bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Mechanism of active capture of animal food by the Sergestid Shrimp Acetes Sibogae Australis
Authors: Mcleay Lachlan , Alexander C.G.
Published: December 2011

Combining the use of scanning electron microscopy and microcinematography with functional and behavioural observations has clarified many aspects underlying the feeding processes of the small planktonic sergestid shrimp Acetes sibogae australis. In captivity Acetes sibogae australis is an opportunistic feeder that uses four principal feeding modes to capture a wide size range of prey: Artemia nauplii (<0.33 mm), copepods (<1mm) and moribund Acetes (up to 25 mm). Prey capture is effected by combined actions of the first three pairs of pereiopods and the third maxillipeds before transfer to the more dorsal second maxillipeds. The second maxillipeds are the principal appendages used in securing, manipulating, sorting and rejecting prey before insertion into the vicinity of the inner mouthparts.
Stomach Contents of a Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon Ampullatus) Stranded at Hiddensee, Baltic Sea
Authors: Lick Roland , Piatkowski Uwe
Published: December 2011

The stomach of a female northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus (Odontoceti: Ziphiidae) stranded at Hiddensee Island, western Baltic Sea, on 23 August 1993 contained 7465 cephalopod beaks (4934 upper and 2531 lower). The lower beaks were identified, their rostral lengths were measured and used to estimate size and mass of the cephalopods consumed by the whale. All lower beaks belonged to one species, the boreoatlantic gonate squid Gonatus fabricii (Cephalopoda: Teuthoidea) indicating a mean squid mantle length of 21·9 cm and a mean squid wet mass of 220·7 g. The total squid biomass in the whale's stomach represented by the lower beaks was 598·6 kg. Assuming that all upper beaks belong to G. fabricii, the squid biomass taken by the whale was estimated to be 1089 kg. Besides the beaks partly digested squid gladii, spermatophores and 15 specimens of the fish parasite Sphyrion lumpi (Crustacea: Copepoda) occurred in the stomach. No fish remains were found.
Note on the Trophic Relationships of the Stauromedusa Haliclystus Antarcticus from Subantarctic South Georgia
Authors: Davenport John
Published: December 2011

Stauromedusae are cnidarians that have attracted relatively little ecological study, especially in the southern hemisphere. They are Scyphozoa that develop directly from the scyphistoma, and each consists of a calyx and a more or less distinct aboral peduncle that attaches to the substratum by an adhesive disc. The animals are mobile on the substratum, but have no pelagic phase. The present note originates from observations made on stauromedusae living in intertidal and shallow subtidal waters at Husvik Harbour, South Georgia (54°11′S 38°40′W) in early 1994. The species concerned was identified from Kramp (1961), Carlgren (1930) and Pfeffer (1889) as Haliclystus antarcticus Pfeffer, 1889. This species has attracted little previous study. The most detailed anatomical description was given by Carlgen (1930), while distributional details are given in O'Sullivan (1982) who followed Pfeffer (1889); at present there is no evidence that the species occurs other than at South Georgia.

Medusae were found on two substrata. Large animals (~30mm high, inconspicuous dark brown in colour) were found on the underside of boulders at extreme low spring tide level in a bay on the north of Husvik Harbour about 1·2 km from the whaling station and close to Brain Island. Locally they were common, often being close enough to touch one another. Smaller animals (pink-orange in colour; cryptic on the macroalga) were found attached to the brown macroalga Desmarestia menziesii J. Aghardh (Phaeophyceae) collected at low-water spring tide level from Kanin Point on the southern shore of the harbour. Medusae on boulders were briefly emersed on particularly low tides: they collapsed, hanging from the peduncle, when out of water, but did not risk desiccation as their habitat was wet and not exposed to the sun.
Brand Marks on the Starfish,Asterina Pectinifera
Authors: Kurihara Takeo
Published: December 2011

Various marking techniques have been used in ecological studies of starfish as well as other benthic animals (Nielsen, 1992). They include the attachment of tags (Feder, 1955), staining with dye (Hancock, 1958), inscription with sharp pencil (Scheibling, 1980), and branding (T.K, unpublished data). These methods have been used in mark-recapture surveys over durations of several days in order to study the diurnal activity rhythmn (Burla et al., 1972), movement after displacement (Pabst & Vicentini, 1978), and feeding and movement rates (Keesing & Lucas, 1992). However, these marking techniques on starfish have never been quantitatively evaluated for their durability and detrimental effects on the starfish.

Accordingly, in the present study, brand marks onAsterina pectinifera(Müller & Troschel) were examined in the laboratory in terms of their durability and impact on mortality and growth. For Echinodermata, branding has been used mainly on Holothuroidea likeStichopus japonicus(Arakawa, 1990). However, it can also be used for starfish to identify individuals by marking patterns on the body (T.K., unpublished data). The present study tested the effects on the growth and mortality ofA. pectinifera. It also examined the durability of brands for distinguishing individuals of a branded group from individuals of an unbranded group, and the durability for identifying individuals with specific coded brand marks.

Two hundred starfish were collected in Maizuru Bay (35°29′N 135°22′E) in September 1995, and the size was measured. The five arms of each individual were measured from the centre of the disc to the arm tip (mm) to determine the mean radius (R0).
A Note on the Status of Indigenous Species of Sea Horse
Authors: Maidment-Garrick Neil
Published: December 2011

The status of the two indigenous species of sea horse, the British sea horse (spiny sea horse) (Hippocampus ramulosus) and the European sea horse (short snouted sea horse) (Hippocampus hippocampus) are not exactly known. The British Sea Horse Survey has been set out to identify sites and populations around the British Isles.

The native British sea horses Hippocampus ramulosus Leach and Hippocampus hippocampus Linnaeus are thought to be facing an uncertain future but not from collecting as in tropical species used in the Chinese medicine trade, but from direct interference with their habitat. It was therefore proposed that a survey be carried out to find the extent of their ranges and populations and whether they required protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

In the description of the two species for the survey it was decided to use size and presence or absence of appendages on the dorsal region to identify species. Relative snout to head ratios were not used as it was felt that this had to be discouraged as it would have meant handling the animals and the subsequent stress involved was not acceptable to an animal that is easily stressed.
Ethylacetate extracts from the gorgonian coral Subergorgia reticulata reduce larval settlement of Balanus (=Amphibalanus) reticulatus and Pinctada martensii and spore germination of Ulva linza, U. lactuca and Gracilaria tenuistipitata
Authors: Yan T. , Cao W.H. , Liu S.S. , Yang J. , Xie E.Y. , He M.X. , Zhang S.
Published: December 2011

Ethylacetate extract of the gorgonian coral Suberogorgia reticulata was obtained and its effects on the larval settlement by acorn barnacle Balanus (=Amphibalanus) reticulatus and pearl oyster Pinctada martensii and spore germination of green algae Ulva linza and U. lactuca and red alga Gracilaria tenuistipitata was assessed in this study. Results showed that no larval settlement or spore germination occurred at the dose of 100 μg cm−2. Both larval settlement and spore germination were significantly inhibited by the extract at doses of 1 μg cm−2 for B. reticulatus, 0.1 μg cm−2 for U. linza and U. lactuca, and 0.01 μg cm−2 for P. martensii and G. tenuistipitata. It could be concluded that the gorgonian coral S. reticulata may produce bioactive substances with a broad spectrum of activity against a range of marine sessile organisms including macroalgae and invertebrates.
A new species of Dahmsopottekina (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Huntemanniidae) from the western Mediterranean deep sea
Authors: Sevastou Katerina , Corgosinho Paulo Henrique Costa , Martínez Arbizu Pedro
Published: December 2011

A new species of the genus Dahmsopottekina is described from the Mediterranean Sea. Dahmsopottekina guilvardi sp. nov. was collected from abyssal habitats at a depth range of 2340–2850 m. Like its congeners, the new species has a vermiform habitus, a highly transformed P1 in both sexes and a plough-like rostrum in the female. Dahmsopottekina guilvardi sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeneric species by the combination of a fused basis and endopodite in P1 of both sexes and the absence of an endopodite in P2–P4 of the female. Dahmsopottekina guilvardi sp. nov. is the second record of a harpacticoid species after its congener D. peruana in which the basis and endopodite of a leg other than the P5, namely the P1, are fused. Furthermore, the new species is the only one among Dahmsopottekina species with a 1-segmented P1 exopodite in the male. Similar to its congeners, D. guilvardi sp. nov. is strongly sexually dimorphic. This is evident through the morphology of most of the cephalic appendages and the reduction of P2–P6 in the female. The results of the present study support the observation that Dahmsopottekina species are sparsely distributed and highly endemic. Nevertheless, our results do not agree with the statement of considerably larger females as the length variability between females is greater than between the two sexes. Despite the morphological characters of the species commensurate with a burrowing mode of life, its presence in sediment traps suggests that D. guilvardi sp. nov. is an active ‘swimmer’.
Molecular and morphological evidence thatPhymactis papillosafrom Argentina is, in fact, a new species of the genusBunodosoma(Cnidaria: Actiniidae)
Authors: Gomes Paula Braga , Schama Renata , Solé-Cava Antônio Mateo
Published: December 2011

Phymactis papillosais a rocky shore sea anemone that is commonly found in the Pacific Ocean, from the Gulf of California to Tierra del Fuego, and in the Mar del Plata region, Argentina. The genusPhymactisis closely related toBunodosomaand, due to character plasticity, a number of misidentifications have occurred. Therefore, the presence ofP. papillosain Argentina has been doubted but the matter had not been investigated in detail. Here we analyseP. papillosaspecimens from Argentina and compare them, using molecular and morphological markers, to specimens from the species' type locality. In a phylogenetic analysis using 19 allozyme markers and ribosomal internal transcribed spacers sequences of different sea anemone genera, including all West AtlanticBunodosomaspecies, we have found that the specimens from Argentina were genetically divergent fromP. papillosafrom Chile and closely related to West AtlanticBunodosomaspecies. The genetic and morphological analyses indicate that those specimens belong to a new species of the genusBunodosoma, described here asB. zamponiisp. nov.
REINTERPRETING RAWLS'STHE LAW OF PEOPLES
Authors: Wellman Christopher Heath
Published: December 2011

In this article I argue that critics of John Rawls's The Law of Peoples wrongly presume that Rawls sought to offer a comprehensive theory of global justice, when he meant more minimally to respond to a specific practical problem: “How can we eliminate the great evils of human history?” I concede that my reading is not uniformly supported by all aspects of the text, but The Law of Peoples is a rich and complex work that does not univocally recommend any single reading, and my construal squares with Rawls's own description of the project. More importantly, my interpretation is recommended by the principle of charity, insofar as it provides Rawls with plausible responses to the commonly-voiced objections. In other words, if Rawls is understood as offering a comprehensive theory of global justice, then many of the standard criticisms appear quite damning. But if his aim is the more modest one of recommending how liberal (and decent) societies might permissibly organize their foreign policies so as to help eliminate unjust war, oppression, religious persecution and the denial of liberty of conscience, starvation, poverty, genocide and mass murder, then Rawls's book is not problematic in the ways that so many have supposed.
STRUCTURAL EXPLOITATION
Authors: Zwolinski Matt
Published: December 2011

It is commonly claimed that workers in sweatshops are wrongfully exploited by their employers. The economist's standard response to this claim is to point out that sweatshops provide their workers with tremendous benefits, more than most workers elsewhere in the economy receive and more than most of those who complain about sweatshop exploitation provide. Perhaps, though, the wrongfulness of sweatshop exploitation is to be found not in the discrete interaction between a sweatshop and its employees, but in the unjust political and economic institutions against which that interaction takes place. This paper tries to assess what role, if any, consideration of background injustice should play in the correct understanding of exploitation. Its answer, in brief, is that it should play fairly little. Structural injustice matters, of course, but it does not typically matter for determining whether a sweatshop is acting exploitatively, and it does not typically matter in a way that grounds any kind of special moral responsibility or fault on the part of sweatshops or the Multinational Enterprises with which they contract.
Integrated surveillance and potential sources of Salmonella Enteritidis in human cases in Canada from 2003 to 2009
Authors: NESBITT A. , RAVEL A. , MURRAY R. , McCORMICK R. , SAVELLI C. , FINLEY R. , PARMLEY J. , AGUNOS A. , MAJOWICZ S. E. , GILMOUR M. ,   the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Public Health Partnership,   the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network
Published: December 2011

Salmonella Enteritidis has emerged as the most prevalent cause of human salmonellosis in Canada. Recent trends of S. Enteritidis subtypes and their potential sources were described by integrating Salmonella data from several Canadian surveillance and monitoring programmes. A threefold increase in S. Enteritidis cases from 2003 to 2009 was identified to be primarily associated with phage types 13, 8 and 13a. Other common phage types (4, 1, 6a) showed winter seasonality and were more likely to be associated with cases linked to international travel. Conversely, phage types 13, 8 and 13a had summer seasonal peaks and were associated with cases of domestically acquired infections. During agri-food surveillance, S. Enteritidis was detected in various commodities, most frequently in chicken (with PT13, PT8 and PT13a predominating). Antimicrobial resistance was low in human and non-human isolates. Continued integrated surveillance and collaborative prevention and control efforts are required to mitigate future illness.
INCOME INEQUALITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH WITH ALTRUISTIC BEQUESTS AND HUMAN CAPITAL INVESTMENT
Authors: McDonald Stuart , Zhang Jie
Published: December 2011

In this paper we explore how income inequality affects growth in a dynastic family model with bequests (physical capital) and investment in human capital for children. For tractability, we abstract from factor markets and focus on household production, which is prevalent in developing countries. We explore a joint distribution of bequests and human capital and track the evolution of income distribution across generations. We show that initial inequality has a positive indirect effect on average output growth by lowering the ratio of physical to human capital, besides its standard negative direct effect. If education is mainly privately (publicly) provided, then income inequality retards (promotes) growth outside the balanced growth path. On the balanced growth path, inequality always hinders growth.
VOLATILITY IN OIL PRICES AND MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY: AN INVESTIGATION OF REAL OPTIONS
Authors: Elder John , Serletis Apostolos
Published: December 2011

Previous research shows that volatility in oil prices has tended to depress output, as measured by nonresidential investment and GDP. This is interpreted as evidence in support of the theory of real options in capital budgeting decisions, which predicts that uncertainty about, for example, commodity prices will cause firms to delay production and investment. We continue that investigation by analyzing the effect of oil price uncertainty on monthly measures of U.S. firm production related to industries in mining, manufacturing, and utilities. We use a more general specification, an updated sample that includes the increased oil price volatility since 2008, and we control for other nonlinear measures of oil prices. We find additional empirical evidence in support of the predictions of real options theory, and our results indicate that the extreme volatility in oil prices observed in 2008 and 2009 contributed to the severity of the decline in manufacturing activity.
Sustainable diets: the Mediterranean diet as an example
Authors: Burlingame Barbara , Dernini Sandro
Published: December 2011

Objective

To present the Mediterranean diet as an example of a sustainable diet, in which nutrition, biodiversity, local food production, culture and sustainability are strongly interconnected.

Design

Review of notions and activities contributing towards the acknowledgement of the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable diet.

Setting

The Mediterranean region and its populations.

Subjects

Mediterranean populations.

Results and conclusions

The acknowledgement of the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable diet needs the development of new cross-cutting intersectoral case studies to demonstrate further the synergies among nutrition, biodiversity and sustainability as expressed by the Mediterranean diet for the benefit of present and future generations.
Mediterranean nuts: origins, ancient medicinal benefits and symbolism
Authors: Casas-Agustench Patricia , Salas-Huetos Albert , Salas-Salvadó Jordi
Published: December 2011

Objective

To consider historical aspects of nuts in relation to origin and distribution, attributed medicinal benefits, symbolism, legends and superstitions.

Design

Review of historical aspects of nuts.

Setting

Mediterranean region.

Subjects

The varieties reviewed include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and pistachios.

Results and conclusions

Like other foods, nuts have a wide variety of cultural connections to the areas where they grow and to the people who live there or eat them. History, symbolism and legends reveal the ancient tradition of nuts and how they are related to the lives of our ancestors. Archaeological excavations in eastern Turkey have uncovered the existence of a non-migratory society whose economy centred on harvesting nuts. This shows that nuts have been a staple in the human diet since the beginnings of history. Moreover, since ancient times nuts have been used for their medicinal properties. They also play a role in many old legends and traditions.
Effects of 3-month Mediterranean-type diet on postprandial TAG and apolipoprotein B48 in the Medi-RIVAGE cohort
Authors: Defoort Catherine , Vincent-Baudry Stéphanie , Lairon Denis
Published: December 2011

Objective

To determine the postprandial lipaemia response before and after intervention with healthy diets in the Medi-RIVAGE cohort of subjects with moderate risk factors of CVD.

Design

One hundred and thirty-five adults (fifty-two men and eighty-three women) followed either a Mediterranean-type (MED) diet or a low-fat American Heart Association-type diet in a parallel design for 3 months. At entry and after 3 months, lipids, glucose and insulin were measured in the fasting samples; TAG and apolipoprotein B48 (ApoB48; a marker of intestinally derived chylomicrons) levels were measured in the fasting and postprandial samples after a standard test meal.

Results

The MED diet only lowered (P< 0·028) fasting TAG and both diets reduced TAG and ApoB48 levels 5 h after the test meal. The overall 5 h postprandial ApoB48 response (area under curve (AUC)/incremental AUC) was lowered after both diets but this effect was more marked after the MED-diet intervention. Whatever the TAG level at entry, normo- and hyper TAG subjects showed a reduction in the postprandial ApoB48 levels after 3-month diets. BMI at entry did not impact the effect of diets given subjects with BMI < or >25 kg/m2showed reduced postprandial ApoB48. Men and women displayed comparable postprandial changes after dietary challenges.

Conclusions

A MED diet appears efficient to improve postprandial lipaemia, a recently acknowledged CVD risk, in men and women at moderate cardiovascular risk.
Olive oil, an essential component of the Mediterranean diet, and breast cancer
Authors: Escrich Eduard , Moral Raquel , Solanas Montserrat
Published: December 2011

Objective

The Mediterranean diet has been related to a lower risk of some chronic diseases, including cancer. We aim to gain insight into the effects of the main source of fat of this diet on breast cancer, the most common type of malignancy in women.

Design

Data from sixteen experimental series analysing the effects of dietary lipids on mammary carcinogenesis in an animal model, in the context of the international literature on the Mediterranean diet, olive oil and breast cancer risk.

Setting

Experimental and human data on the effects of olive oil and Mediterranean diet on breast cancer.

Subjects

An animal model of induced breast cancer and other human and experimental studies in the literature.

Results

Diets rich in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) exert a negative modulatory effect on experimental breast cancer to a weak promoting effect, much lower than that obtained with a high-corn oil diet. EVOO confers to the mammary adenocarcinomas a clinical behaviour and morphological features compatible with low tumour aggressiveness. This differential effect, in relation to other dietary lipids, may be related to a lower effect on body weight and sexual maturation. In addition, EVOO induced different molecular changes in tumours, such as in the composition of cell membranes, activity of signalling proteins and gene expression. All these modifications could induce lower proliferation, higher apoptosis and lower DNA damage. These results, together with the favourable effect of olive oil reported in the literature when it is consumed in moderate quantities, suggest a beneficial influence of EVOO on breast cancer risk.

Conclusions

Consumption of EVOO in moderate quantities and throughout the lifetime appears to be a healthy choice and may favourably influence breast cancer risk.
Factor analysis in the identification of dietary patterns and their predictive role in morbid and fatal events
Authors: Menotti Alessandro , Alberti-Fidanza Adalberta , Fidanza Flaminio , Lanti Mariapaola , Fruttini Daniela
Published: December 2011

Objective

The purpose was to examine the role of dietary patterns derived from factor analysis and their association with health and disease.

Design

Longitudinal population study, with measurement of diet (dietary history method), cardiovascular risk factors and a follow-up of 20 years for CHD incidence and 40 years for mortality.

Setting

Two population samples in rural villages in northern and central Italy.

Subjects

Men (n 1221) aged 45–64 years were examined and followed up.

Results

One of the factors identified with factor analysis, run on seventeen food groups, was converted into a factor score (Factor 2 score) and used as a possible predictor of morbid and fatal events. High values of Factor 2 score were characterized by higher consumption of bread, cereals (pasta), potatoes, vegetables, fish and oil and by lower consumption of milk, sugar, fruit and alcoholic beverages. In multivariate analysis, Factor 2 score (mean 0·0061; sd 1·3750) was inversely and significantly associated (hazard ratio for a 1 sd increase; 95% CI) with 20-year CHD incidence (0·88; 0·73, 0·96) and 40-year mortality from CHD (0·79; 0·66, 0·95), CVD (0·87; 0·78, 0·96), cancer (0·84; 0·74, 0·96) and all causes (0·89; 0·83, 0·96), after adjustment for five other risk factors. Men in quintile 5 of Factor 2 score had a 4·1 years longer life expectancy compared with men in quintile 1.

Conclusions

A dietary pattern derived from factor analysis, and resembling the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, was protective for the occurrence of various morbid and fatal events during 40 years of follow-up.
The voltage-gated channel accessory protein KCNE2: multiple ion channel partners, multiple ways to long QT syndrome
Authors: Eldstrom Jodene , Fedida David
Published: December 2011

The single-pass transmembrane protein KCNE2 or MIRP1 was once thought to be the missing accessory protein that combined with hERG to fully recapitulate the cardiac repolarising currentIKr. As a result of this role, it was an easy next step to associate mutations in KCNE2 to long QT syndrome, in which there is delayed repolarisation of the heart. Since that time however, KCNE2 has been shown to modify the behaviour of several other channels and currents, and its role in the heart and in the aetiology of long QT syndrome has become less clear. In this article, we review the known interactions of the KCNE2 protein and the resulting functional effects, and the effects of mutations in KCNE2 and their clinical role.
The climatic cyclicity in semiarid‐arid central Asia over the past 500,000 years
Authors: Cheng H. , Zhang P. Z. , Spötl C. , Edwards R. L. , Cai Y. J. , Zhang D. Z. , Sang W. C. , Tan M. , An Z. S.
Published: December 2011

Central Asia is currently a semiarid‐arid region, dominated by the Westerlies. It is important to understand mechanisms of climate and precipitation changes here, as water availability in the region is crucial today and in the future. High‐resolution, absolutely‐dated oxygen isotope (δ18O) records of stalagmites from Kesang Cave characterize a dynamic precipitation history over most of the past 500,000 years. This record demonstrates, for the first time, that climate change in the region exhibits a processional rhythm with abrupt inceptions of low δ18O speleothem growth at times of high Northern Hemisphere summer insolation followed by gradual δ18O increases that track decreases of insolation. These observations and interpretations contrast with the interpretation of nearby, but higher elevation ice core records. The absolutely‐dated caveδ18O shifts can be used to correlate the regional climate variability by providing chronological marks. Combined with other paleoclimate records, the Kesang observations suggest that possible incursions of Asian summer monsoon rainfall or related moisture into the Kesang site and/or adjacent areas during the high insolation times may play an important role in changing orbital‐scale hydrology of the region. Based on our record, arid climate will prevail in this region for the next several millennia, providing that anthropogenic effects do not supersede natural processes.
Study of the correlation between columnar aerosol burden, suspended matter at ground and chemical components in a background European environment
Authors: Estellés Víctor , Martínez‐Lozano José A. , Pey Jorge , Sicard Michaël , Querol Xavier , Esteve Anna R. , Utrillas María P. , Sorribas Mar , Gangoiti Gotzon , Alastuey Andrés , Rocadenbosch Francesc
Published: December 2011

Although routinely monitored by ground based air quality networks, the particulate matter distribution could be eventually better described with remote sensing techniques. However, valid relationships between ground level and columnar ground based quantities should be known beforehand. In this study we have performed a comparison between particulate matter measurements at ground level at different cut sizes (10, 2.5 and 1.0 μm), and the aerosol optical depth obtained by means of a ground based sunphotometer during a multiinstrumental field campaign held in El Arenosillo (Huelva, Spain) from 28 June to 4 July 2006. All the PM fractions were very well correlated with AOD with correlation coefficients that ranged from 0.71 to 0.81 for PM10, PM2.5 and PM1. Furthermore, the influence of the mixing layer height in the correlations was explored. The improvement in the correlation when the vertical distribution is taken into account was significant for days with a homogeneous mixing layer. Moreover, the chemical analysis of the individual size fractions allowed us to study the origin of the particulate matter. Secondary components were the most abundant and also well correlated in the three size fractions; but for PM10 fraction, chemical species related to marine origin were best correlated. Finally, we obtained a relationship between MODIS L3 AOD from collection 5.1 and the three PM cut sizes. In spite of being a relatively clean environment, all the techniques were able to capture similar day to day variations during this field campaign.
Polygonal cracks in the seasonal semi‐translucent CO2 ice layer in Martian polar areas
Authors: Portyankina Ganna , Pommerol Antoine , Aye Klaus‐Michael , Hansen Candice J. , Thomas Nicolas
Published: December 2011

In this paper, we use morphological and numerical methods to test the hypothesis that seasonally formed fracture patterns in the Martian polar regions result from the brittle failure of seasonal CO2 slab ice. The observations by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) of polar regions of Mars show very narrow dark elongated linear patterns that are observed during some periods of time in spring, disappear in summer and re‐appear again in the following spring. They are repeatedly formed in the same areas but they do not repeat the exact pattern from year to year. This leads to the conclusion that they are cracks formed in the seasonal ice layer. Some of models of seasonal surface processes rely on the existence of a transparent form of CO2 ice, so‐called slab ice. For the creation of the observed cracks the ice is required to be a continuous media, not an agglomeration of relatively separate particles like a firn. The best explanation for our observations is a slab ice with relatively high transparency in the visible wavelength range. This transparency allows a solid state green‐house effect to act underneath the ice sheet raising the pressure by sublimation from below. The trapped gas creates overpressure and the ice sheet breaks at some point creating the observed cracks. We show that the times when the cracks appear are in agreement with the model calculation, providing one more piece of evidence that CO2 slab ice covers polar areas in spring.
A new spectral calculation scheme for long‐term deformation of Maxwellian planetary bodies
Authors: Kamata Shunichi , Sugita Seiji , Abe Yutaka
Published: December 2011

Viscoelasticity plays an important role in long‐term deformation of large‐scale topographies on small planetary bodies, such as the Moon. Although we should consider increases in viscosity due to secular cooling during long‐term deformation, previous spectral calculation schemes for a Maxwellian viscoelastic body have problems in calculating deformation with temporal and radial variation in viscosity. To resolve these problems, we propose a new formulation of the constitutive equation of a Maxwell body. Compared with conventional time domain spectral schemes, our scheme, with its second‐order approximation in time, demonstrates significant improvement in both accuracy and stability for long time steps. As a result, the computational costs for time‐consuming calculations, such as the long‐term evolution of surface topography, are greatly reduced. Using this scheme, we investigate the effect of planetary cooling on the deformation of an initially hot but monotonically cooling Moon. Our calculation results show that the effective elastic thickness depends on the wavelength of deformation for loads emplaced at very early times (<20 Myr). The results of our calculations also show that without additional heat sources other than initial accretion heat, hardening due to secular cooling prevents substantial isostatic compensation and crustal lateral flow underneath large impact basins. This result indicates that small planetary bodies, such as the Moon, do not retain the memory of their initial state during the accretion phase for very long and that their current viscoelastic states reflect sustained heat production and/or transport from their deep interior.
Evidence for a two‐phase Palmer Land event from crosscutting structural relationships and emplacement timing of the Lassiter Coast Intrusive Suite, Antarctic Peninsula: Implications for mid‐Cretaceous Southern Ocean plate configuration
Authors: Vaughan Alan P. M. , Eagles Graeme , Flowerdew Michael J.
Published: December 2011

New analysis of the relationships between geological structural data and radiometric ages for the Lassiter Coast Intrusive Suite indicate that the collisional mid‐Cretaceous Palmer Land Event orogeny in the Antarctic Peninsula has had two kinematic phases, forming an intersection orocline, one of which can be related to Cretaceous Southern Ocean plate motions. Both are compressional phases along the Eastern Palmer Land Shear Zone: Phase 1 occurred at ∼107 Ma with a principal paleostrain axis of 341°, and is best expressed in southern Palmer Land although evident elsewhere on the Antarctic Peninsula; Phase 2 occurred at ∼103 Ma with a principal paleostrain axis of 259.5°, but is confined to between 68°S and 74°S. A peak in Lassiter Coast Intrusive Suite magma emplacement rate was coeval with Phase 1, whereas Phase 2 may have coincided with a lull. During Phase 1, the allochthonous Central and Western Domain terranes may have been transported to the Gondwana margin, represented by the para‐autochthonous Eastern Domain, on board the Phoenix plate or on board the South American plate. The variable provenance indicators from the Central and Western terranes can be cited to support either, or a combination, of these scenarios. The convergence direction evident from Phase 2 structures cannot easily be reproduced in regional plate kinematic models. This, and the localized evidence for superposition of Phase 2 structures on Phase 1 structures suggests that Phase 2 is unlikely to have occurred solely in response to changes in the kinematics of the large plates considered.
The use of multiobjective calibration and regional sensitivity analysis in simulating hyporheic exchange
Authors: Naranjo Ramon C. , Niswonger Richard G. , Stone Mark , Davis Clinton , Mckay Alan
Published: December 2011

We describe an approach for calibrating a two‐dimensional (2‐D) flow model of hyporheic exchange using observations of temperature and pressure to estimate hydraulic and thermal properties. A longitudinal 2‐D heat and flow model was constructed for a riffle‐pool sequence to simulate flow paths and flux rates for variable discharge conditions. A uniform random sampling approach was used to examine the solution space and identify optimal values at local and regional scales. We used a regional sensitivity analysis to examine the effects of parameter correlation and nonuniqueness commonly encountered in multidimensional modeling. The results from this study demonstrate the ability to estimate hydraulic and thermal parameters using measurements of temperature and pressure to simulate exchange and flow paths. Examination of the local parameter space provides the potential for refinement of zones that are used to represent sediment heterogeneity within the model. The results indicate vertical hydraulic conductivity was not identifiable solely using pressure observations; however, a distinct minimum was identified using temperature observations. The measured temperature and pressure and estimated vertical hydraulic conductivity values indicate the presence of a discontinuous low‐permeability deposit that limits the vertical penetration of seepage beneath the riffle, whereas there is a much greater exchange where the low‐permeability deposit is absent. Using both temperature and pressure to constrain the parameter estimation process provides the lowest overall root‐mean‐square error as compared to using solely temperature or pressure observations. This study demonstrates the benefits of combining continuous temperature and pressure for simulating hyporheic exchange and flow in a riffle‐pool sequence.
Axl-dependent signalling: a clinical update
Authors: Korshunov Vyacheslav A.
Published: December 2011

Axl is a receptor tyrosine kinase that was originally cloned from cancer cells. Axl belongs to the TAM (Tyro3, Axl and Mertk) family of receptor tyrosine kinases. Gas6 (growth-arrest-specific protein 6) is a ligand for Axl. Activation of Axl protects cells from apoptosis, and increases migration, aggregation and growth through multiple downstream pathways. Up-regulation of the Gas6/Axl pathway is more evident in pathological conditions compared with normal physiology. Recent advances in Axl receptor biology are summarized in the present review. The emphasis is given to translational aspects of Axl-dependent signalling under pathological conditions. In particular, inhibition of Axl reduces tumorigenesis and prevents metastasis as well. Axl-dependent signals are important for the progression of cardiovascular diseases. In contrast, deficiency of Axl in innate immune cells contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. Current challenges in Axl biology are related to the functional interactions of Axl with other members of the TAM family or other tyrosine kinases, mechanisms of ligand-independent activation, inactivation of the receptor and cell–cell interactions (with respect to immune cells) in chronic diseases.
Point/Counterpoint: Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia: The Argument Against Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia
Authors: Humbert Ianessa A.
Published: December 2011

Surface electrical stimulation for dysphagia is still a controversial subject. Some studies tout the benefits of using electrical stimulation (e-stim) for improving a disordered swallow. It is important to ensure that the discussion about e-stim is balanced. In this article, I discuss selected counterpoints, including e-stim's intended use, the objective findings of scientific findings, and whether speech-language pathology training in the area of swallowing anatomy and physiology adequately prepares clinicians to use e-stim for dysphagia. Overall, clinicians are urged to take into account all sides of this debate and make educated decisions about whether it should be a part of their clinical practice.
Flame temperature and residence time of fires in dry eucalypt forest
Authors: Wotton B. Mike , Gould James S. , McCaw W. Lachlan , Cheney N. Phillip , Taylor Stephen W.
Published: December 2011

Temperature profiles of flames were measured using arrays of thermocouples on towers located in experimental bushfires of varying intensity, carried out in dry eucalypt forest of different fuel age and structure. In-fire video of flame-front passage and time series data from very fine exposed thermocouples were used to estimate the duration of passage of the main flaming front in these experimental fires. Flame temperature measured at points within the flame was found to vary with height; maximum flame temperature was greater in the tall shrub fuel than in the low shrub fuel sites. A model to estimate flame temperature at any height within a flame of a specific height was developed. The maximum flame temperature observed was ~1100°C near the flame base and, when observation height was normalised by flame height, flame temperature exponentially decreased to the visible flame tip where temperatures were ~300°C. Maximum flame temperature was significantly correlated with rate of spread, fire intensity, flame height and surface fuel bulk density. Average flame-front residence time for eucalypt forest fuels was 37 s and did not vary significantly with fine fuel moisture, fuel quantity or bulk density.
The effect of aerial suppression on the containment time of Australian wildfires estimated by fire management personnel
Authors: Plucinski M. P. , McCarthy G. J. , Hollis J. J. , Gould J. S.
Published: December 2011

The addition of aerial firefighting resources to wildfire suppression operations does not always result in faster fire containment. In this paper, containment times of fires with aerial suppression are compared with estimated containment times for the same fires without aerial suppression. Senior firefighting personnel who had worked on each fire estimated whether fires could have been contained within a time class if aircraft were not available. Data from 251 wildfires were analysed based on four fire-containment time classes: ≤2, 2–4, 4–8 and 8–24 h from the start of initial attack. Aircraft were perceived to reduce time to containment when firefighting conditions were more challenging owing to fuel hazard rating, weather conditions, slope, resource response times and area burning at initial attack. Comparisons of containment time with and without aircraft can be used to develop operational tools to help dispatchers decide when aircraft should be deployed to newly detected fires.
The roles of hydraulic and carbon stress in a widespread climate-induced forest die-off
Authors: Anderegg William R. L. , Berry Joseph A. , Smith Duncan D. , Sperry John S. , Anderegg Leander D. L. , Field Christopher B.
Published: December 2011

Forest ecosystems store approximately 45% of the carbon found in terrestrial ecosystems, but they are sensitive to climate-induced dieback. Forest die-off constitutes a large uncertainty in projections of climate impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, climate–ecosystem interactions, and carbon-cycle feedbacks. Current understanding of the physiological mechanisms mediating climate-induced forest mortality limits the ability to model or project these threshold events. We report here a direct and in situ study of the mechanisms underlying recent widespread and climate-induced trembling aspen (
Populus tremuloides
) forest mortality in western North America. We find substantial evidence of hydraulic failure of roots and branches linked to landscape patterns of canopy and root mortality in this species. On the contrary, we find no evidence that drought stress led to depletion of carbohydrate reserves. Our results illuminate proximate mechanisms underpinning recent aspen forest mortality and provide guidance for understanding and projecting forest die-offs under climate change.
An inhibitory C-terminal region dictates the specificity of A-adding enzymes
Authors: Tretbar Sandy , Neuenfeldt Anne , Betat Heike , Mörl Mario
Published: December 2011

For efficient aminoacylation, tRNAs carry the conserved 3′-terminal sequence C-C-A, which is synthesized by highly specific tRNA nucleotidyltransferases (CCA-adding enzymes). In several prokaryotes, this function is accomplished by separate enzymes for CC- and A-addition. As A-adding enzymes carry an N-terminal catalytic core identical to that of CCA-adding enzymes, it is unclear why their activity is restricted. Here, it is shown that C-terminal deletion variants of A-adding enzymes acquire full and precise CCA-incorporating activity. The deleted region seems to be responsible for tRNA primer selection, restricting the enzyme’s specificity to tRNAs ending with CC. The data suggest that A-adding enzymes carry an intrinsic CCA-adding activity that can be reactivated by the introduction of deletions in the C-terminal domain. Furthermore, a unique subtype of CCA-adding enzymes could be identified that evolved out of A-adding enzymes, suggesting that mutations and deletions in nucleotidyltransferases can lead to altered and even more complex activities, as a simple A-incorporation is converted into sequence-specific addition of C and A residues. Such activity-modifying events may have had an important role in the evolution of tRNA nucleotidyltransferases.
Ligand-binding properties of a juvenile hormone receptor, Methoprene-tolerant
Authors: Charles Jean-Philippe , Iwema Thomas , Epa V. Chandana , Takaki Keiko , Rynes Jan , Jindra Marek
Published: December 2011

Juvenile hormone (JH) is a sesquiterpenoid of vital importance for insect development, yet the molecular basis of JH signaling remains obscure, mainly because a bona fide JH receptor has not been identified. Mounting evidence points to the basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH)/Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain protein Methoprene-tolerant (Met) as the best JH receptor candidate. However, details of how Met transduces the hormonal signal are missing. Here, we demonstrate that Met specifically binds JH III and its biologically active mimics, methoprene and pyriproxyfen, through its C-terminal PAS domain. Substitution of individual amino acids, predicted to form a ligand-binding pocket, with residues possessing bulkier side chains reduces JH III binding likely because of steric hindrance. Although a mutation that abolishes JH III binding does not affect a Met–Met complex that forms in the absence of methoprene, it prevents both the ligand-dependent dissociation of the Met–Met dimer and the ligand-dependent interaction of Met with its partner bHLH-PAS protein Taiman. These results show that Met can sense the JH signal through direct, specific binding, thus establishing a unique class of intracellular hormone receptors.
Identification of American Shad Spawning Sites and Habitat Use in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina
Authors: Harris Julianne E. , Hightower Joseph E.
Published: December 2011

We examined spawning site selection and habitat use by American shad Alosa sapidissima in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina, to inform future management in this flow-regulated river. American shad eggs were collected in plankton tows, and the origin (spawning site) of each egg was estimated; relocations of radio-tagged adults on spawning grounds illustrated habitat use and movement in relation to changes in water discharge rates. Most spawning was estimated to occur in the Piedmont physiographic region within a 25-river-kilometer (rkm) section just below the lowermost dam in the system; however, some spawning also occurred downstream in the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont region has a higher gradient and is predicted to have slightly higher current velocities and shallower depths, on average, than the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont region is dominated by large substrates (e.g., boulders and gravel), whereas the Coastal Plain is dominated by sand. Sampling at night (the primary spawning period) resulted in the collection of young eggs (≤1.5 h old) that more precisely identified the spawning sites. In the Piedmont region, most radio-tagged American shad remained in discrete areas (average linear range = 3.6 rkm) during the spawning season and generally occupied water velocities between 0.20 and 0.69 m/s, depths between 1.0 and 2.9 m, and substrates dominated by boulder or bedrock and gravel. Tagged adults made only small-scale movements with changes in water discharge rates. Our results demonstrate that the upstream extent of migration and an area of concentrated spawning occur just below the lowermost dam. If upstream areas have similar habitat, facilitating upstream access for American shad could increase the spawning habitat available and increase the population's size.

Received March 22, 2011; accepted July 14, 2011