bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demonstratives’ Special Place in the English Reference System: Why that’s Important for English Language Learners
Authors: Swierzbin Bonnie
Published: October 2010

Demonstratives form a vital part of the English system of noun reference, but compared to other forms of reference such as articles and pronouns, their acquisition by second language learners has been researched relatively little. Using the Givenness Hierarchy (Gundel et al. 1993. Language 69. 274–307) as a theoretical backdrop for discussing the research on native English speakers’ use of demonstratives, this review explains the unique position that demonstratives hold as part of the reference system of English. The review then covers the relatively small body of research concerning English language learners’ (ELLs) acquisition and use of demonstratives, mainly in written expository essays and oral narratives. It also illustrates how ELLs would benefit from being taught the discourse uses of demonstratives early in their language education, a topic that is not currently addressed sufficiently in many English‐as‐a‐second‐language textbooks.
Peatland Geomorphology and Carbon Cycling
Authors: Evans Martin G. , Warburton Jeff
Published: October 2010

Peatlands in the northern hemisphere are important stores of soil carbon. The stability of peatlands is therefore important for the preservation of a major terrestrial carbon store as well as for the maintenance of the carbon storage function of peatlands. Peatland erosion has the potential to significantly impact carbon storage. This article reviews the evidence from eroding peatland systems, largely in the United Kingdom, to develop the thesis that as peatlands begin to erode, geomorphological processes and form become the dominant controls on peatland carbon cycling. The impacts of geomorphological change on carbon cycling include direct erosional losses of particulate organic carbon (POC) and indirect effects largely resulting from the effect of gully erosion on peatland water tables, and consequently on dissolved and gaseous carbon losses. During erosional phases, POC loss from eroding systems can be sufficient to shift peatlands from net carbon sinks to net carbon sources. Re‐vegetation of eroding peatlands dramatically reduces POC loss but morphological changes resulting from erosion are likely to cause long‐term changes in gaseous and dissolved carbon flux from re‐vegetated peatlands. The potential for enhanced peatland erosion resulting from climatic changes in peatland areas requires a fuller understanding of geomorphological controls on carbon losses. In particular the fate of POC losses from peatlands is an urgent research need.
Children’s Caring Roles and Responsibilities within the Family in Africa
Authors: Evans Ruth
Published: October 2010

In many Sub‐Saharan African countries, the care of chronically ill, disabled or elderly relatives is usually regarded as the responsibility of family members, within a broader landscape of often overburdened healthcare systems, the expense of medical fees, very limited access to social protection and policies that emphasise home‐based care. Recent studies have demonstrated that children and youth, particularly girls and young women, take on considerable caring roles for chronically ill and elderly and young relatives in Africa. This article reviews the available research on young people’s caring roles and responsibilities within families affected by chronic illness and disability in Sub‐Saharan Africa. I discuss how children’s caring roles challenge global and local constructions of childhood and suggest ways of conceptualising the socio‐spatial and embodied dimensions of children’s everyday care work within diverse household forms. I analyse evidence on outcomes of caring and children’s resilience in managing their caring responsibilities and examine the complex array of processes that influence whether children take on caring roles within the family. I argue that relational, intergenerational and lifecourse approaches to researching children’s caring responsibilities within the family have considerable potential for future geographical research and could provide further insights into the ways that care is embedded in social relationships, cultural norms and structural inequalities operating in different configurations in particular places.
Arsenic in South Asia Groundwater
Authors: Benner Shawn G. , Fendorf Scott
Published: October 2010

Within the deltas of South Asia, widespread consumption of groundwater containing dangerous levels of arsenic adversely impacts tens of millions of people in Bangladesh, West Bengal, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. This massive health crisis is the product of a confluence of processes initiated by the erosion of arsenic‐bearing minerals in the Himalaya, transport of sediments containing arsenic‐bearing iron oxides down the Brahmaputra–Ganges, Mekong, Irrawaddy and Red river systems, and deposition as deltaic sediments. Upon burial, dissolution of these arsenic‐bearing iron‐oxide minerals is triggered by reaction with organic carbon, releasing arsenic to the aquifer and producing aqueous concentrations that can exceed 1000 μg/L, 100 times the World Health Organization drinking water standard. These waters are the primary drinking water source for the majority of the people living in these low‐lying regions of Asia. Although groundwater contamination has likely persisted for millennia on the Asian deltas, consumption of these waters became widespread in the 1970s as groundwater was tapped to avoid water‐borne diseases in surface water bodies. Groundwater pumping for irrigation and other land use changes, including widespread rice cultivation, are now impacting the distribution of arsenic in (presently) unpredictable ways. Further, irrigation with arsenic‐rich waters is decreasing rice yields and providing an additional pathway of human exposure. In general, deeper groundwater contains low levels of arsenic. Efforts must continue to focus on protecting this resource for human consumption.
Urban Explorers: Quests for Myth, Mystery and Meaning
Authors: Garrett Bradley L.
Published: October 2010

This article is about urban exploration, a cultural practice of exploring derelict, closed and normally inaccessible built environments. The article is, in a sense, an experiment in research, learning and representation and is as much about the way the information is presented as it is about the topic itself. It consists of two parts. The first component is a video article that can be viewed online at http://vimeo.com/5366045 [Correction added on 13 October 2010 after first publication on 3 October 2010: The URL has been corrected]. The second is this document, an annotated script and short article meant to support the videographic document. This piece, as a whole, is a review of the work of five scholars (Alastair Bonnett, Tim Edensor, Caitlin DeSilvey, Hayden Lorimer and David Pinder) who have studied the theories and practices behind contemporary urban exploration from a number of different perspectives. I include video footage of my own ethnographic research on the topic, though I allow discussion of previous work to contextualize those images to establish what might be considered a videographic literature review.
Climate Change in the Arctic – Permafrost, Thermokarst, and Why They Matter to the Non‐Arctic World
Authors: Bowden William B.
Published: October 2010

Thermokarst terrain develops when some forms of permafrost – or so‐called frozen ground – thaw and the soil subsides under its own mass. The processes that create thermokarst terrain alter the Arctic landscape substantially. The formation of thermokarst terrain is a natural phenomenon that increases or decreases as the climate warms or cools. There is now strong evidence that permafrost has been warming for several decades and that the rate of thermokarst formation has accelerated in many parts of the Arctic. Based on predictions of future climate in Arctic regions, a substantial portion of the permafrost that exists today will disappear in the next 50–100 years. The increase in thermokarst activity observed recently is likely to be an early indicator of permafrost retreat. Taken individually a particular thermokarst feature is perhaps merely an interesting oddity. However, taking a longer temporal and larger spatial perspective, it is reasonable to conclude that thermokarst formation has important impacts on the hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry and ecology of the Arctic landscape. If the rate of thermokarst formation increases as expected, then it is possible that important aspects of the structure and function of the Arctic landscape will change rapidly as well. It is of particular concern that permafrost contains more total carbon than is currently in circulation in the modern atmosphere. New experimental evidence suggests that when permafrost thaws, the carbon it contains will become available for microbial processing and much of the carbon may end up as carbon dioxide or methane in the atmosphere. It is important that we understand these interacting process to better understand how climate change will affect the Arctic environment as well as the global climate, in the future.
‘Maturing’ a Sub‐discipline: The Intersectional Geographies of Masculinities and Old Age
Authors: Tarrant Anna
Published: October 2010

From the early 1990s, the study of men and masculinities and the spatiality of their identities, has established itself as a significant subfield of critical social geographies. At the same time, geographies of childhood and youth, and to a much lesser extent old age identities, have emerged and become intersected. Recently, it has been suggested that these studies of social markers of difference have reached a critical mass (Hopkins 2008). Upon further exploration however, it is evident that together these literatures have focused more on childhood and young men, neglecting older and ageing men. Curiously, there are few literatures that connect old age and men and masculinities from a spatial perspective. This is not only reflected in social geography literatures but across the social sciences. In this article, I briefly review the subfields of masculinities and age, both within the discipline of geography and elsewhere, and seek to join the currently disconnected literatures to identify older men’s age identities as an absent presence in geography. I argue that this will contribute to the maturation of the current literatures of men and masculinities and enhance theoretical understandings of men’s power, both in critical social geographies and beyond.
Intellectual Property, Dissemination of Innovation and Sustainable Development
Authors: Henry Claude , Stiglitz Joseph E.
Published: October 2010

We live in a knowledge economy. The production and dissemination of knowledge will be central to solving the problems of climate change and environmental sustainability, reducing global poverty and addressing other global problems. This article asks: do intellectual property rights – with their increasingly global reach –further or hinder the production and dissemination of knowledge? Experience with genetically modified organisms shows that a model markedly different from the current one is more likely to bring wider social benefits, both in the short and the long run. Indeed, the current system may impede both innovation and dissemination. There are reforms in the intellectual property regime, and more broadly in the way we finance, organize and incentivize innovation, that would increase the pace of innovation and its utilization. The spread of the current dysfunctional system owes much to the evolution of intellectual property rights in the US – and the influence of particular special interests there.

Policy Implications

 A well‐functioning patent system requires careful attention to a number of details, including: (1) what can be patented; (2) the breadth of a patent; and (3) the standards of novelty that determine whether an innovation is eligible for a patent. Corporate interests have resulted in a patent system which answers each of these questions in a way that may impede not only the utilization of knowledge, but even innovation.

 Among the details that matter is the process by which patents are granted. The current system grants too many ‘bad’ patents. Opening the process of examination of patent candidates to all parties that reveal themselves as having private information relevant to a thorough examination (in a process called opposition) should reduce the number of ‘bad’ patents.

 The patent system is only one part of a society’s innovation system, through which the production of knowledge is financed, incentivized and organized. Too much attention has been focused on IPR (intellectual property rights), and too little on alternatives, e.g. open source systems, publicly financed innovation and prizes.

 Providing more scope for compulsory licenses – making it easier for countries to issue them – would reduce some of the inefficiencies associated with the current patent system.
Evaluation of a screening method by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for estimating effect of drugs on the activation andβ-oxidation of fatty acids in mitochondria
Authors: Kasuya Fumiyo , Nishizawa Ryota , Masuyama Teiichi , Kazumi Maya
Published: October 2010

Objectives

Fatty acid metabolism is controlled not only by the acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetases but by some enzymes in the β-oxidation cycle. Medium-chain and long-chain acyl-CoA esters are key metabolites in fatty acid metabolism. We have developed an enzymatic assay method for determining chain shortening of the acyl-CoAs via β-oxidation from palmitic and octanoic acids in liver mitochondria. We have evaluated the assay method for detecting whether drugs influence the activation or the β-oxidation of fatty acids.

Methods

Liver mitochondria were used for investigating the effect of drugs on fatty acid metabolism. The drugs selected were salicylic acid, diclofenac, valproic acid and paracetamol. Each acyl-CoA formed was analysed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.

Key findings

After less than 5 min of incubation, the levels of acyl-CoAs reflected the acyl-CoA synthetase activity, whereas after 60-min incubation they reflected the activity of some enzymes in the β-oxidation cycle. Salicylic acid, diclofenac and valproic acid inhibited the medium-chain acyl-CoA synthetases, whereas valproic acid only exhibited a weak inhibitory activity toward the β-oxidation of the medium-chain fatty acids. In the case of long-chain fatty acid metabolism, salicylic acid and diclofenac inhibited both the activation and β-oxidation, whereas valproic acid was a weak inhibitor for only the β-oxidation activity. Paracetamol showed hardly any influence on the metabolism of medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that salicylic acid, diclofenac, valproic acid and paracetamol exert a different influence on fatty acid metabolism depending on the length of the acyl chain. This assay allows sensitive and selective analysis for predicting the pathways by which drugs exert a greater influence over fatty acid metabolism.
Enzymatically degraded Eurylon 6 HP-PG: ethylcellulose film coatings for colon targeting in inflammatory bowel disease patients
Authors: Karrout Youness , Neut Christel , Siepmann Florence , Wils Daniel , Ravaux Pierre , Deremaux Laetitia , Flament Marie-Pierre , Dubreuil Luc , Lemdani Mohamed , Desreumaux Pierre , Siepmann Juergen
Published: October 2010

Objectives

Film coatings based on blends of Eurylon 6 HP-PG (a hydroxypropylated and pregelatinized high amylose starch) and ethylcellulose were to be evaluated as promising coating materials for site-specific drug delivery to the colon of patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases.

Methods

Pellet starter cores containing 60% 5-aminosalicylic acid were prepared by extrusion/spheronization and coated with different Eurylon 6 HP-PG : ethylcellulose blends at various coating levels. Drug release was measured in media simulating the contents of the upper gastrointestinal tract (in the presence and absence of enzymes) as well as in media simulating the contents of the colon.

Key findings

5-Aminosalicylic acid release could effectively be suppressed in 0.1 N HCl and phosphate buffer pH 6.8, optionally containing pepsin or pancreatin, but occurred as soon as the pellets came into contact with culture medium inoculated with faecal samples from inflammatory bowel disease patients. This can be attributed to the partial degradation of the starch derivative by enzymes secreted by bacteria present in the colon of these patients.

Conclusions

The presented drug delivery system is adapted to the pathophysiological conditions in inflammatory bowel disease patients. Furthermore, drug release remained unaltered upon 1 year open storage.
Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass Using Solar Energy: Use of Nanoparticle-Laden Molten Salt as the Working Fluid
Authors: Tyagi Himanshu , Phelan Patrick E. , Prasher Ravi S.
Published: October 2010

Solar energy can potentially be used to convert biomass into more readily usable fuel. The use of solar energy in such a process improves the overall conversion efficiency of the system significantly by eliminating combustion of a portion of biomass needed to heat the rest of it to a temperature where pyrolysis occurs. The present study models the thermochemical conversion process during pyrolysis of biomass matter into product gases. Concentrated solar radiation is used as the source of heating of the biomass. The biomass is indirectly heated by a mixture of molten salts (Na2CO3 and K2CO3) and nanoparticles (copper), which acts as the absorbing medium and in turn heats the biomass matter (cellulose). A two-stage heat transfer and chemical reaction analysis is carried out in order to simulate the simplified operating conditions of a solar-powered gasifier. The temperature of the molten salt at the exit of the reactor is held fixed at 1000 K (727°C). The calculations are carried out at different values of solar concentration factor ranging from 10 to 60. The results show that the temperature of the molten salt mixture at the exit of the solar collector increases with an increase in the solar concentration factor. Moreover the temperature inside the biomass reactor is a function of the concentration factor as well and largely the determining factor of the rate of biomass conversion into product gases. At the highest concentration factor (Cf = 60), the model predicts that the reactor is able to convert 1.1 tons of biomass into product gases each hour using 900 kW of solar radiation at an overall efficiency of 8%. The main finding of this study is that under similar operating conditions a solar collector using a direct absorption fluid (mixture of nanoparticles and molten salt) would require significantly less concentration factor (an order of magnitude reduction) than a conventional solar collector. A conventional solar collector is defined as one where the solar radiation heats up a solid surface (such as tube walls) which in turn heats up the working fluid (molten salt). Such a reduction in concentration factor would translate into lower concentrator area, and consequently lower initial capital cost.
High Performance PCM-Graphite Heat Storage Systems for Solar Process Heat
Authors: Schmitt R. , Ro¨mmler M. , Steinmann W.-D. , Tamme R.
Published: October 2010

Increasing energy prices and shortage of fossil fuels lead to a growing interest in alternative energy sources. In combination with energy storage systems the generation of solar process heat can be provided independent from the weather leading for example to a cost efficient stabilization of power output. For this application latent heat storage units with phase change materials (PCMs) can be designed to store solar process heat within a narrow temperature interval utilizing the high storage density of the different PCMs. This is achieved using the latent heat of melting in the melting / solidification process, or the latent heat of re-crystallization in a solid / solid phase transition. However, this advantage can only be used in technical applications if the heat transfer in the PCM is sufficiently high. As most pure PCMs exhibit a low thermal conductivity (about 1 W/(m·K) or less), methods to improve heat transfer in PCMs have been under investigation for decades. The heat transfer in a PCM can be increased by addition of high conductive materials. Due to its superior properties — high thermal conductivity, good processibility, and chemical inertness — graphite has distinct advantages for this purpose. Depending on the requirements of the respective application, various routes to combine PCM and graphite are used. For example, besides the fabrication of PCM/graphite composite materials, the increase of heat exchanger surface by highly thermal conductive graphite plates is a favorable method for large scale applications, in particular. Effective thermal conductivities up to 30 W/(m·K) have been realized. This paper gives an overview of actual and potential applications of PCM/graphite heat storage systems focusing to store solar heat for high temperature applications, such as process heat generation and solar thermal power plants.
Design and Fabrication of the Energy Generating Components for the Sustainable Shepherd’s Residence in Northeastern China
Authors: French Jesse J. , Clancy Caitlin T. , Johnston Allison L. , Holland Maria A. , Henshaw John M.
Published: October 2010

The Sustainable Shepherd’s Residence (SSR) is a novel, multi-year service learning project executed by students at the University of Tulsa in the Jilin Province of Northeastern China. The SSR is an effort to design and fabricate a dwelling that is manufacturable with local materials on a budget commensurate with local earnings. It utilizes modern sustainable energy methods to bring power to some of the 20 million rural Chinese who live without electricity in one of the world’s harshest climates. Wind power, passive solar heating, photovoltaic battery charging, and biogas technology are all incorporated into a structure that houses a single family and their associated livestock. After completing an assessment trip to the region to inventory health conditions, energy needs, and available materials, students designed a residence that provided greatly improved living conditions for the rural shepherd whilst accommodating the special security issues that remain a challenge in the region. On subsequent return trips, the students worked alongside local craftsmen to build the structure and the sustainable energy components and assemble them into a ‘green model home’. The SSR is currently occupied and visited frequently by farmers from neighboring villages who seek to improve their standard of living using the sustainable techniques on display. This paper focuses on the challenges associated with the fabrication of fairly well understood modern sustainable energy technologies in the face of cultural and materiel difficulties present in an international and rural setting. The competing forces at play include the lack of basic maintenance habits due to long-term absence of privatized machinery ownership and the desire for high-wattage electrical conveniences found in the larger cities. The practical engineering aspects of the design and testing of the SSR energy generating components are considered. Specific topics include the fabrication and modification of two different wind turbines, manufacture and operational testing of a biogas digester, and the design of an integrated residential greenhouse with an aquaponics system capable of year round production.
Study on Feasible Gas Price Formulation Principle for BCHP in China
Authors: Bai W. , Long W. D.
Published: October 2010

Taking three cities in China — Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu — as examples, under different power price and natural gas price policies, and at the same output level, this paper compares Building Cooling Heating and Power system (BCHP) with the other four cooling/heating sources systems by economic analysis. This paper calculates Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of the five systems to determine which the best is and which the worst is. The author compares the LCC of power-driven cooling/heating systems with that of gas-driven systems especially when power users should pay the basic electricity cost according to the maximum power demand (MPD) or transformer capacity. This paper defines price ratio of electric power to natural gas, builds first-order linear regression equation of equivalent uniform annual cost (EUAC) ratio of BCHP to power-driven air source heat pump to calculate the feasible price ratio of electric power to natural gas. Accordingly, the author suggests that government should give preferential natural gas price subsidies policies to BCHP users.
Molten-Salt Tubular Absorber/Reformer (MoSTAR) Project: Metal-Plate-Bridged Double Tube Reactor
Authors: Kodama Tatsuya , Gokon Nobuyuki , Inuta Shin-ichi , Yamashita Shin-go , Hatamachi Tsuyoshi , Seo Taebeom
Published: October 2010

The Molten-Salt Tubular Absorber/Reformer (MoSTAR) Project, which is jointly conducted by Niigata University, Japan, and Inha University, Korea, aims to develop a novel-type of “double-walled” tubular absorbers/reformers with molten-salt thermal storage at high temperature for use in solar natural-gas reforming and solar air receiver, and to demonstrate their performances on sun with a 5-kWt dish-type solar concentrator. The new concept of “double-walled” reactor tubes was proposed for use in a solar reformer by Niigata University, Japan, and involves packing a molten salt in the annular region between the internal catalyst tube and the exterior solar absorber tube of the double reactor tube. In this work, “metal-plate-bridged” double reactor tubes are newly proposed for use in a solar reformer. Two different sized reactor tubes are constructed, and tested on chemical reaction performance for dry reforming of methane during cooling or heat-discharge mode of the reactor tube using an electric furnace. The experimental results obtained under feed gas mixture of CH4/CO2 = 1:3 at a residence time of 0.36 s and at 1 atm showed that the double reactor tube with the heat storage medium Na2CO3 in the annular region successfully sustained a high methane conversion above 90% with about 0.7-kW output power of the reformed gas based on HHV for 40 min of the heat-discharge mode. The application of the new reactor tubes to solar tubular reformers is expected to help realize stable operation of the solar reforming process under fluctuating insolation during a cloud passage.
Evaluation of Cradle to Grave Impacts From Potential Automotive Fuel Replacements: An Update
Authors: Curtiss Peter S. , Kreider Jan F.
Published: October 2010

In modern society, everything from transportation to commerce to food supply is heavily dependent on the availability of cheap and plentiful energy supplies. In the past few years many have realized that the traditional sources of energy — oil and gas — are in limited supply and that we need to prepare for the approaching production maxima. Recent research has focused on alternative forms of transportation energy including biofuels, unconventional refining techniques, and heavy oil and bitumen. This report is a continuation of earlier research and now considers ethanol produced from municipal solid waste, ethanol from algae, and compressed natural gas. The data presented are maintained in the same format as previous studies to facilitate comparison between the fuels. Results are reported for land use, water use, input-to-output energy ratio, and carbon emissions for each fuel cycle and source. Data are given for the cases of 10, 25, and 50 percent displacements of the 2012 predicted transportation energy needs (i.e., the equivalent of 430 million gallons of gasoline per day). Cradle-to-grave findings indicate that some novel fuels cannot substitute for conventional fuels without consuming more water or land and emitting more greenhouse gases than fuels in use today. The life cycle analysis approach presented here is that which should be used as the US moves toward low carbon fuel standards (LCFS) and carbon cap and trade (CC&T) approaches for reducing carbon loading of the environment.
Detection of antibodies to Salmonella enteritidis in sera and yolks from experimentally and naturally infected chickens
Authors: Desmidt M. , Ducatelle R. , Haesebrouck F. , De Groot P. A. , Verlinden M. , Wijffels R. , Hinton M. , Bale J. A. , Allen V. M.
Published: October 2010

An indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4, was developed for the detection of antibodies to salmonella. Sera and yolks from chickens infected experimentally with S enteritidis showed strong positive reactions. Crossreactions occurred with sera from chickens inoculated with S typhimurium or S gallinarum. Cross‐reactions were weak with sera from chickens infected with five strains of other Enterobacteriaceae. The ELISA was tested with sera and yolks from commercial poultry flocks which were bacteriologically negative for salmonella or infected with salmonella serotypes belonging to serogroup D or to other serogroups. The serological reactions were strong in most flocks infected with S enteritidis and were weaker in flocks infected with S typhimurium. In some flocks infected with these serotypes no antibodies were detected. The correct setting of the cut‐off value of the optical density in the ELISA makes it possible to discriminate between chickens which are infected with S enteritidis and chickens which are not infected with S enteritidis.
Subconjunctival haemorrhages in neonatal thoroughbred foals
Authors: Munroe G.
Published: October 2010

A survey of 169 neonatal thoroughbred foals revealed that 8.3 per cent had subconjunctival haemorrhages, but there was no indication of a relationship between retinal and subconjunctival haemorrhages. The haemorrhages were not related to any abnormality of the foals and there was no sex or eye predisposition. In most cases the haemorrhages were fresh and red, occurred mainly dorsally or dorsonasally and extended up to the limbus; they resolved completely within four to 10 days, depending on their initial severity and extent They had no effect on the foals' vision in the short or long term. The incidence of subconjunctival haemorrhages was associated with foaling category, multiparity and country of birth.
High carbon dioxide tension (PCO2) and the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias in rapidly growing broiler chickens
Authors: Korte M. , Sgoifo A. , Ruesink W. , Kwakernaak C. , van Voorst S. , Scheele C. W. , Blokhuis H. J.
Published: October 2010

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether two‐week‐old rapidly growing broiler chickens with high metabolic activity have an increased risk of the development of heart failure three to five weeks later. The incidence of cardiac arrhythmias was assessed in broiler chickens with either a relatively high carbon dioxide tension (PCO2) or a low PCO2 in their venous blood. Their electrocardiograms (ECGS) were measured when the birds were between five and seven weeks old by means of a biotransplant which allowed them to move freely. Premature ventricular beats were observed in all the birds, but the largest numbers were observed in birds that had had a high PCO2 when they were two weeks old.
Detection of Aleutian disease antibodies in feral American mink in southern England
Authors: Yamaguchi N. , Macdonald D. W.
Published: October 2010

Fourteen of 27 American mink (Mustela vison) trapped in the upper Thames region were positive for anti‐Aleutian disease antibodies. This demonstration of the occurrence of this viral disease in a feral American mink population suggests that it could threaten populations of at least two protected mustelids, the otter (Lutra lutra) and the polecat (Mustela putorius), and may also play a role in the apparent decline of local mink populations in Britain.
Investigation of calf health and welfare on dairy farms in south‐west England
Authors: Howard P.
Published: October 2010

A questionnaire was designed to investigate calf health and welfare on dairy farms in the south west of England with regard to the degree of compliance with the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000. The level of veterinary involvement in calf rearing and management on dairy farms in the south west of England was also assessed. The questionnaire was sent to 32 large animal practices in the catchment area of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency ‐ Langford. Compliance with the regulations was found to be variable. The requirements for the isolation of sick calves, provision of bovine colostrum within six hours of birth, the provision of fresh, clean water and restrictions concerning tethering were not well complied with. However, the requirements for twice‐daily feeding and inspection, visual and tactile contact between calves, access to forage and the provision of clean, dry bedding were well complied with. The results also suggested that there was some lack of veterinary input into the health and welfare of calves on dairy farms visited by the practices routinely and non‐routinely.
Associations between prion protein genotype and type traits in East Friesian milk sheep
Authors: de Vries F. , Hamann H. , Drögemüller C. , Distl O.
Published: October 2010

Linear models were used to analyse the relationships between the prion protein genotypes and the height at the withers and rump, the heart girth and the length of the trunk of 440 East Friesian milk sheep. Significant associations were found between the ARR allele and the height of the withers and rump, and heart girth. The average height at the withers of the homozygous ARR/ARR sheep was 1·9 cm less than that of ARQ/ARQ sheep and 1·6 cm less than in sheep heterozygous for ARR; the height at the rump, length of the trunk and heart girth were similarly smaller. In the ARR/ARR ewes, the average height at the withers was 2·6 cm less and the height at the rump was 1·9 cm less than in the ARQ/ARQ ewes.
Awareness and perceived value of economic information in controlling somatic cell count
Authors: van Asseldonk M. A. P. M. , Renes R. J. , Lam T. J. G. M. , Hogeveen H.
Published: October 2010

A survey of dairy farmers assessed whether they were aware of the potential production and economic benefits of adopting and implementing efficient practices to control somatic cell count (SCC), and whether providing them with additional information on projected economic losses on a regular basis might motivate them to implement enhanced control programmes. In‐depth interviews revealed that the majority of the dairy farmers perceived cow‐specific and herd‐specific projected losses due to elevated SCCs, as not very relevant to them. Farmers considered that SCC was already monitored regularly at individual cow level, which provided them with adequate information to support decision‐making. The farmers justified their actions with regard to SCC control in terms of their intention to manage the problem, and their belief in whether their efforts would be successful. Actions were rationalised in a specific context comprising the intertwined notions of intentions and efficacy beliefs.
Survey of veterinary practice policies and opinions on neutering dogs
Authors: Diesel G. , Brodbelt D. , Laurence C.
Published: October 2010

A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in 2008 to obtain information on the advice veterinary practices currently give to their clients and the opinions of veterinary surgeons regarding neutering of dogs. An additional survey of dog owners was conducted to obtain information on the neuter status of the general dog population in Great Britain. A significantly higher proportion of practices had a policy for the age of neutering bitches than for dogs. The average recommended age for neutering bitches was 6.5 months (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 3.1 to 9.7 months) and for dogs it was 7.5 months (95 per cent CI 1.4 to 13.6 months). There was very little agreement between veterinary practices as to whether bitches should be allowed to have their first season before neutering, with 164 of 973 respondents (16.9 per cent) always recommending this, 198 (20.3 per cent) recommending it most of the time, 203 (20.9 per cent) sometimes, 203 (20.9 per cent) rarely and 201 (20.6 per cent) never recommending it. The owner study showed that 54 per cent of dogs (233 of 431) were neutered, with the North region having the lowest proportion of neutered dogs (11 of 25; 44.0 per cent).
Repeated cross‐sectional skin testing for bovine tuberculosis in cattle kept in a traditional husbandry system in Ethiopia
Authors: Tschopp R. , Schelling E. , Hattendorf J. , Young D. , Aseffa A. , Zinsstag J.
Published: October 2010

Representative repeated cross‐sectional skin testing for bovine tuberculosis (TB) was conducted over a period of three years in a total of 5377 cattle in three randomly selected woredas (districts) in Ethiopia (Meskan, Woldia and Bako‐Gazer) that had never previously been tested for TB. Almost all (99 per cent) of the animals included local zebus kept in traditional husbandry systems. The comparative intradermal tuberculin test with two diagnostic thresholds were used to define positive test results, one according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recommended cut‐off of more than 4 mm, and the other with a cut‐off of >2 mm. Data analysis was performed using a logistic regression model with a random effect at the village level. Applying the OIE definition, the overall representative apparent prevalence of bovine TB in skin test‐positive local zebus was 0.9 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 0.6 to 1.3 per cent). Using a cut‐off of more than 2 mm the overall representative prevalence increased to 4 per cent (95 per cent CI 2.4 to 4.8 per cent). Due to the low apparent prevalence, the true prevalence could be calculated only in Meskan (4.5 per cent) and Bako‐Gazer (2.4 per cent) for the more than 2 mm cutoff. With the exception of Meskan, prevalence by woreda did not change significantly over the years. Mycobacterium avium reactor animals were found at all study sites, but there were significant geographical variations. Overall, bulls and oxen were more at risk of being positive reactors (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95 per cent CI 1.1 to 2.3; OR 2, 95 per cent CI 1.4 to 2.6, respectively), as were animals in good body condition (OR 2, 95 per cent CI 1.5 to 2.9). Similar results were found at woreda level with the exception of Woldia, where none of the analysed variables was significantly associated with a positive test result.
Vein patterning and evolution in C4plants
Authors: McKown Athena D. , Dengler Nancy G.
Published: October 2010

The C4photosynthetic pathway provides a platform to gain insight into the formation, regulation, and biological consequences of leaf vein pattern modification. This review examines the functional role of the vascular system in C4photosynthesis and the development of veins in C3and C4plants, highlighting the contribution of vasculature in the evolution of the C4pathway. With interest in developing C3plant crops into C4systems, it is essential to understand vascular patterning as a necessary element for C4functioning. Leaf venation in C4plants generally shows a higher vein density through a greater network complexity (more veins) compared with the ancestral C3condition. Thus, C4plants can provide a model that links the development of vein patterning with evolutionary selection pressures and molecular mechanisms (i.e., modifications of different components of vascular development). Numerous studies, including a comparative C3and C4Flaveria case study, highlight that the overall process of vein formation and patterning is complex, involving interactions between procambium and ground meristem during leaf ontogeny, and points to potential roles of changes in auxin production, transport, and perception.
Sexual dimorphism of reproductive allocation at shoot and tree levels in Zanthoxylum ailanthoides, a pioneer dioecious tree
Authors: Matsuyama Shuhei , Sakimoto Michinori
Published: October 2010

Sexual dimorphisms are often found in reproductive allocation and vegetative growth, and these sexual dimorphisms may lead to a reduction of subsequent reproductive allocation in woody dioecious species. However, in some species, female-biased reproductive allocation does not result in a reduction of subsequent reproductive allocation in females. To clarify the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we studied the dioecious tree Zanthoxylum ailanthoides Sieb. et Zucc., in which leafing and inflorescence development occur sequentially. Reproductive allocation and vegetative growth were examined in both sexes at the shoot and tree levels. At tree level, they were evaluated with respect to flowering frequency and annual tree-ring width over 5 years. Reproductive allocation per shoot in females was 1.7× that in males. The ratio of reproductive to total current-year shoots per tree in males was 1.2× that in females. Reproductive allocation in females exceeded that of males by a factor of 1.5 at the tree level, which was less than that at the shoot level, owing to modular integrity. Biased vegetative growth was not detected at the leaf, shoot, or tree level, suggesting that a compensatory mechanism is not employed by this species. The results support the conclusion that a species-specific phenophase sequence of Z. ailanthoides enables females to achieve consecutive reproductive allocation.
Understory species interactions in mature boreal mixedwood forests
Authors: Chávez Virginia , Macdonald S. Ellen
Published: October 2010

We explored interactions among plant growth forms in the understory of mature boreal mixedwood forests in western Canada by investigating the competitive influence of erect shrubs on herbs (forbs and grasses). We established 10 pairs of plots; all erect shrubs were removed in one plot of each pair (removals) and left intact in the other plot (controls). Two years later, we harvested all aboveground biomass of the herbaceous layer (herb biomass: this included graminoids, forbs, trailing shrubs, and species with a woody base but not woody stems) from the 20 plots. We tested for significant differences in understory species biomass and composition between control and removal plots and examined the influence of 25 environmental factors on species composition of the herbaceous layer. Competition intensity was measured by the natural logarithm of response ratio (ln RR) index based on herb biomass. After erect shrub removal, there was a significant increase in herb biomass, mostly due to an increase of the most common species (e.g., Cornus canadensis Linnaeus, Linnaea borealis Linnaeus). The values of competition intensity (ln RR) varied among herb species but were, overall, positive, indicating a release from competition following shrub removal. Composition of the herbaceous layer was significantly different between removal and control plots and was also significantly related to seven environmental factors, which explained 40% of the variation in composition. Our study suggests that there is asymmetric competition for light between erect shrub and herb species in boreal ecosystems.
Localized increases of polyphenol concentration and antioxidant capacity in relation to the differential accumulations of copper and cadmium in roots and in shoots of sunflower
Authors: Yaakoubi Hnia , Samson Guy , Ksontini Mustapha , Chaibi Wided
Published: October 2010

In this study, we examined the relevance of polyphenols in the response of sunflower plants to acute Cu and Cd stresses. More specifically, we aimed to correlate spatially and temporally the accumulation of polyphenols with the occurrence of oxidative stress, and to estimate their contribution to the antioxidant capacities. Under our experimental conditions, the presence of Cu and Cd (75 µmol·L–1) in the nutrient solution caused oxidative damage, as detected by the accumulation of malondialdehyde, in roots of Cu-treated plants and in leaves of Cd-treated plants; in the latter, significant inhibition of photosynthesis also occurred. These effects were in agreement with the preferential accumulation of Cu in the roots and the greater translocation of Cd to the shoots. This oxidative damage was associated with a concerted plant response, characterized by stimulation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase activities, and by the accumulation of polyphenols whose concentrations were closely correlated (R2 = 0.95) to the total antioxidant capacity of plants extracts. Globally, the co-occurrence of oxidative damages and polyphenol accumulation, and the correlations among polyphenol concentrations, total antioxidant capacities, and stimulations of the peroxidases support the involvement of polyphenols in protection against oxidative damage generated by Cu and Cd in plants.
The influence of the Columbia River plume on the survival of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): a numerical exploration
Authors: Burla Michela , Baptista António M. , Casillas Edmundo , Williams John G.  , Marsh Douglas M. 
Published: October 2010

Are smolt-to-adult return rates (SARs) for wild steelhead (i.e., sea-run rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and wild Snake River spring–summer Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) related to changes in the Columbia River plume at the time that juvenile migrants enter the ocean? We used three-dimensional (3D) numerical models of the baroclinic circulation in the Columbia River estuary–plume–shelf system to simulate within-season variation in plume size and location, comparing the results with SARs for each day that juvenile salmon entered the ocean for 1999–2003. We found that steelhead benefited from the plume environment at a narrow window of time around their ocean entry. However, when large-scale ocean conditions turned unfavorable, the contribution of local plume conditions to the overall variability in steelhead survival became not significant. A similar evaluation revealed that the plume did not affect survival of Chinook salmon, at least at the fine scale of variability considered. The differential response between the two species is consistent with observed and previously reported behavioral characteristics they exhibit. We speculate that steelhead mainly use the plume to move quickly away from coastal habitats and the predation pressures associated with this environment, for a more direct migration than Chinook salmon to ocean habitats in the Gulf of Alaska.
Limited diversity in natal origins of immature anadromous fish during ocean residency
Authors: Walther Benjamin D. , Thorrold Simon R.
Published: October 2010

Variable migration patterns can play a major role in promoting diverse life history traits among populations. However, population and stage-specific movement patterns are generally unknown yet crucial aspects of life history strategies in many highly migratory species. We used a natural tag approach using geochemical signatures in otoliths to identify natal origins of 1-year-old anadromous American shad ( Alosa sapidissima ) during ocean residency. Otolith signatures of migrants were compared with a database of baseline signatures from 20 source populations throughout their spawning range. Samples were dominated by fish from only two rivers, while all other potential source populations were nearly or completely absent. These data support the hypothesis that American shad exhibit diverse migratory behaviors, and immature individuals from populations throughout the native range do not all mix on northern summer feeding grounds. Rather, our results suggest populations of anadromous fish are distributed heterogeneously at sea in the first year of life and thus may encounter different ocean conditions at a critical early life history stage.