bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Monitoring of Intravenously Injected Gold Nanorods Using Near‐Infrared Light
Authors: Niidome Takuro , Akiyama Yasuyuki , Shimoda Kohei , Kawano Takahito , Mori Takeshi , Katayama Yoshiki , Niidome Yasuro
Published: June 2008

Gold nanorods showing surface plasmon (SP) bands in the near‐IR region are used as bioimaging probes that respond to near‐IR light in mice. The SP bands of intravenously injected polyethylene glycol‐modified gold nanorods are directly monitored from the mouse abdomen by using a spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere. The absorbance at 900 nm from the gold nanorods immediately increases after injection and reaches a plateau. The injection of phosphatidylcholine‐modified gold nanorods also increases the absorbance at 900 nm, but the absorbance decreases single exponentially with a 1.3‐min half‐life. In vivo spectral changes of gold nanorods depend on the surface characteristics, and can be observed in real time using simple spectroscopic measurements.
Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Seropositivity Among Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Erim Tolga , Cruz‐Correa Marcia R. , Szomstein Samuel , Velis Evelio , Rosenthal Raul
Published: June 2008

Background

The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) seropositivity in patients undergoing bariatric surgery with that of the general population.

Methods

H. pylori serologies, tested by ELISA, were collected on 240 morbidly obese patients seen at the Cleveland Clinic Florida and on 2444 randomly selected patients seen at the Cleveland Clinic Health System from 2003–2005.

Results

H. pylori prevalence was 61.3% in the bariatric surgery group versus 48.2% in the general population control group (p < 0.001). Bariatric patients had a 1.7‐fold increased likelihood of having HP when compared with controls (95% CI = 1.3–2.2). Age over 35 years was an independent risk factor for HP seropositivity (p < 0.01) in both the bariatric and control groups. There was no association found between body mass index and seropositivity within the bariatric group. There was no significant association between seropositivity and gender (p = 0.776). However, there was a significant association between seropositivity and race (p < 0.01). African‐Americans had four times more (OR = 4.05) probability of having HP seropositivity than Caucasians (p < 0.01). Hispanics had almost three times (OR = 2.6) more probability of having HP seropositivity than Caucasians (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The prevalence of HP seropositivity among bariatric patients is significantly higher than the general population control group.
From Hippocrates to Tissue Engineering: Surgical Strategies in Wound Treatment
Authors: Nicoli Aldini Nicolò , Fini Milena , Giardino Roberto
Published: June 2008

The history of wound treatment has been virtually the history of surgery for many centuries and also is a history of alliance and conflicts between the physician and nature. The Hippocratic statement about natura medicatrix has been well known since antiquity, but often was neglected. Suppuration was considered a necessary event in the healing process and was elicited by the surgeons with traumatic and painful procedures. The concept of simplicity in treating the wounds was suggested by Teodorico Borgognone and Henry de Mondeville in 13th century and was confirmed only three centuries later by the works of Ambroise Paré and Cesare Magati. The history of wound management has been characterized by empiricism since the 18th century, but it took a physiopathological direction during the 19th century when Virchow investigated tissue reaction to injuries, and Lister introduced antiseptic procedures in surgery. By establishing the basis for a biological method to treat wounds, the seeds were sown to enhance the pathways involved in tissue repair, also with the support of new strategies and technology.
Does maternal knowledge impact blood phenylalanine concentration in Turkish children with phenylketonuria?
Authors: Gokmen Ozel H. , Kucukkasap T. , Koksal G. , Kalkanoglu Sivri H. S. , Dursun A. , Tokatli A. , Coskun T.
Published: June 2008

The aim of this study was to compare the level of maternal knowledge and the blood phenylalanine (Phe) control in phenylketonuria (PKU; OMIM 261600). The study was conducted on 144 children (81 boys, 63 girls) with PKU, aged between 1 and 15 years, at Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Children's Hospital, Metabolism and Nutrition Unit. All subjects were treated with a low‐Phe diet using a Phe‐exchange system. A 20‐question multiple‐choice questionnaire was applied to the mothers to determine their knowledge about PKU and its dietary treatment. Questions in the test consisted of the knowledge about the disease (6 questions), general dietary knowledge (14 questions) and knowledge about specific exchange within the dietary questions (6 questions). The median blood Phe concentration for the previous 3‐year period was used as an indicator of metabolic control. Eighty‐seven children had a median blood Phe concentration above the MRC Working Party Guidelines. There was a negative correlation between maternal knowledge about exchange and median blood Phe concentration in the child (p<0.05). Maternal knowledge about a standard 15 mg Phe exchange system is correlated with dietary compliance as measured by blood Phe concentrations in our subjects. We would like to implement an easier method of measuring Phe exchanges to improve dietary knowledge in the mothers.
Efficient Immobilization of Lecitase in Gelatin Hydrogel and Degumming of Rice Bran Oil Using a Spinning Basket Reactor
Authors: Sheelu Gurrala , Kavitha G. , Fadnavis Nitin W.
Published: June 2008

Immobilization of Lecitase (Phospholipase A1) in gelatin hydrogel and its stability is studied with a view to utilizing the immobilized enzyme for degumming rice bran oil. Excellent retention of enzyme activity (>80%) is observed in hydrogel containing 43.5% gelatin crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. Compared to the free enzyme which has a broad pH‐activity profile (6.5–8.0), the activity of the immobilized enzyme is strongly dependent on pH and has a pH‐optimum of pH 7.5. The optimum temperature of enzyme activity increases from 37 to 50 °C. Compared to the free enzyme which loses all its activity in 72 h at 50 °C, the immobilized enzyme retains its activity in full. The immobilized enzyme has been used efficiently in a spinning basket bioreactor for the degumming of rice bran oil with 6 recycles without loss of enzyme activity. The phosphorus content of the oil decreases from 400 ppm to 50–70 ppm in each cycle. After charcoal treatment and dewaxing, a second enzymatic treatment brings down the phosphorus content to <5 ppm.
Clinical update on the pharmacology, efficacy and safety of transdermal buprenorphine
Authors: Kress Hans G.
Published: June 2008

Buprenorphine was not used widely in clinical practice over many years, mainly due to analgesic potency and clinical safety concerns based on misinterpreted animal data. Contrary to previous concerns, however, no analgesic ceiling effect and no antagonism of combined pure μ‐opioid receptor agonists is seen within the therapeutic dose range. In recent studies, buprenorphine could be effectively and safely combined with full μ‐agonists, and switching between buprenorphine and another opioid provided comparable pain relief based on equianalgesic doses. Moreover, buprenorphine exerts an antihyperalgesic effect, which is due—at least in part—to antagonistic activity at κ‐opioid receptors.

Buprenorphine pharmacokinetics are not altered by advanced age or renal dysfunction. In addition, the risk of respiratory depression is lower than with other opioids including morphine, hydromorphone, methadone and fentanyl. Unlike morphine and fentanyl, there is no immunosuppressive activity with buprenorphine at therapeutic analgesic doses. Transdermal buprenorphine has significantly improved the clinical use of the drug, providing continuous buprenorphine release for up to 96h. In clinical trials, patients receiving transdermal buprenorphine experienced significantly greater pain relief, better sleep, and a reduced need for rescue therapy, compared to placebo. Large‐scale post‐marketing studies have confirmed the effectiveness of transdermal buprenorphine in treating moderate‐to‐severe cancer and non‐cancer pain including neuropathic syndromes. Finally, the comparably low incidence of CNS adverse events and constipation, and the possibility of use in severe renal dysfunction without a need for dose adjustment make buprenorphine well suited for chronic pain management in at‐risk patients, such as diabetics, elderly or renally impaired individuals including those requiring haemodialysis.
Effects of transgene‐mediated endomorphin‐2 in inflammatory pain
Authors: Hao Shuanglin , Wolfe Darren , Glorioso Joseph C. , Mata Marina , Fink David J.
Published: June 2008

We examined the analgesic properties of endomorphin‐2 expressed in DRG neurons transduced with a non‐replicating herpes simplex virus (HSV)‐based vector containing a synthetic endomorphin‐2 gene construct. HSV‐mediated endomorphin‐2 expression reduced nocisponsive behaviors in response to mechanical and thermal stimuli after injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the paw, and reduced peripheral inflammation measured by paw swelling after injection of CFA. The analgesic effect of the vector was blocked by either intraperitoneal or intrathecal administration of naloxone methiodide, blocking peripheral and central μ opioid receptors, respectively. Endomorphin‐2 vector injection also reduced spontaneous pain‐related behaviors in the delayed phase of the formalin test and in both CFA and formalin models suppressed spinal c‐fos expression. The magnitude of the vector‐mediated analgesic effect on the delayed phase of the formalin test was similar in naïve animals and in animals with opiate tolerance induced by twice daily treatment with morphine, suggesting that there was no cross‐tolerance between vector‐mediated endomorphin‐2 and morphine. These results suggest that transgene‐mediated expression of endomorphin‐2 in transduced DRG neurons in vivo acts both peripherally and centrally through mu opioid receptors to reduce pain perception.
Effect of parental family history of Alzheimer's disease on serial position profiles
Authors: La Rue Asenath , Hermann Bruce , Jones Jana E. , Johnson Sterling , Asthana Sanjay , Sager Mark A.
Published: June 2008

Background

An exaggerated recency effect (ie, disproportionate recall of last‐presented items) has been consistently observed in the word list learning of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our study sought to determine whether there were similar alterations in serial position learning among asymptomatic persons at risk for AD as a result of parental family history.

Methods

Subjects included 623 asymptomatic middle‐aged children of patients with AD (median, 53 years) and 157 control participants whose parents survived to at least age 70 without AD or other memory disorders. All participants were administered the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, which requires learning and recall of 15 unrelated nouns.

Results

There was no significant difference in total words recalled between the AD children and control groups. However, compared with controls, AD children exhibited a significantly greater tendency to recall words from the end (recency) versus beginning (primacy) of the list. Serial position effects were unrelated to apolipoprotein allele epsilon 4 or depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Asymptomatic persons at risk for AD by virtue of family history do not show a difference in total words recalled compared with controls, but they exhibit a distinctly different serial position curve, suggesting greater reliance on immediate as opposed to episodic memory. This is the same serial position pattern observed in mild AD, seen here in reduced severity. Longitudinal follow‐up is planned to determine whether changes in serial position patterns are a meaningful marker for preclinical detection of AD.
Abnormal connectivity in the posterior cingulate and hippocampus in early Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Zhou Yongxia , Dougherty John H. , Hubner Karl F. , Bai Bing , Cannon Rex L. , Hutson R. Kent
Published: June 2008

Background

Brain imaging studies of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) have shown decreased metabolism predominantly in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), medial temporal lobe, and inferior parietal lobe. This study investigated functional connectivity between these regions, as well as connectivity between these regions and the whole brain.

Methods

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies were performed in subjects with early AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and normal controls.

Results

The data indicate both decreased fiber connections and disrupted connectivity between the hippocampus and PCC in early AD. The MCI group showed reduced fiber numbers derived from PCC and hippocampus to the whole brain.

Conclusions

The fMRI and DTI results confirmed decreased connectivity from both the PCC and hippocampus to the whole brain in MCI and AD and reduction in connectivity between these two regions, which plausibly represents an early imaging biomarker for AD.
The pilot European Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative of the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium
Authors: Frisoni Giovanni B. , Henneman Wouter J.P. , Weiner Michael W. , Scheltens Philip , Vellas Bruno , Reynish Emma , Hudecova Jaroslava , Hampel Harald , Burger Katharina , Blennow Kaj , Waldemar Gunhild , Johannsen Peter , Wahlund Lars‐Olof , Zito Giancarlo , Rossini Paolo M. , Winblad Bengt , Barkhof Frederik ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: June 2008

Background

In North America, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) has established a platform to track the brain changes of Alzheimer's disease. A pilot study has been carried out in Europe to test the feasibility of the adoption of the ADNI platform (pilot E‐ADNI).

Methods

Seven academic sites of the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium (EADC) enrolled 19 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 22 with AD, and 18 older healthy persons by using the ADNI clinical and neuropsychological battery. ADNI compliant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood samples were shipped to central repositories. Medial temporal atrophy (MTA) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were assessed by a single rater by using visual rating scales.

Results

Recruitment rate was 3.5 subjects per month per site. The cognitive, behavioral, and neuropsychological features of the European subjects were very similar to their U.S. counterparts. Three‐dimensional T1‐weighted MRI sequences were successfully performed on all subjects, and cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained from 77%, 68%, and 83% of AD patients, MCI patients, and controls, respectively. Mean MTA score showed a significant increase from controls (left, right: 0.4, 0.3) to MCI patients (0.9, 0.8) to AD patients (2.3, 2.0), whereas mean WMH score did not differ among the three diagnostic groups (between 0.7 and 0.9). The distribution of both MRI markers was comparable to matched US‐ADNI subjects.

Conclusions

Academic EADC centers can adopt the ADNI platform to enroll MCI and AD patients and older controls with global cognitive and structural imaging features remarkably similar to those of the US‐ADNI.
Permian ultramafic-mafic magmatism and accompanying Cu-Ni mineralization in the Gobi-Tien Shan belt as a result of the Tarim plume activity
Authors: Polyakov G.V. , Izokh A.E. , Borisenko A.S.
Published: June 2008

The paper reports data on the age, composition, and geodynamic environments of Permian ultramafic-mafic complexes in the Zaisan-Gobi zone in the eastern Gobi-Tien Shan rift belt. The synchronous formation of these complexes with Early Permian lava alkali and tholeiitic basalts discovered beneath the cover of the Tarim and Junggar platform blocks suggests that they are derivates of the Tarim plume related to the Permo-Triassic Siberian superplume. This is evidenced from the composition and metallogeny of the complexes similar to those of magnesian trap intrusions on the western periphery of the Siberian Platform.

In the area of influence of the Tarim plume, including the Zaisan-Gobi zone and other structures of the Gobi-Tien Shan belt, diverse Cu-Ni-PGE, Ni-Co-As, Au-Hg, Cu-Mo, and ore deposits related to plume magmatism formed. Their composition, formation conditions, and relationship with magmatism are discussed.
Geological implications of the thermochemical plume model
Authors: Dobretsov N.L.
Published: June 2008

This paper reviews available the mantle plume models and formulates seven questions, which can be solved using geological and geochemical data in terms of the thermochemical plume model.

The main features of thermochemical plumes, including calculated plume parameters, are presented. It has been estimated how the power of a plume depends on water concentration in melt at variable melt portions and diffusion coefficients (Lewis numbers). A correlation between the latter and temperature drop at the base of a plume has been shown.

The obtained plume parameters are compared with model plume localities, such as the Hawaiian and East African plumes, Siberian and Emeishan flood basalts, etc. Based on the oceanic plate movement pattern and He, Os, and Sr isotope data, the Hawaiian plume was proved to be generated within the D2 lower mantle layer; the diameter of the plume channel is about 100 km, the plume channel rotated and migrated to 100–200 km every 2 Ma; the plume power is about 3⋅108 kW, changing each 15 Ma. The reconstruction of complex core material-plume melts and Layer C-asthenosphere interactions is possible only by isotopic data and primary olivine composition.

The plume model was applied to large igneous provinces (Siberian, Emeishan, and Ontong Java LIPs) using detailed mechanisms of plume head interaction with the lithosphere. Taking into account the similar age and evolution of the Tunguska syncline (Siberian LIP) and West Siberia, the plume-lithosphere interactions are deduced from the relationships between sedimentary and magmatic units, different modes of rifting, and variations of Sr and Nd isotopes.
Permo-Triassic magmatism and metallogeny of Northern Vietnam in relation to the Emeishan plume
Authors: Hoa Tran Trong , Izokh A.E. , Polyakov G.V. , Borisenko A.S. , Anh Tran Tuan , Balykin P.A. , Phuong Ngo Thi , Rudnev S.N. , Van Vu Van , Nien Bui An
Published: June 2008

We have shown that the occurrences of Permo-Triassic magmatism in northern Vietnam compose the southwestern and southeastern flanks of the Emeishan large igneous province, shifted along the large-amplitude Ailao Shan-Red River shear zone. Based on new geochronological (U-Pb and Ar/Ar) data, two stages of magmatism related to the Emeishan plume have been recognized. At the first, Permian, stage (260 Ma), abundant picritoids of the Song Da and Song Hien zones formed, and at the second, gabbro-syenite and gabbro-monzodiorite associations of the Lo Gam zone, layered peridotite-gabbro massifs of the Nui Chua complex, high-alumina granites of the Phia Bioc complex, and basalt-rhyolite association of the Song Hien zone were produced. The metallogenic specialization of the Permo-Triassic magmatism of northern Vietnam is considered.
Permian magmatism and lithospheric deformation in the Altai caused by crustal and mantle thermal processes
Authors: Vladimirov A.G. , Kruk N.N. , Khromykh S.V. , Polyansky O.P. , Chervov V.V. , Vladimirov V.G. , Travin A.V. , Babin G.A. , Kuibida M.L. , Khomyakov V.D.
Published: June 2008

New structural and petrological data have been obtained for the zone of Siberia-Kazakhstan oblique collision for Permian time. In terms of classical tectonics, the area coincides with the Zaisan folded area produced by closure of the Char paleo-ocean in the Late Carboniferous. However, the extent, structure, and composition of magmatism at the Carboniferous-Permian (280±10 Ma) and Permian-Triassic (250±5 Ma) boundaries require an active control from Morgan-type lower mantle plumes (Tarim and Siberian plumes). Structure formation in the lithosphere and heat sources of magmatism have been simulated in a 3D model including lithospheric strain rates (with regard to viscosity layering) and subcontinental upper mantle convection. According to our model, heat supply from slab break-off and/or delamination of lithosphere is insufficient to maintain large-scale mantle-crustal magmatism in the case of oblique collision between 80–100 km thick plates (“soft collision”). The Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic Altai is considered as a model of a large hot shear zone, a particular structure produced by interference of plate- and plume-tectonic processes. Special attention is given to structural and petrological markers of plume tectonics (reported for the case of the Altai collisional shear system), with their diagnostic features useful for understanding geodynamics of other similar regions.
Permian-Triassic magmatism and Ag-Sb mineralization in southeastern Altai and northwestern Mongolia
Authors: Pavlova G.G. , Borisenko A.S. , Goverdovskii V.A. , Travin A.V. , Zhukova I.A. , Tret’yakova I.G.
Published: June 2008

In the 1980s, Ag-Sb deposits were discovered in a new ore cluster of the Delyun-Yustyd back-arc rift basin in southeastern Altai and northwestern Mongolia. The Delyun-Yustyd basin is filled with up to 9 km thick Devonian volcanosedimentary and terrigenous rocks lying over Vendian-Cambrian carbonate-terrigenous strata. Volcanosedimentary rocks are intruded by D3-C1 granites of the Yustyd complex, as well as by pre-granite mafic rocks, post-granite gabbro-diabase, diabase porphyry dikes, and younger lamprophyre dikes of the Chuya complex (245–236 Ma Ar-Ar biotite age). Ag-Sb ores in the Yustyd cluster formed at the Early Mesozoic stage at 240±1.6 Ma (Early-Middle Triassic boundary) and were thus nearly coeval with the Chuya lamprophyre intrusion. The age of Cu-Ag-Sb-Hg mineralization is about 234.4±1.0 Ma (Ar-Ar, sericite). Sb-Hg mineralization is the latest in the province (231.5±1.0 Ma, Ar-Ar, sericite). Gradual change of Ag-Sb (siderite-tetrahedrite) ores to complex Cu-Ag-Sb-Hg (Hg-Ag-tetrahedrite) and Sb-Hg (cinnabar with Sb sulfosalts and stibnite) mineralization along the Kurai-Kobdo and Terekta-Tolbonur large faults is interpreted as development of stage metallogenic zoning along major ore-controlling faults.
Reconstructed summer temperature in the northern Rocky Mountains wilderness, USA
Authors: Kipfmueller Kurt F.
Published: June 2008

Ring widths from whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulisEnglem.) and subalpine larch (Larix lyalliiParl.) collected at three high-elevation sites were used to develop tree-growth chronologies to reconstruct summer temperature anomalies. A step-wise multiple regression procedure was used to screen potential predictor variables to generate a transfer function capable of skillfully reconstructing summer temperature. The resulting regression model explained approximately 38% of the adjusted variance in the instrumental temperature record. The fidelity of the reconstruction was verified using product mean and sign tests, both of which suggested significant predictive power in the reconstructions (p<0.05). Reduction of error (RE) and coefficient of efficiency (CE) measures were both positive, indicating the reconstruction contained useful climate information. Cool periods often coincided with reduced solar activity and/or periods of increased volcanic activity. Differences between this reconstruction and others encompassing a broader geographic scale highlight the importance of developing local reconstructions of climate variability, particularly when used in conjunction with ecological data sets that describe the occurrence of fires or insect epidemics. Mixed and divergent climate-response relationships were evident in the whitebark pine chronologies and suggest subalpine larch may be a more useful species than whitebark pine to target for the development of temperature reconstructions in this region.
Sand dunes as a major proximal dust source for late Pleistocene loess in the Negev Desert, Israel
Authors: Crouvi Onn , Amit Rivka , Enzel Yehouda , Porat Naomi , Sandler Amir
Published: June 2008

Grain size analyses of three hilltop, primary eolian loess sequences in the Negev desert, southern Israel, show a bimodal grain-size distribution at 50–60 μm and 3–8 μm. Using analyses of mineralogy and OSL ages we demonstrate that the coarse mode is composed mostly of quartz grains and its relative magnitude increases regionally with time, suggesting an enhancement of a time-transgressive proximal dust source compared to a distal, Saharan fine-grain dust. The only proximal dust source for large amount of coarse silt quartz grains is the sands that advanced into Sinai and the Negev concurrently with the loess accretion during the late Pleistocene as a result of the exposure of the Mediterranean shelf. We therefore propose that the coarse silt quartz grains were formed through eolian abrasion within the margins of an advancing sand sea. This relationship between desert sand seas as a source for proximal coarse dust and desert margin loess deposits can be applicable to other worldwide deserts such as Northern Africa, China and Australia.
Chronology and causes of the extinction of the Lava Mouse,Malpaisomys insularis(Rodentia: Muridae) from the Canary Islands
Authors: Rando Juan Carlos , Alcover Josep Antoni , Navarro Juan Francisco , García-Talavera Francisco , Hutterer Rainer , Michaux Jacques
Published: June 2008

Understanding late Holocene extinctions on islands requires accurate chronologies for all relevant events, including multiple colonisations by humans and the introduction of alien species. The most widely held hypothesis on the causes of Holocene island vertebrate extinctions incorporates human impacts, although climatic-related hypotheses cannot be excluded. Both hypotheses have been suggested to account for the extinction of the endemic Lava Mouse,Malpaisomys insularisfrom the Canary Islands. Here we present the first accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS)14C ages from collagen ofM. insularisbones from ancient owl pellets collected at Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, eastern Atlantic Ocean). These new dates contribute to an understanding of the extinction of this species. We are able to exclude climatic causes, predation by invasive species, and competition with the house mouse,Mus musculus. The arrival of Europeans in the Canary Islands correlates with the extinction ofMalpaisomys. The introduction of rats,Rattusspp., together with their parasites and diseases, emerges as the most reasonable hypothesis explaining the extinction ofM. insularis.
Cariogenic potential of cows', human and infant formula milks and effect of fluoride supplementation
Authors: Peres Regina Celia Rocha , Coppi Luciane Cristina , Volpato Maria Cristina , Groppo Francisco Carlos , Cury Jaime Aparecido , Rosalen Pedro Luiz
Published: June 2008

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cariogenicity of cows', human and infant formula milks, supplemented or not with fluoride, in rats. Sixty female Wistar rats were desalivated and infected withStreptococcus sobrinus6715.Animals were divided into six groups: group 1, sterilised deionised distilled water (SDW; negative control); group 2, 5 % sucrose added to SDW (positive control); group 3, human milk; group 4, cows' milk; group 5, Ninho®formula reconstituted with SDW; group 6, Ninho®formula reconstituted with 10 parts per million F and SDW. At day 21 the animals were killed and their jaws removed to quantify total cultivable microbiota,Strep. sobrinusand dental caries. The concentration of carbohydrate and fluoride in the milks was analysed. The Kruskal–Wallis test (α = 5 %) was used to analyse the data. The caries score by the milk formula was as high as that provoked by sucrose. Regarding smooth-surface caries, human milk was statistically more cariogenic than cows' milk, which did not differ from the SDW and the Ninho®with fluoride (P>0·05). Groups 2–6 showed higherStrep. sobrinuscounts when compared with the negative control group (P < 0·05) but no statistically significant difference was found among them (P>0·05). HPLC analysis showed that infant formula had 9·3 % sucrose and 3·6 % reducing sugars. The infant formula should be considered cariogenic due to the sugars found in it, but fluoride supplementation reduced its cariogenic effect. The human milk was more cariogenic than the cows' milk but not as much as the formula milk.
What the Haitian Revolution Might Tell Us about Development, Security, and the Politics of Race
Authors: Shilliam Robert
Published: June 2008

There was a time when Western political science was somewhat sensitized to the historical perspective from which “exploited men” might view the making of modern world order. During the Cold War, and with the rise of the Non-Aligned Movement especially, debates in the Western Academy made regular reference to what might be called the “development/security nexus.” Many political scientists claimed that the peculiarities of “Third World” development could engender security threats for the “First World.” But it was further acknowledged that Third World politicians (especially at the Bandung Conference in 1955) could see their post-colonial development threatened by a West that, still exhibiting racial hierarchies domestically, might wish to retain these hierarchies internationally.2
Embodiment, Materiality, and Power.A Review Essay
Authors: van der Veer Peter
Published: June 2008

Theories of agency are central to any form of explanation or interpretation of human action in the social and behavioral sciences, including the study of history. In studies of religion, they appear to require even more reflection than usual, because of secular skepticism of religious understandings of agency, involving divine intervention or supra-human powers. The major problem with theories of agency is their immense range and complexity. They involve fundamental notions of emotions and intentions, of habits and social practice, of desire and passion, of passions and interests, of resistance and power, of freedom and un-freedom, of the distinction between subject and object, of interiority and exteriority. As such, they have complicated genealogies in different religious and philosophical traditions. Western philosophical traditions are among the many traditions that have wide-ranging theories about the self and agency and express them in a universalistic language.1These universalistic claims are perhaps common, but the history of European expansion has implied a universalization of Western thought, so that despite its provincial origin Western thought informs both the understanding and the self-understanding of other societies. From the start, one of the tasks of anthropology and history has therefore been to critique universalistic assumptions about, for instance, agency, by examining other ways of life and traditions. Not only is universalism as such being questioned; the universalization of ideas is being critically analyzed.
Contamination of fox hair with eggs ofToxocara canis
Authors: Roddie G. , Holland C. , Stafford P. , Wolfe A.
Published: June 2008

Eighty-seven red foxes were investigated for the presence ofToxocaraeggs on a sample of their hair from the peri-anal region. The worm burden ofToxocarain each fox intestine was also assessed and the relationship between eggs on the hair and worms in the intestine explored. Twenty-eight per cent of the foxes were found to haveToxocaraeggs on their hair, with an average of 1.31 ± 3.21 eggs per gram of hair ( ± SD). Sixty-one per cent of foxes harbouredToxocaraworms within their intestines, with a mean worm burden ( ± SD) of 4 ± 8. Host age and sex did not significantly influence the observed eggs on the hair or the worm burden. No significant correlation was found between the numbers of eggs on the hair and the worm burden within the intestine. These data collected from foxes are explored in the context of data from stray dogs and the possible epidemiological differences are discussed.
Incidental catch of sea turtles by the Brazilian pelagic longline fishery
Authors: Sales Gilberto , Giffoni Bruno B. , Barata Paulo C.R.
Published: June 2008

This paper presents data on the incidental catch of sea turtles in both the Brazilian exclusive economic zone and adjacent international waters (both areas are located mainly in the south-western Atlantic) by Brazilian commercial pelagic longliners targeting swordfish, tuna and sharks. Data were obtained by on-board observers for 311 trips carried out in 2001–2005, totalling 7385 sets and 11,348,069 hooks. A total of 1386 sea turtles were incidentally captured in the five years (some of them were considered dead at capture): 789 loggerheads (Caretta caretta), 341 leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea), 45 green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 81 olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea) and 130 of unknown species. Taking into account the distribution of the fishing effort in the study area and the incidental catch of sea turtles, four regions were highlighted for the analyses: Zone 1 is located off the northern Brazilian coast; Zone 2 is located off the central Brazilian coast; Zone 3 is the region off the southern Brazilian coast; and Zone 4, located in the open sea almost totally within international waters, is the region around a chain of undersea mountains known as the Rio Grande Rise (Elevação do Rio Grande). There is no information on the origin (nesting areas) of the captured olive ridleys, but there is some evidence, obtained through genetic and demographic analyses, that loggerheads, leatherbacks and green turtles inhabiting the open ocean around Brazil originate from nesting areas in several countries. Together with the fact that the south-western Atlantic is fished by longliners again from several countries, this places the conservation of sea turtles in that part of the ocean in an international context. Some conservation actions carried out by Brazil concerning the interaction between pelagic longlines and sea turtles in the study area are described.
Food of the yellowtail amberjack Seriola lalandi from the south-west Atlantic
Authors: Vergani M. , Acha E.M. , de Astarloa J.M. Diaz , Giberto D.
Published: June 2008

Food of Seriola lalandi was mainly composed of juveniles of horse mackerel (Trachurus lathami) (%IRI = 99.66) showing the species as carnivorous feeders predating on small pelagic organisms.
Age and growth of the common guitarfish, Rhinobatos rhinobatos, in Iskenderun Bay (north-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey)
Authors: Başusta Nuri , Demirhan Sefa Ayhan , Çiçek Erdoğan , Başusta Asiye , Kuleli Tuncay
Published: June 2008

Age and growth of the common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) were estimated from the north-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. A total of 115 common guitarfish (66 females and 49 males) were sampled. Age determinations were carried out using vertebral sections. Alcian blue dying techniques were used to enhance the visibility of the band on vertebrae. The techniques have been used for the first time on elasmobranchs vertebrae successfully in this study. A total of 97 vertebrae of 115 were visible on the vertebral band in this study. Male and female common guitarfish ranged in age from 1 to 15 and 1 to 24 y respectively. Total length ranged from 42 to 147 cm for females and 39 to 124 cm for males.

The relationships between total length (TL) and total weight (TW) were presented as TW = 0.0014*TL3.1672 (R2 = 0.98) for females, TW = 0.0012*TL3.1947 (R2 = 0.98) for males and TW = 0.0012*TL3.1915 (R2 = 0.98) for both sexes. The parameters for von Bertalanffy growth curves were estimated as Linf  = 137.70±9.38 cm, K = 0.159±0.047, to = −2.180 ± 0.90 for pooled data.
Slow recovery from disturbance: a 20 year study of Ascophyllum canopy clearances
Authors: Ingólfsson A. , Hawkins S.J.
Published: June 2008

We describe an experiment where Ascophyllym nodosum was removed from two 1 x 1 m plots in south-western Iceland in August 1985. The plots were studied regularly until 2005. Recovery of the Ascophyllum canopy took 7–8 years. The understorey algae in one of the plots consisted mostly of extensive growth of Cladophora rupestris, which died within a year of Ascophyllum clearance. No Cladophora had reappeared by 2005, although it was healthy and abundant in control plots throughout the study period. Thus even after 20 years the community had not recovered from disturbance.
Differential microbial fouling on the marine bryozoan Pentapora fascialis
Authors: Sharp J.H. , Winson M.K. , Wade S. , Newman P. , Bullimore B. , Lock K. , Burton M. , Gibbs R. , Porter J.S.
Published: June 2008

Marine fouling is a commercially important problem affecting abiotic and biotic surfaces. In this study we investigated the surface fouling on a colonial reef-building invertebrate, the bryozoan Pentapora fascialis, from the Welsh coast. We captured 300 scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of 5 colonies of the bryozoan P. fascialis in order to quantify the level of fouling on the exterior surfaces. Evidence for differential fouling was found to occur at several spatial scales, including between older and newer zooids, between proximal and distal regions of the same zooids and between colonies. The current year's growing zooids were found to have a higher level of fouling than older zooids. The difference in the mean level of fouling of proximal regions of zooids compared to distal regions was found to be significant in P. fascialis. In agreement with the differential fouling previously observed by other authors in the laminar bryozoan Flustra foliacea where the proximal region of a zooid was observed to have a higher level of fouling, the fouling coverage in P. fascialis was higher in the proximal region of zooids. A reduction of fouling on some bryozoan surfaces may be caused by production of antimicrobial compounds. Further studies of microbial fouling of a similar quantitative scale in other bryozoans could aid in the identification of novel antimicrobial agents useful for preventing microbial fouling on abiotic surfaces in the marine environment.
Leptogorgia christiae (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) a new shallow water gorgonian from Pacific Panama
Authors: Guzman Hector M. , Breedy Odalisca
Published: June 2008

Leptogorgia christiae is a rarely collected new species found at 15–30 m depth at Roca Hacha, a rocky outcrop near Coiba Island characterized by its high diversity of octocorals. The branching pattern and combination of asymmetric blunt spindles, abundance of capstans, and a low occurrence of acute spindles are distinct characteristics of the new taxon. The new species is described, illustrated and compared to the other species of the genus reported from Pacific Panama; thus increasing the total of Leptogorgia species to 17, which encompasses over 70% of the shallow water species for the eastern Pacific.
Spatial distribution of macrofaunal assemblages along the English Channel
Authors: Bolam S.G. , Eggleton J. , Smith R. , Mason C. , Vanstaen K. , Rees H.
Published: June 2008

The present study investigates the species distribution patterns and macrofaunal assemblages along the English Channel and the environmental factors contributing to observed patterns. Seven distinct macrofaunal assemblages were identified based on Hamon grab samples. In the western Channel, an Echinocyamus/Nemertea assemblage dominated, giving way to an Abra/Scalibregma assemblage in inshore waters. A Verruca/Sabellaria assemblage was identified to occupy large regions of the mid-Channel while those of the east Channel were more spatially variable. While variations in depth, sediment particle size and wave and tidal stress were significantly related to variations in assemblage structure, temperature did not appear to be greatly influential. In addition, acoustic data obtained for each station sampled allowed us to determine how representative the observed biological communities are over spatial scales somewhat larger than the sampling points. In contrast to earlier comparable studies using anchor dredges, the biological communities sampled in this study did not exhibit a large east–west distinction; the most abundant species and key assemblages were found to be present along the length of the Channel. The possible reasons for these differences with earlier studies are discussed.
Temporal patterns of phytoplankton assemblages, size spectra and diversity during the wane of aPhaeocystis globosaspring bloom in hydrologically contrasted coastal waters
Authors: Schapira Mathilde , Vincent Dorothee , Gentilhomme Valerie , Seuront Laurent
Published: June 2008

The space–time dynamic of phytoplankton diversity and succession was investigated during the wane of aPhaeocystis globosaspring bloom in four distinct hydrological sub-systems of the eastern English Channel. Nutrients, chlorophyll-a concentrations, and phytoplankton composition, standing stocks, size spectra and diversity were monitored during three key periods in 2003: late spring, early summer and summer. Two consecutive diatom assemblages were observed, respectively dominated by: (i) small colonial species (<100 μm;Melosirasp.,Diploneissp. andNavicula transitans) in April; and (ii) large fine-walled cells (>200 μm;Guinardia striataandRhizosolenia imbricata) in May and July. This shift in diatom composition appeared to be related to the potentially limitating silicic acid in early summer. Specific phytoplankton assemblages identified in distinct water masses have evolved from a mature/senescent community towards a relatively homogeneous aestival structure of dominant species that might have been triggered by the wane of theP. globosabloom. Our results also identified a strong heterogeneity in the distribution of secondary species between distinct water masses during the summer period, suggesting that the magnitude of the observed patterns was intrinsically related to the hydrological properties prevailing in each sub-system. The identification of distinct temporal patterns in phytoplankton species diversity and succession following the wane of a spring bloom at relatively small spatial scales (i.e. <10 km) is discussed in the framework ofP. globosablooms in particular and phytoplankton blooms in general and is suggested to have potentially strong consequences on food web dynamics and the carbon cycle in coastal ecosystems.
Trophic organization of the macro-zoobenthic assemblages within coastal areas subjected to anthropogenic activities
Authors: Afli Ahmed , Ayari Rakia , Brahim Mouldi
Published: June 2008

Coastal areas, in general, are affected more and more by anthropogenic activities. Benthic macrofauna assemblages react to this disturbance and constitute, then, an effective biological tool to study the degree of contamination of the biotope. For this study three coastal sites, more or less exposed to anthropogenic activities but differing according to their opening to the sea, were studied. Sediments were sampled aboard a research vessel and using a 0.1 m2 Van Veen grab. Results show that Tunis bay and Dkhila coast, which are more open to the sea, appear more balanced on the trophic plan, and the biodiversity state is more satisfactory. However, Bizerte lagoon is closed, except for a limited communication with the sea via a narrow ship canal. So, the ecosystem presents some eutrophication signs and a great trophic imbalance in which carnivores largely dominate the benthic assemblages. In this situation, the herbivore chain is substituted by a microbial chain and only some opportunistic species can survive in these anoxic sediments related to the strong fluctuations of the environment factors during the year.
Chemical composition of three dominant myctophid fish, Diaphus theta, Stenobrachius leucopsarus, and S. nannochir, in the subarctic and transition waters of the western North Pacific
Authors: Moku Masatoshi , Kawaguchi Kouichi
Published: June 2008

Water, carbon, and nitrogen contents were analysed in both juvenile and adult specimens of Diaphus theta, Stenobrachius leucopsarus, and S. nannochir, which are the dominant myctophid species in the subarctic and transition waters of the North Pacific. The relationship between body length and dry weight, carbon content, and nitrogen content of these three species were expressed as double logarithmic equations. The differences in chemical content among the different size-classes of each species may be associated with reproductive biology.
Diet composition and food habits of Caranx rhonchus (Carangidae) from the Gulf of Gabes (central Mediterranean)
Authors: Sley Ayda , Jarboui Othman , Ghorbel Mohamed , Bouain Abderrahmen
Published: June 2008

From June 2004 to May 2006, 1040 Caranx rhonchus (Carangidae) ranging from 6.5 to 30.6 cm in total length (TL), fished in the Gulf of Gabes (south Tunisia, central Mediterranean), were used to investigate feeding habits of the species. This study was based mainly on the evolution of the index of relative importance (IRI) with respect to sex, fish size and season. Among 1040 stomachs examined, 595 were empty (%VI = 57.2). The vacuity index (%VI) differed significantly across months and declined slightly with season. A total of 13 species representing 12 different families belonging to four major groups: teleosts, crustaceans, molluscs and annelids, were identified in stomach contents of Caranx rhonchus.

Caranx rhonchus is primarily an opportunistic piscivorous fish with a diet characterized by a wide range of species. Teleosts occurred in the majority of stomachs, with a total of the relative importance (%IRI) of 52.7%. The anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus were the most important teleost species (%IRI = 11.2), while crustaceans were the second most important food category consumed (47.1%).

There were no significant differences in the diet between males and females, but significant differences were found with season and among size-classes.
Non-indigenous marine macroalgae in native communities: a case study in the British Isles
Authors: Mineur Frederic , Johnson Mark P. , Maggs Christine A.
Published: June 2008

It has traditionally been considered that areas with high natural species richness are likely to be more resistant to non-indigenous species than those with lower numbers of species. However, this theory has been the subject of a debate over the last decade, since some studies have shown the opposite trend. In the present study, a macroalgal survey was carried out at 24 localities in Northern Ireland and southern England, using a quadrat approach in the lower littoral. The two opposing hypotheses were tested (negative versus positive relationship between native and non-indigenous species richness) in this marine environment. The effect of the presence of ‘impacts’, potential sources of disturbance and species introduction (e.g. marina, harbour or aquaculture), was also tested. A positive relationship was found between the number of non-indigenous species and the native species richness at the three different scales tested (quadrats, sites and localities). At no scale did a richer native assemblage appear to restrict the establishment of introduced species. The analyses revealed greater species richness and different community composition, as well as more non-indigenous species, in southern England relative to Northern Ireland. The presence of the considered impacts had an effect on the community composition and species richness in southern England but not in Northern Ireland. Such impacts had no effect on the non-indigenous species richness in either area.