bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute bracken poisoning in homogastric and ruminant animals
Authors: Evans W. Charles , Patel M. C. , Koohy Y.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The toxicity of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum(L) Kuhn) is complicated because this plant elaborates more than one type of agent potentially harmful to livestock.

When simple-stomached animals are fed a diet containing some green fronds or rhizomes for a few weeks, they develop anorexia and inco-ordination symptoms; this polyneuritic syndrome shows all the characteristics of thiamine deficiency. Thiamine therapy is effective in curing the animal provided it is administered at the onset of clinical symptoms.

Bracken staggers in the horse and rhizome poisoning of pigs are diseases of this nature,i.e. an avitaminosis B1has been induced. The causative agent in the fern is a steam-labile enzyme, thiaminase I, which destroys thiamine in such a way that it is no longer active in animal nutrition.

Acute cattle bracken poisoning occurs after frequent eating of the fern over a period of weeks.Haemorrhages and fever are the characteristic clinical symptoms, and the animal usually dies within a few days. The fundamental lesion is bone marrow aplasia resulting in a severe leucopenia and thrombocytopenia.Thiaminase I is not involved in this disease. Bracken contains an organic chemical(s) which poisons rapidly dividing cells in the bovine animal. Sheep are less sensitive to this toxic agent, although the condition has been described along with 'bright-blindness* in some parts of Britain (e.g. North York Moors).

Purification of the active principle causing cattle bracken poisoning from green fronds and rhizomes is far advanced; these methods are described, along with calf toxicity tests on each fraction. Chemical investigations are also under way to determine the nature of the components.

Whether the cattle factor, in small doses over an extended period of time (years), is also the agent causing tumours in livestock, is probable but not certain. Some bracken constituents shown to be carcinogenic in small animals, e.g. shikimic acid, quercetin or the tannin fraction, are not capable of producing acute cattle bracken poisoning; neither does safrole or 1-indanone.

Some of the sesquiterpene glycosides—the 'pterosides' and/or their aglycones, the 'pterosins', of which over 30 have been identified in bracken—are likely candidates. On the other hand, the active principle(s) may be something quite different; the search continues.
Monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis, detection and therapy of cancer
Authors: Baldwin R. W.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The production of monoclonal antibodies specifying tumour associated antigens is illustrated by studies with a spontaneously arising rat mammary carcinoma (Sp4). Fusion of spleen cells from tumour-immune rats with mouse myeloma (P3NS1) yielded hybridomas secreting antibody reacting with a tumour specific antigen. These approaches have subsequently been used to produce monoclonal antibodies reacting with human osteogenic sarcoma, although in this case the antigens detected are tumour associated rather than tumour-specific.

The diagnostic applications of these monoclonal antibodies have been explored particularly to evaluate whether radiolabelled preparations can be used for ‘imaging’ tumours. This approach has been validated with the human osteogenic sarcoma xenograft in tests showing that tumours can be detected by y-camera scanning following injection of 131I-labelled antibody when used in conjunction with blood pool labelling using 113MIn and a computerised subtraction technique.

Monoclonal antibodies also have considerable potential for targetting drugs. These approaches are illustrated by studies using anti-rat mammary carcinoma Sp4 monoclonal antibody linked to adriamycin for therapy of subcutaneous tumour. In addition to drug conjugates, monoclonal antibodies are being used for targeting immunomodulating agents. This is illustrated by another series of studies in which the anti-human osteogenic sarcoma monoclonal antibody has been conjugated to human lymphoblastoid cell interferon to produce a reagent for activating host natural killer cells.
Ecological aspects of birch
Authors: Gimingham C. H.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The respective ecological amplitudes of the two British tree species of Betula are known only imperfectly. B. pendula is better represented on drier, lighter soils and is more of a southern, eastern and lowland species than B. pubescens, which belongs rather to the wetter, colder conditions of north, west and upland Britain. The contribution of the two species to different types of woodland community is briefly reviewed in this paper, and consideration is given to the status of ‘pure’ birchwoods. In some cases, the latter may have been derived from other woodland types; in others, by invasion of heath or grassland. However, some relict birchwoods above the altitudinal limits of dominance by other trees, and in the extreme north and west of Scotland, may be ‘natural’ or ‘climax’ woods.

Birches show a number of characteristics of ‘r-selected’ plants and hence tend to be trees of secondary or seral woodlands. Factors determining the capacity of birch species to colonize bare ground or vegetation such as heath and grassland, are reviewed, with special reference to a study of invasion of Calluna heath at Dinnet, Aberdeenshire. The importance of the development of gaps in the Calluna canopy, or alternatively of fire, in providing suitable sites for establishment, is emphasized.

Changes in the ground vegetation following the establishment of birch stands are outlined, as well as the subsequent development of seral birchwoods. Attention is drawn to the fact that many upland birchwoods are becoming moribund, and to the effects of grazing and other influences in preventing regeneration. The possibility of reversing this trend is discussed.
Macrofungi of birchwoods
Authors: Watling Roy
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The meagre history of the study of the fungi of birchwoods in Britain is offered as an introduction to more recent studies in the British Isles and in continental Europe. Four categories of fungi (parasites, suspected mycorrhizals and lignicolous and humicolous saprophytes) are recognized and discussed. Examples of the most frequently found species-associations are given in relation to environmental factors.
Fungal pathogens of birch in Britain
Authors: Bennell Alan P. , Millar Colin S.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Fungi reported as parasites ofBetulain Britain are reviewed. Pathogens colonizing the major host organs: roots, stems, branches twigs and bark, foliage, flowers fruit and seed, together with those attacking seedlings, are assessed in turn. Other species of fungi not yet known from Britain, but having potential importance as disease agents are also discussed. The major stem decay pathogens and the occurrence of leaf rust in Britain and its significance as a major nursery disease are examined in detail. The status of the fungal parasites on birches in woodland and plantations, in ornamental plantings and in the nursery is considered.
Evolution of nitrogen-fixing symbioses
Authors: Sprent J. I. , Raven J. A.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Because of both the energy costs and the slowness of the reactions of the nitrogenase complex compared with those involving some form of combined nitrogen (oxidised or reduced), we argue that the evolution of nitrogen-fixing organisms required an environment which was very limited in combined nitrogen. This is thought to have occurred after phototrophy evolved, but before water was used as a hydrogen donor (and therefore oxygen was present in the atmosphere). After oxygenic photosynthesis evolved, the need for a high level of biological nitrogen-fixation remained, since abiotic inputs were insufficient to keep pace with the rapidly evolving biomass (flora and fauna). Symbiotic fixation probably first evolved in the form of casual associations between cyanobacteria and most other groups of plants. By inhabiting the sporophytic generation of evolving land plants (cycads in particular), protection against nitrogenase-inactivating oxygen and a more desiccating environment was achieved simultaneously.

We envisage nodulated plants arising by the transfer ofnifgenes into tumour-forming bacteria. In the case of legumes, these would be ancestors of extant agrobacteria, which gain entry into their hostsviawounds. Co-evolution of symbionts from nitrogen-fixing tumours has taken several routes, leading to extant nodules differing in mode of infection, structure and physiology. Evolution towards optimisation of oxygen usage is continuing.

Nitrogen-fixing symbiosis in animal systems is only advantageous in specialised ecological niches in which wood is the sole dietary intake. In the case of shipworms, the symbiosis has many of the advanced features associated with nitrogen fixing root nodules.
Symbiosis with endomycorrhizas and nitrogen-fixing organisms
Authors: Daft M. J. , Clelland D. M. , Gardner Isobel C.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Interactions amongst plants and different endophytes are prevalent in soils deficient in both nitrogen and phosphorus. Several systems are now recognised, combining infections by both fungi and prokaryotes. Symbiotic associations are ancient and reflect the requirements for the maximum uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus in plant nutrition.
The distilling industry
Authors: McBain C. S.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The distilling industry in Scotland is a story of 1000 years of romantic history, technical ingenuity and triumph.

Starting with the Celts in a ‘do-it-yourself’ form, through to the Age of Invention around 1786 and with the background of Joseph Black, James Watt and Robert Burns, all of whom were associated with distilling, the cottage industry became industrialised. Then came the development of grain whisky in 1830, as distinct from malt whisky, to be followed by blended whisky in the 1860s.

The various methods of production are described and mention made of such developments as new barleys, new genetically-engineered yeasts, advanced methods of malted barley production and, eventually, high speed handling of the matured whisky into bottles for international marketing.

Yet the process has not basically changed in hundreds of years, retaining its tradition and prestige. Scotch whisky is still the most popular spirit in the world, outside Russia and China, and has become a multi-billion pound investment with numerous scientific and technological achievements.
Catering and its contemporary implications
Authors: Bannatyne W. R.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Changes in the social aspects of life and in the leisure and working activities of the population have had a profound effect on eating patterns in recent years. Today, more people eat away from home, either through enforced circumstances or by choice, and eating out has become part of the nation's lifestyle. Eating habits have changed also. The trend now is towards a more casual style of eating, with more economical meals, snacks and ‘takeaway’ food being consumed.

The catering industry is responding to present day demands with new approaches and new products. ‘Fast food’ has become a predominant feature of contemporary social eating. Technology, in the shape of systemised methods of food production, advanced forms of cooking equipment and convenience commodities, has revolutionised modern catering operations.

The consumer's increasing reliance on the caterer for the nutritional balance of his daily food intake has important implications at a time when the link between diet and disease has been clearly established. The increase in eating outside the home and the introduction of new styles of food and food preparation bring with them a concern for increased vigilance in matters of food hygiene and safety. Current trends also bring with them social consequences. Changes in eating patterns have been instrumental in weakening family influence in the social shaping of young people. The advantages of the new technology could conflict with the interests of the consumer, who may feel that the stereotyped, impersonal product and service he is receiving lack the pleasurable and social experience which he expected.

The managerial complexities of modern catering, the technical expertise it requires and the sociological impact of contemporary trends present fundamental challenges not only for the catering industry but also for the education and training service which seeks to support it.
The fish populations of the Rockall Trough
Authors: Gordon J. D. M.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The fish populations of the Rockall Trough were poorly known until the early seventies, when there was an interest in the possible exploitation of the demersal fish of the upper slopes. These surveys were carried out by fisheries laboratories with commercial trawls fished on paired warps. At the same time the SMBA began an investigation into the seasonal aspects of the fish of the slopes, using paired warp and single warp otter trawls and an Agassiz trawl. These studies have resulted in a wealth of information on the fish collected by several towed gears and have enabled comparison to be made between different trawls. Of particular interest has been the difference in abundance and biomass estimates between paired and single warp trawls. The small amount of information on the biology of the fish species is briefly reviewed and the populations of the Rockall Trough are considered in the broader context of the northeast Atlantic.
Phytoplankton distributions along the shelf break
Authors: Holligan P. M. , Groom S. B.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Ship and satellite studies along the shelf edge to the south west of the British Isles have demonstrated the persistence of relatively high standing crops of phytoplankton during the summer months in a region of strong tidal currents and internal wave activity. Off southwest Ireland there is also evidence that salinity stratification has a significant influence on phytoplankton growth, at least during the spring months. Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) images for the region to the north and west of Scotland indicate that phytoplankton distributions close to the shelf edge are influenced by mesoscale eddies in the Rockall Trough impinging on the upper slope. Coccolithophore blooms are frequent, and changes in their surface distributions are good indicators of water motion.
Origin and fate of hydrocarbons in Sullom Voe
Authors: Davies J. M. , Johnston R. , Whittle K. J. , Mackie P. R.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The results of chemical analyses for hydrocarbon components in the surface water film, water, sediment traps and sediments are presented for samples collected during the period 1973–78. The n-alkane profiles of these samples are used to characterise the hydrocarbons and to help in determining their origin. The amounts of hydrocarbon present are compared to the estimated inputs of petroleum hydrocarbons from operational losses and accidents based upon analogies with worldwide averages and with data taken from other similar oil terminals. Some conclusions are drawn as to the likely fate of this oil in Sullom Voe.
The salt marshes of Sullom Voe
Authors: Dalby D. H.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The salt marshes of the Sullom Voe area are small in size and few in number, but they are important ecologically in being the vegetated upper parts of soft-sediment shores developed in sheltered locations, and in being likely to act as oil traps in the event of pollution by floating oil slicks. The marshes are species-poor, and are subjected to local erosion and reworking of sediments–factors which must influence any programme for the monitoring of their general ecological health. The salt marsh monitoring programme outlined here has three main components: (a) measurements of accretion and erosion; (b) measurements of stolon length in Puccinellia maritima (as an index of performance in the principal Angiosperm coloniser), and (c) measurements of frequency for eight species (or species groups) on areas of grass-poor salt marsh (the forb salt marsh). The scale of natural variation in these measurements from year to year is not known, so the first few years' data will provide a standard against which subsequent variation can be assessed.
The rocky shore ecology of Sullom Voe
Authors: Hiscock Keith
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The rocky shore ecology of Sullom Voe is described from surveys carried out at 43 sites in and around the Voe. The sites were located partly to provide a description of communities from a wide variety of Shetland rocky shore habitats. Records of the species present and their distribution and abundance were based mainly on check-lists including 8 lichen, 21 algal and 23 animal taxa. Other species present at each site were usually also recorded. A total of 10 lichens, 82 algae and 91 animals were recorded during four surveys in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979. Differences in the distribution, abundance and vertical extent of species from site to site were associated mainly with exposure to wave action, slope of the shore and the stability of the substrate. Several species common on shores in the south of the British Isles were absent or rarely recorded in Sullom Voe or Shetland. A few species rarely found or absent in the south of the British Isles were common in Shetland. During the three years of the survey, most changes in communities present on each shore have been small. However, since 1976, the abundance of the green alga Enteromorpha sp. has shown an increase, whilst populations of the barnacle Balanus balanoides have declined. The spillage of 1,100 tonnes of fuel oil in January 1979 resulted in oiling of the upper shore at many sites but with little mortality to intertidal species except where shores had been cleaned mechanically. The Australasian barnacle Elminius modestus has been recorded from Sullom Voe but the populations are probably very sparse. It is concluded that a wide variety of rocky shore communities are present within a small area in the region of Sullom Voe, that the communities show an overall high degree of stability, but they are impoverished with respect to numbers of species compared to shores in the south of the British Isles.
Cytology of germination of spores of homosporous ferns
Authors: Raghavan V.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Certain aspects of the cytology of germination of spores ofAnemia phyllitidisandPteris vittata, with particular reference to the role of nucleic acid synthesis, are reviewed. As studied by autoradiography of3H-thymidine or3H-uridine incorporation, spore germination resulting in the formation of the rhizoid and protonemal cell is accompanied by the synthesis of DNA and RNA. Experiments using inhibitors of RNA synthesis on gibberellic acid-induced germination of spores ofA. phyllitidishave indicated that dry spores contain conserved mRNA and that gibberellic acid-induced polyadenylation of mRNA occurs during the early phase of germination of spores. Recent demonstrations of the presence of polyadenylated mRNA in dry spores ofA. phyllitidissuggest specific roles for both functional, conserved mRNA containing polyadenylic acid, as well as for gibberellic acid-induced polyadenylation of mRNA during the early phase of spore germination.
Cellular aspects of the initiation of aposporous outgrowths in ferns
Authors: Sheffield E.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Low temperature SEM of juvenile leaves ofPteridium aquilinum(L.) Kuhn revealed that outgrowths arise from leaf cells as soon as three days after their detachment from the plant. Such outgrowths matured into fully functional gametophytes, so it can be said that the phase change from sporophyte to gametophyte occurred during the three day interval between detachment and outgrowth protrusion. Measurement of the incorporation of tritiated uridine into leaves detached for 0–5 days indicated that RNA levels rise during the first two days of culture and subsequently decline. The significance of this finding is discussed in relation to theories concerning changes in phase, in particular the suggestion that RNA connected with sporophytic growth must be expunged and that concerned with gametophytic growth synthesised during phase change.
A light and electron microscopic study of microsporogenesis in Azolla microphylla
Authors: Herd Y. R. , Cutter E. G. , Watanabe I.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Microsporogenesis in cultured material of Azolla microphylla was studied with the light and transmission electron microscopes. The first formed sporangium, a megasporangium, aborts and several microsporangia develop below. Initially, a single sporogenous cell is present, surrounded by a single layered tapetum and the microsporangial wall. Subsequently, several sporogenous cells are connected by plasmodesmata. The microspore mother cells are less densely cytoplasmic than the tapetal cells. Callose-like material is deposited around the microspore mother cells, but disappears before meiosis. The tetrads of microspores contain well defined organelles but less dense cytoplasm than the surrounding periplasmodium. Electron dense material deposited on the plasma membrane of the microspores eventually forms the endospore. The unornamented exospore develops by continued deposition of electron dense material. Degeneration of the periplasmodium gives rise to membranous material which appears to form a template for the massulae.
Spores of myrmecophytic ferns
Authors: Tryon Alice F.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The structure and diversity of fern spores, based on SEM studies, are assessed in relation to general evolutionary trends and systematics. A review of spores of myrmecophytic ferns includes SEM figures of eight species and the ant Iridomyrmex cordataus. The diversity, especially in Lecanopteris spores, is correlated with other characters indicating systematic differences of the species. Convergence is shown in the echinate spores of the neotropical Solanopteris and those of the paleotropical Drynaria and Selliguea. Evidence for adaptation of spore structure to transport by ants is especially clear in the development of filamentous elements, unique among pteridophytes, in Lecanopteris mirabilis. These demonstrate an unusual labile nature of the wall, and provide insight into the functional role of intricate surface formation of spores.
Evidence of pteridophyte–arthropod interactions in the fossil record
Authors: Scott A. C. , Chaloner W. G. , Paterson S.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The past decade has seen the emergence of significant fossil evidence of a history of pterodophytearthropod interaction extending back to the Devonian period. Such fossils include plant tissue showing lesions, bites and borings with associated features implicating arthropods as causal agents. Gut contents of Carboniferous arthropods, which include lycopod xylem elements and spores, are a tangible demonstration of phytophagy. Pteridophyte spores in fossil droppings (coprolites) indicate the prevalence of arthropod spore-eating in the Palaeozoic. This may have had compensations for the source plant and evidently represented the start of the co–evolution which culminated in the elaborate adaptations shown by flowering plants and their insect pollination vectors.
Asymmetric cell division and differentiation; fern spore germination as a model. I. Physiological aspects
Authors: Miller John H.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

During germination of Onoclea sensibilis spores, the spore nucleus moves from a central location to one end. Cell division partitions the spore into a small cell which differentiates into a rhizoid, and a larger cell which gives rise, by continued division, to the prothallus. Spore germination is a valuable system in which to study the relationship between asymmetric cell division and the initiation of cell differentiation. It appears that cytoplasmic microtubules and some lipophilic site in the spore are both involved in premitotic nuclear migration. Asymmetric cell division is an obligate step in the initiation of rhizoid differentiation. One hypothesis is that the nucleus must be confined to a small, localised region of the spore for a sufficient time before differentiation can occur, and the confinement is accomplished by the asymmetric cell division. Metal-binding sites are present in the spore coat, specifically on the proximal face. Several types of evidence suggest that the metal-binding region is involved in spore polarity. The sequence of events during germination appears to involve both polarity which is inherent in the spore and polarity which may be imposed by external stimuli. Experiments in which spores are treated with colchicine and polarised red light reveal both types of polarity.
The apical cell of fern roots and shoots: an appraisal of its functional role in development
Authors: Gifford Ernest M.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

A brief review of the Apical Cell Theory and its relationship to apical growth in pteridophytes is presented. Currently there are two concepts regarding the importance of the apical cell during development. One group of investigators has presented evidence to demonstrate that the apical cell is mitotically active only during early initiation and organisation of apical meristems. Soon the apical cell becomes essentially inactive in cell division, and may undergo endopolyploidy. The second group has provided evidence in support of the original tenet that the apical cell plays an important and continuing role in shoot and root development and does not undergo endopolyploidy. Curiously enough, evidence for both concepts is based essentially upon the same procedures and techniques: histogenesis, determination of the mitotic index and cell-cycle durations, labelling with 3H-thymidine, and cytophotometric measurements of DNA content of the apical cell and subjacent cells.
Fern speciation and biogeography
Authors: Tryon Rolla
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The most common kinds of speciation result in new species that initially have a small range. These will develop a limited or an extensive range depending upon the geographic extent of the environment to which they are adapted. A significant element in the extent of the potential range of a new species is the adaptation inherited from the parental species. Selection of a parental species for a local environment at one site can lead to a narrow ecological adaptation and often to a limited potential range. These species are likely to produce derived ones that also have a limited range, and these derivates will increase the regional species endemism and diversity. Selection of a parental species for migration to other sites can lead to a broader ecological adaptation and often to a broad potential range. These species are more likely to produce derived ones that also have an extensive range, and these derivates will increase regional species diversity.
Independent fern gametophytes in the wild
Authors: Farrar D. R.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Perennial indendent gametophytes of Hymenophyllaceae, Vittariaceae and Grammitidaceae are a well-known phenomenon in the eastern United States. Their persistence is attributed to the ability of gametophytes of these fern families to reproduce themselves vegetatively via gemmae. This paper reviews the biology of independent gametophytes of these families as they exist in the eastern United States and presents new evidence from enzyme electrophoresis regarding their identity and origin.
Altitudinal zonation of pteridophytes in Papuasia
Authors: Johns R. J.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The radiation of species in Papuasia, particularly in the mid-montane zone, offers a natural laboratory in which to study the processes of speciation in tropical ferns and fern allies.

Some of the major problems associated with the interpretation of altitudinal zonation of pteridophytes in Papuasia are outlined.
Anti-predation strategies in pteridophytes—a biochemical approach
Authors: Cooper-Driver Gillian
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Since they first evolved, pteridophytes have been subjected to attack by micro-organisms and arthropods. Present-day ferns are associated with a complex array of, not only phytophagous, scavenging, predatory and parasitic arthropod species but also fungi, bacteria, viruses and herbivorous mammals.

Recent research has tended to stress the importance of secondary plant chemistry in deterring feeding by herbivores and attack by pathogens. Although ferns have a more limited chemical repertoire than the angiosperms, many of the classes of secondary compounds isolated from ferns have been shown to have anti-microbial and anti-herbivore activity under both laboratory and field conditions. Quantitative and qualitative levels are not constant and show great seasonal variation. This chemical variation is important in determining the seasonal patterning of insects and fungi on ferns. New chemical techniques are increasing our knowledge of the biosynthesis and chemical structures of these ecologically important compounds.

Flowering plants show both constitutive and induced resistance as a consequence of herbivore attack. A search for short-term induced chemical responses in ferns have so far yielded negative results in terms of phytoalexin synthesis or direct chemical response to herbivory.
Pteridophyte success and past biota—a palaeobotanist's approach
Authors: Thomas B. A.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The success of plants which lived in the past should be assessed differently from that of living plants as time is an additional important factor. Success may therefore be judged in one period of time or throughout the whole geological history of the plants.

Limitations of the fossil record through plant fragmentation, lack of preservation and incomplete preservation severely restrict the amount of information available. However, accepting these problems, there are four major ways in which plants may be judged: long term survival, repeated specialisation, dominance and adaptability. Examples are given of pteridophytes that exhibit success in these four ways.
Skin response to protein A
Authors: White M. I. , Noble W. C.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The cutaneous reactions induced in the skin of human volunteers by protein A fromStaphylococcus aureushave been studied. This cell wall protein induces no response when applied in solution to intact skin. In contrast a vigorous inflammatory reaction is seen if it is injected intradermally or applied to skin from which the stratum corneum has been partially removed. This study demonstrates that the intact epidermis is an important protection against this microbial product.
The skin surface ecosystem of teleost fishes
Authors: Roberts Ronald J. , Bullock Alistair M.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The skin surface of teleost fish dififers from that of higher vertebrates in that it is a living vital substrate at the margin between the water and the tissues. Its surface is continually sloughing into the water, to be replaced from the mucoid and formed elements of the epidermis. The surface, or cuticle, is altered by cyclical physiological changes in the animal, and also by pathological conditions. These, and the nature of the external medium, affect the range and the ecology of the biota of the surface. The secretions on the skin surface may also have a protective capacity. Fish epidermis is delicate and easily traumatized and there is great mobility of the Malpighian cells which allows rapid sealing of any breaches.
Skin biology of reptiles and amphibians
Authors: Elkan E. , Cooper J. E.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The Reptilia and Amphibia are two distinct groups of vertebrates. However, they show a number of similarities, such as ectothermy and ecdysis, and are therefore compared and contrasted in this paper.

The physical features of the skin of reptiles and amphibians vary considerably; in the case of the amphibians the skin is usually relatively thin and may play a part in respiration while that of the reptile is often thick and impervious due to heavy keratinisation. Little is known of the ‘climate’ of the integument and there are relatively few data on its chemistry. Various pathogens may gain entry to the skin but usually this necessitates breaching the epithelium or taking advantage of existing damage.
Inhibitors produced by propionibacteria and their possible roles in the ecology of skin bacteria
Authors: Eady E. A. , Holland K. T.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

Human skin propionibacteria have been shown to produce,in vitro, a wide range of inhibitory substances including bacteriocins, bacteriolytic enzymes, bacteriophages and low molecular weight metabolites (e.g. ammonia, propionic acid). Some or all of these substances may play a role in the ecology of cutaneous populations of micro-organisms and may be involved in maintaining the balance of the normal flora. There is no evidence to suggest that they deter or exclude other transient bacteria including pathogens. Similarly, evidence in support of thein vivoproduction of growth inhibitors by propionibacteria with activity against other skin micro-organisms is lacking (except for bacteriophage and propionic acid) so that their potential role in controlling cutaneous populations must be interpreted with caution.
Multivariate analysis of the population systematics of the ringed snake, Natrix natrix (L)
Authors: Thorpe R. S.
Published: March 2014

Synopsis

The racial affinities of the widely distributed (palearctic) ringed snake, Natrix natrix were assessed using a large number of phenotypic characters from a wide range of features. These characters show a considerable amount of complex geographic variation which is further complicated by geographic variation in the extent of their sexual, ontogenetic and local variation. Nevertheless, extensive analysis of the data using univariate statistics, numerical taxonomy and a wide range of multivariate statistics allowed the primary patterns of ‘racial’ differentiation to be elucidated.

The dominant feature of the racial affinities is the division of the majority of the complex into distinct eastern and western forms which meet along a ‘hybrid zone’. The nature of this zone is analysed in detail and discussed in relation to aspects of evolutionary theory such as gene flow. The island populations of Corsica and Sardinia are also extremely divergent. The evolution and taxonomy of the four primary subdivisions of the complex (east, west, Corsica, Sardinia) are discussed in relation to Pleistocene history, evolutionary theory, species concepts (phenetic and biological) and subspecies concepts, etc. These four subdivisions border on the species rank and may be regarded by some as semispecies. They are formally recognised as subspecies. Attention is drawn to the difficulties of intraspecific taxonomy and the arbitrary nature of the four taxa given formal recognition.
Biochemistry
Authors: Thomson R. Y. , Smellie R. M. S.
Published: March 2014

The writing of the history of any science within an individual country is a rash undertaking. The natural sciences, unlike literature, law and theology, pay no regard to national frontiers. The intellectual ancestry, for example, of much Scottish biochemistry can be traced back to England on the one hand and Germany on the other. Where the last quarter of a century is concerned, the problem is compounded by the sheer volume and variety of research carried on, even in a country as small and poor as Scotland, and by the number of institutions and individuals engaged in it. To be comprehensive, to attempt to do justice to everyone and to every laboratory, would be an impossible undertaking.
Marine science
Authors: Currie Ronald I.
Published: March 2014

Margaret Deacon (1971) has given us a very comprehensive account of the development of marine science from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century and, since Edinburgh was a focal point in the nineteenth century, it would be superfluous and presumptuous of me to endeavour to repeat what she has done. Furthermore, so much has been written about theChallengerExpedition which was nurtured in Edinburgh that again it seems quite unnecessary to repeat in any detail the story of that major milestone in the development of the subject. The specialist has the 50 volumes of scientific reports of the expedition to refer to, while, of the numerous popular accounts Eric Linklater's book (1972) is agreeable reading.
Informal rural credit markets and interlinked transactions in the district of late Ottoman Haifa, 1890–1915
Authors: Ecchia Stefania
Published: March 2014

By examining the acts of the Public Notary of Haifa (1890–1915), this article shows that it was the traditional informal market of credit, run by local notables, which financially supported the development of the small-landholding-based agricultural sector of the Haifa district in late Ottoman Palestine. In seeking to ascertain what led to the success of the informal rural credit market as compared with the formal credit market, the article finds that the local notables, who acted as financial intermediaries for small landholders, enjoyed an information advantage over the banks stemming from the establishment of interlinked credit market transactions connected to the stipulation ofbay' wafā,salamandmuzara‘ahcontracts. In a context of land privatisation and growing commercialisation of agriculture, these contracts became the instruments used by notables to invest in peasants' landholdings and to manage a sales network for agricultural products on a local and international scale, hence representing an efficient financial institution to support the ‘agricultural export-led growth’ of late Ottoman Palestine.
Is Capitalist Globalization Inevitable in the Marxian Paradigm?
Authors: Ramírez Miguel D.
Published: March 2014

This paper examines Marx’s views on capitalist globalization and its supposed inevitability, and contends that they underwent a substantial evolution and revision after the publication of the Communist Manifesto. In the case of China, a prime example of the Asiatic mode of production, Marx even doubted whether globalization (capitalism) would ever be able to accomplish its historical mission of developing the forces of production and creating the material conditions for a higher mode of production, viz., communism. In the Russian case, he seriously entertained the notion that it could bypass the hardships and vicissitudes of capitalism and forge its own unique path to socialism. If accepted, this interpretation represents a serious challenge to the universality and validity of Marx’s materialist conception of history.
Impact of a walking intervention during pregnancy on post-partum weight retention and infant anthropometric outcomes
Authors: Kong K. L. , Campbell C. , Wagner K. , Peterson A. , Lanningham-Foster L.
Published: March 2014

Few studies have investigated the impact of lifestyle interventions during pregnancy on post-partum weight retention and infant growth. Thirty seven previously non-exercising, overweight or obese pregnant women were randomly assigned to a walking intervention or non-intervention control. For the follow-up study, weight of the mother and weight, length and body composition of the infant were collected at 1 month post-partum (n=37) and 6 months post-partum (n=33). Analysis of variance and linear regression were conducted to determine the differences and association in maternal post-partum weight retention and child outcomes. At 6 months post-partum, weight retention of obese women in the intervention group (Int-OB) was −0.10±8.11 kg; while, obese women in the control group (Con-OB) was 6.35±7.47 kg. A significantly higher percentage of Con-OB women retained more than 5 kg at 6 months post-partum (P=0.046). Even though statistically non-significant between the groups, the growth trend observed among offspring of obese women in the control group was consistently higher than the offspring of obese women in the intervention group from birth to 6-months. Third trimester gestational weight gain rate significantly predicted 6-m weight-for-length z-score after controlling for birth weight, treatment group and pre-pregnancy body mass index (r2=0.31, β=1.75, P=0.03). The reduced post-partum weight retention observed among the obese women in the intervention group may be explained in part by the lifestyle modification during pregnancy.
mGlu5 receptors and cellular prion protein mediate amyloid-β-facilitated synaptic long-term depression in vivo
Authors: Hu Neng-Wei , Nicoll Andrew J. , Zhang Dainan , Mably Alexandra J. , O’Malley Tiernan , Purro Silvia A. , Terry Cassandra , Collinge John , Walsh Dominic M. , Rowan Michael J.
Published: March 2014

NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) are currently regarded as paramount in the potent and selective disruption of synaptic plasticity by Alzheimer’s disease amyloid β-protein (Aβ). Non-NMDAR mechanisms remain relatively unexplored. Here we describe how Aβ facilitates NMDAR-independent long-term depression of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus in vivo. Synthetic Aβ and Aβ in soluble extracts of Alzheimer’s disease brain usurp endogenous acetylcholine muscarinic receptor-dependent long-term depression, to enable long-term depression that required metabotropic glutamate-5 receptors (mGlu5Rs). We also find that mGlu5Rs are essential for Aβ-mediated inhibition of NMDAR-dependent long-term potentiation in vivo. Blocking Aβ binding to cellular prion protein with antibodies prevents the facilitation of long-term depression. Our findings uncover an overarching role for Aβ-PrPC-mGlu5R interplay in mediating both LTD facilitation and LTP inhibition, encompassing NMDAR-mediated processes that were previously considered primary.
microRNA input into a neural ultradian oscillator controls emergence and timing of alternative cell states
Authors: Goodfellow Marc , Phillips Nicholas E. , Manning Cerys , Galla Tobias , Papalopulu Nancy
Published: March 2014

Progenitor maintenance, timed differentiation and the potential to enter quiescence are three fundamental processes that underlie the development of any organ system. In the nervous system, progenitor cells show short-period oscillations in the expression of the transcriptional repressor Hes1, while neurons and quiescent progenitors show stable low and high levels of Hes1, respectively. Here we use experimental data to develop a mathematical model of the double-negative interaction between Hes1 and a microRNA, miR-9, with the aim of understanding how cells transition from one state to another. We show that the input of miR-9 into the Hes1 oscillator tunes its oscillatory dynamics, and endows the system with bistability and the ability to measure time to differentiation. Our results suggest that a relatively simple and widespread network of cross-repressive interactions provides a unifying framework for progenitor maintenance, the timing of differentiation and the emergence of alternative cell states.
3D-printed fluidic devices enable quantitative evaluation of blood components in modified storage solutions for use in transfusion medicine
Authors: Chen Chengpeng , Wang Yimeng , Lockwood Sarah Y. , Spence Dana M.
Published: March 2014

A fluidic device constructed with a 3D-printer can be used to investigate stored blood components with subsequent high-throughput calibration and readout with a standard plate reader.
Generation and characterization of airborne ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate atmospheres in a human whole-body exposure unit
Authors: Monsé Christian , Bünger Jürgen , Brüning Thomas , Merget Rolf
Published: March 2014

Exposure to air contaminants, such as chemical vapors and particulate matter, poses important health hazards at workplaces.
A novel method for the high preconcentration of trace amounts of the aflatoxins in pistachios by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction after solid-phase extraction
Authors: Rezaee Mohammad , Khalilian Faezeh , Mashayekhi Hossein Ali , Fattahi Nazir
Published: March 2014

In the present study, a new approach which uses solid-phase extraction clean-up combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction is proposed for the preconcentration of trace amounts of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1and G2).
Phenolic extracts of Rubus ulmifolius Schott flowers: characterization, microencapsulation and incorporation into yogurts as nutraceutical sources
Authors: Martins Ana , Barros Lillian , Carvalho Ana Maria , Santos-Buelga Celestino , Fernandes Isabel P. , Barreiro Filomena , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R.
Published: March 2014

Microencapsulation techniques were used to incorporate enriched phenolic extracts into dairy products.
Probing the effect of surface chemistry on the electrical properties of ultrathin gold nanowire sensors
Authors: Kisner Alexandre , Heggen Marc , Mayer Dirk , Simon Ulrich , Offenhäusser Andreas , Mourzina Yulia
Published: March 2014

Ultrathin metal nanowires sensors demonstrate a huge electrical sensitivity to the interfacial dipole due to the acid–base chemistry of adsorbed molecules.
An efficient ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenative synthesis of 2,4,6-triaryl-1,3,5-triazines from aryl methanols and amidines
Authors: Xie Feng , Chen Mengmeng , Wang Xiaoting , Jiang Huanfeng , Zhang Min
Published: March 2014

An efficient ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenative synthesis of 2,4,6-triaryl-1,3,5-triazines from aryl methanols and amidines has been demonstrated.
Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water using a hybrid of graphene nanoplatelets and self doped TiO2–Pd
Authors: Sayed Farheen N. , Sasikala R. , Jayakumar O. D. , Rao R. , Betty C. A. , Chokkalingam Anand , Kadam R. M. , Jagannath Jagannath , Bharadwaj S. R. , Vinu Ajayan , Tyagi A. K.
Published: March 2014

Graphene nanoplatelets and Ti3+ enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 due to extended visible light absorption and improved charge separation.
A new pathway for the formation of radial nematic droplets within a lipid-laden aqueous-liquid crystal interface
Authors: Sidiq Sumyra , Das Dibyendu , Pal Santanu Kumar
Published: March 2014

A new pathway for the formation of liquid crystal (LC) droplets with radial LC ordering is reported for the first time in the presence of surfactants and lipids. Interactions of an enzyme with the topological defects in the LC mediate the response of these droplets and thus provide new designs for stimuli-responsive soft materials.
Large ZT enhancement in hot forged nanostructured p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 bulk alloys
Authors: Jiang Qinghui , Yan Haixue , Khaliq Jibran , Ning Huanpo , Grasso Salvatore , Simpson Kevin , Reece Mike J.
Published: March 2014

Large ZT enhancement (50%) is obtained in hot forged nanostructured p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 bulk alloys.
Micelle templated NiO hollow nanospheres as anode materials in lithium ion batteries
Authors: Sasidharan Manickam , Gunawardhana Nanda , Senthil Chenrayan , Yoshio Masaki
Published: March 2014

A hollow NiO nanosphere constructed electrode exhibits high charge–discharge capacities, cycling and rate performance in lithium ion rechargeable batteries.
3D mesoporous hybrid NiCo2O4@graphene nanoarchitectures as electrode materials for supercapacitors with enhanced performances
Authors: Wei Yiying , Chen Shuangqiang , Su Dawei , Sun Bing , Zhu Jianguo , Wang Guoxiu
Published: March 2014

3D mesoporous hybrid NiCo2O4@graphene nanoarchitectures were successfully synthesized by a combination of freeze drying and hydrothermal reaction.
Size effects of self-assembled block copolymer spherical micelles and vesicles on cellular uptake in human colon carcinoma cells
Authors: Chang Teddy , Lord Megan S. , Bergmann Björn , Macmillan Alex , Stenzel Martina H.
Published: March 2014

Block copolymers, poly(oligo ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate)-block-poly(styrene), POEGMEMA-b-PS, with various block lengths were prepared via RAFT polymerization and subsequently self-assembled into various aggregates to investigate their uptake ability into cancer cells.
Synthesis and properties of indigo based donor–acceptor conjugated polymers
Authors: Guo Chang , Sun Bin , Quinn Jesse , Yan Zhuangqing , Li Yuning
Published: March 2014

Indigo is used as an electron acceptor for constructing polymer semiconductors that show n-channel behaviour in organic thin film transistors.