J.L.Austin's work on Performative Utterances, and explore how these three features might apply to the extended concept of a sacrament. I argue that we can perceive signs-by-likeness of God in the world, especially in beauty, and that we can often discern the effectiveness of such signs. We lack, however, anything here corresponding to the words of the sacraments of the Church. I conclude, therefore, that the parallel between sacraments in an extended sense and the sacraments of the Church is only partial; nevertheless the extended usage is justifiable, provided that we realize its limitations.
Ligand binding and antigenic properties of a human neonatal Fc receptor with mutation of two unpaired cysteine residues
Authors: Andersen Jan T. , Justesen Sune , Fleckenstein Burkhard , Michaelsen Terje E. , Berntzen Gøril , Kenanova Vania E. , Daba Muluneh B. , Lauvrak Vigdis , Buus Søren , Sandlie Inger
Published: July 2008

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is a major histocompatibility complex class I‐related molecule that regulates the half‐life of IgG and albumin. In addition, FcRn directs the transport of IgG across both mucosal epithelium and placenta and also enhances phagocytosis in neutrophils. This new knowledge gives incentives for the design of IgG and albumin‐based diagnostics and therapeutics. To study FcRn in vitro and to select and characterize FcRn binders, large quantities of soluble human FcRn are needed. In this report, we explored the impact of two free cysteine residues (C48 and C251) of the FcRn heavy chain on the overall structure and function of soluble human FcRn and described an improved bacterial production strategy based on removal of these residues, yielding ∼ 70 mg·L−1 of fermentation of refolded soluble human FcRn. The structural and functional integrity was proved by CD, surface plasmon resonance and MALDI‐TOF peptide mapping analyses. The strategy may generally be translated to the large‐scale production of other major histocompatibility complex class I‐related molecules with nonfunctional unpaired cysteine residues. Furthermore, the anti‐FcRn response in goats immunized with the FcRn heavy chain alone was analyzed following affinity purification on heavy chain‐coupled Sepharose. Importantly, purified antibodies blocked the binding of both ligands to soluble human FcRn and were thus directed to both binding sites. This implies that the FcRn heavy chain, without prior assembly with human β2‐microglobulin, contains the relevant epitopes found in soluble human FcRn, and is therefore sufficient to obtain binders to either ligand‐binding site. This finding will greatly facilitate the selection and characterization of such binders.
Huntington’s disease: revisiting the aggregation hypothesis in polyglutamine neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Truant Ray , Atwal Randy Singh , Desmond Carly , Munsie Lise , Tran Thu
Published: July 2008

After the successful cloning of the first gene for a polyglutamine disease in 1991, the expanded polyglutamine tract in the nine polyglutamine disease proteins became an obvious therapeutic target. Early hypotheses were that misfolded, precipitated protein could be a universal pathogenic mechanism. However, new data are accumulating on Huntington’s disease and other polyglutamine diseases that appear to contradict the toxic aggregate hypothesis. Recent data suggest that the toxic species of protein in these diseases may be soluble mutant conformers, and that the protein context of expanded polyglutamine is critical to understanding disease specificity. Here we discuss recent publications that define other important therapeutic targets for polyglutamine‐mediated neurodegeneration related to the context of the expanded polyglutamine tract in the disease protein.
Huntington’s disease: degradation of mutant huntingtin by autophagy
Authors: Sarkar Sovan , Rubinsztein David C.
Published: July 2008

Autophagy is a nonspecific bulk degradation pathway for long‐lived cytoplasmic proteins, protein complexes, or damaged organelles. This process is also a major degradation pathway for many aggregate‐prone, disease‐causing proteins associated with neurodegenerative disorders, such as mutant huntingtin in Huntington’s disease. In this review, we discuss factors regulating the degradation of mutant huntingtin by autophagy. We also report the growing list of new drugs/pathways that upregulate autophagy to enhance the clearance of this mutant protein, as autophagy upregulation may be a tractable strategy for the treatment of Huntington’s disease.
Novel Nuclear Protein ALC‐INTERACTING PROTEIN1 is Expressed in Vascular and Mesocarp Cells inArabidopsis
Authors: Wang Fang , Shi Dong‐Qiao , Liu Jie , Yang Wei‐Cai
Published: July 2008

Pod shattering is an agronomical trait that is a result of the coordinated action of cell differentiation and separation. InArabidopsis, pod shattering is controlled by a complex genetic network in which ALCATRAZ (ALC), a member of the basic helix‐loop‐helix family, is critical for cell separation during fruit dehiscence. Herein, we report the identification of ALC‐INTERACTING PROTEIN1 (ACI1) via the yeast two‐hybrid screen.ACI1encodes a nuclear protein with a lysine‐rich domain and a C‐terminal serine‐rich domain.ACI1is mainly expressed in the vascular system throughout the plant and mesocarp of the valve in siliques. Our data showed that ACI1 interacts strongly with the N‐terminal portion of ALC in yeast cells and in plant cells in the nucleus as demonstrated by bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. BothACI1andALCshare an overlapping expression pattern, suggesting that they likely function together in planta. However, no detectable phenotype was found in plants with reducedACI1expression by RNA interference technology, suggesting thatACI1may be redundant. Taken together, these data indicate that ALC may interact with ACI1 and its homologs to control cell separation during fruit dehiscence inArabidopsis.
Perspectives in Biological Nitrogen Fixation Research
Authors: Cheng Qi
Published: July 2008

Nitrogen fixation, along with photosynthesis is the basis of all life on earth. Current understanding suggests that no plant fixes its own nitrogen. Some plants (mainly legumes) fix nitrogen via symbiotic anaerobic microorganisms (mainly rhizobia). The nature of biological nitrogen fixation is that the dinitrogenase catalyzes the reaction‐splitting triple‐bond inert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into organic ammonia molecule (NH3). All known nitrogenases are found to be prokaryotic, multi‐complex and normally oxygen liable. Not surprisingly, the engineering of autonomous nitrogen‐fixing plants would be a long‐term effort because it requires the assembly of a complex enzyme and provision of anaerobic conditions. However, in the light of evolving protein catalysts, the anaerobic enzyme has almost certainly been replaced in many reactions by the more efficient and irreversible aerobic version that uses O2. On the other hand, nature has shown numerous examples of evolutionary convergence where an enzyme catalyzing a highly specific, O2‐requiring reaction has an oxygen‐independent counterpart, able to carry out the same reaction under anoxic conditions. In this review, I attempt to take the reader on a simplified journey from conventional nitrogenase complex to a possible simplified version of a yet to be discovered light‐utilizing nitrogenase.
Cell Fate Switch during In Vitro Plant Organogenesis
Authors: Zhao Xiang Yu , Su Ying Hua , Cheng Zhi Juan , Zhang Xian Sheng
Published: July 2008

Plant mature cells have the capability to reverse their state of differentiation and produce new organs under cultured conditions. Two phases, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation, are commonly characterized during in vitro organogenesis. In these processes, cells undergo fate switch several times regulated by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors, which are associated with reentry to the cell cycle, the balance between euchromatin and heterochromatin, reprogramming of gene expression, and so forth. This short article reviews the advances in the mechanism of organ regeneration from plant somatic cells in molecular, genomic and epigenetic aspects, aiming to provide important information on the mechanism underlying cell fate switch during in vitro plant organogenesis.
Signaling in Plant Disease Resistance and Symbiosis
Authors: Zhao Songzi , Qi Xiaoquan
Published: July 2008

Interactions between plants and microbes result in plant disease and symbiosis. The former causes considerable economic damage in modern agriculture, while the latter has produced great beneficial effects to our agriculture system. Comparison of the two interactions has revealed that a common panel of signaling pathways might participate in the establishment of the equilibrium between plant and microbes or its break‐up. Plants appear to detect both pathogenic and symbiotic microbes by a similar set of genes. All symbiotic microbes seem to produce effectors to overcome plant basal defenses and it is speculated that symbiotic effectors have functions similar to pathogenic ones. Signaling molecules, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET), are involved in both plant defense and symbiosis. Switching off signals contributing to deterioration of disease symptom would establish a new equilibrium between plant and pathogenic microbes. This would facilitate the development of strategies for durable disease resistance.
Evolutionarily Conserved DELLA‐mediated Gibberellin Signaling in Plants
Authors: Gao Xiu‐Hua , Huang Xian‐Zhong , Xiao Sen‐Lin , Fu Xiang‐Dong
Published: July 2008

Gibberellins (GAs) play important roles in many essential plant growth and development processes. A family of nuclear growth‐repressing DELLA proteins is the key component in GA signaling. GA perception is mediated by GID1, and the key event of GA signaling is the degradation of DELLA proteins via the 26S proteasome pathway. DELLA proteins integrating other plant hormones signaling and environmental cue modulating plant growth and development have been revealed. GA turning on the de‐DELLA‐repressing system is conserved, and independently establishes step‐by‐step recruitment of GA‐stimulated GID1‐DELLA interaction and DELLA growth‐repression functions during land plant evolution. These discoveries open new prospects for the understanding of GA action and DELLA‐mediated signaling in plants.
Histone Deacetylase Genes in Arabidopsis Development
Authors: Hollender Courtney , Liu Zhongchi
Published: July 2008

Histone acetylation and deacetylation are directly connected with transcriptional activation and silencing in eukaryotes. Gene families for enzymes that accomplish these histone modifications show surprising complexity in domain organization, tissue‐specific expression, and function. This review is focused on the family of histone deacetylases (HDACs) that remove the acetyl group from core histone tails, resulting in a “closed” chromatin and transcriptional repression. In Arabidopsis, 18 HDAC genes are divided into three different types – RPD3‐like, HD‐tuin and sirtuin – with two or more members in each type. The structural feature of each HDAC class, the expression profile of each HDAC gene during development and functional insights of important family members are summarized here. It is clear that HDACs are an important class of global transcriptional regulators that play crucial roles in plant development, defense, and adaptation.
Sexual Reproduction in Higher Plants I: Fertilization and the Initiation of Zygotic Program
Authors: Fan Yong‐Feng , Jiang Li , Gong Hua‐Qin , Liu Chun‐Ming
Published: July 2008

Sexual plant reproduction is a critical developmental step in the life cycle of higher plants, to allow maternal and paternal genes to be transmitted in a highly regulated manner to the next generation. During evolution, a whole set of signal transduction machinery is developed by plants to ensure an error‐free recognition between male and female gametes and initiation of zygotic program. In the past few years, the molecular machineries underlying this biological process have been elucidated, particularly on the importance of synergid cells in pollen tube guidance, the Ca++ spike as the immediate response of fertilization and the epigenetic regulation of parental gene expressions in early zygotic embryogenesis. This review outlines the most recent development in this area.
Carotenoid Metabolism: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Beyond
Authors: Lu Shan , Li Li
Published: July 2008

Carotenoids are indispensable to plants and play a critical role in human nutrition and health. Significant progress has been made in our understanding of carotenoid metabolism in plants. The biosynthetic pathway has been extensively studied. Nearly all the genes encoding the biosynthetic enzymes have been isolated and characterized from various organisms. In recent years, there is an increasing body of work on the signaling pathways and plastid development, which might provide global control of carotenoid biosynthesis and accumulation. Herein, we will highlight recent progress on the biosynthesis, regulation, and metabolic engineering of carotenoids in plants, as well as the future research towards elucidating the regulatory mechanisms and metabolic network that control carotenoid metabolism.
Genetic Basis of Ethylene Perception and Signal Transduction in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhu Ziqiang , Guo Hongwei
Published: July 2008

Ethylene is a simple gaseous hormone in plants. It plays important roles in plant development and stress tolerance. In the presence of ethylene treatment, all ethylene receptors are in an activated form, which can physically interact with CTR1 and consequently recruit CTR1 protein to endoplasmic reticulum membrane
to activate it. Activated CTR1 suppresses the downstream signal transduction by an unknown mechanism. Upon binding to its receptors, ethylene will inactivate the receptor/CTR1 module and in turn alleviate their inhibitory effect on two positive regulators acting downstream of CTR1: EIN2 and EIN3. Genetic study reveals that EIN2 is an essential component in the ethylene signaling pathway but its biochemical function remains a mystery. EIN3 is a plant‐specific transcription factor and its protein abundance in the nucleus is rapidly induced upon ethylene treatment. In the absence of ethylene signal, EIN3 protein is degraded by an SCF complex containing one of the two F‐box proteins EBF1/EBF2 in a 26S proteasome‐dependent manner. EIN3 can bind to the promoter sequences of a number of downstream components, such as ERFs, which in turn bind to a GCC box, a cis‐element found in many ethylene‐regulated defense genes. Ethylene has been shown to also regulate many other hormones' signaling pathways including auxin, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid, implying the existence of complicated signaling networks in the growth, development and defense responses of various plants.