bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enzymes of UDP‐GlcNAc biosynthesis in yeast
Authors: Milewski Sławomir , Gabriel Iwona , Olchowy Jarosław
Published: January 2006

D‐Glucosamine is an important building block of major structural components of the fungal cell wall, namely chitin, chitosan and mannoproteins. Other amino sugars, such as D‐mannosamine and D‐galactosamine, relatively abundant in higher eukaryotes, rarely occur in fungal cells and are actually absent from yeast and yeast‐like fungi. The glucosamine‐containing sugar nucleotide UDP‐GlcNAc is synthesized in yeast cells in a four‐step cytoplasmic pathway. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the present knowledge on the enzymes catalysing the particular steps of the pathway in Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with a special emphasis put on mechanisms of the catalysed reactions, regulation of activity and perspectives for exploitation of enzymes participating in UDP‐GlcNAc biosynthesis as potential targets for antifungal chemotherapy. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A truncated derivative of nmt1 promoter exhibits temperature‐dependent induction of gene expression in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Authors: Kumar Raj , Singh Jagmohan
Published: January 2006

Despite increasing exploitation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model system there is a lack of convenient vectors for research and application. Expression with the commonly used promoter, nmt1, requires a laborious regime involving the removal of repressor, thiamine, from a growing culture and further growth for 18 h to achieve maximum expression, thus underlining the need for more user‐friendly promoters. We report here the isolation and characterization of a truncated derivative of the nmt1 promoter having novel induction characteristics: it is induced by shift of growth temperature from 36 °C to 25 °C, achieving maximum expression within 3 h. Similar features of expression were observed with the reporter genes GFP and β‐galactosidase, a native gene, cdc18, and a commercially important foreign therapeutic protein, streptokinase. The new promoter element offers additional advantages, such as lack of deleterious effect on cell viability and potential ability to express toxic proteins. These features make the new promoter a potentially better alternative to nmt1, both as a research tool and for expression of commercially important proteins in Sz. pombe, and suggest the possibility of using similar approaches to design promoters with novel and useful properties. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Usefulness of Multidetector Computed Tomography for the Initial Assessment of Blunt Abdominal Trauma Patients
Authors: Fang Jen‐Feng , Wong Yon‐Cheong , Lin Being‐Chuan , Hsu Yu‐Pao , Chen Miin‐Fu
Published: January 2006

Background

The prompt detection and accurate localization of abdominal injuries are difficult. Some diagnostic modalities, including laboratory tests, ultrasound, and diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) were used to evaluate patients with blunt abdominal trauma, with various advantages and pitfalls. We aimed to evaluate the risk and benefit of using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) as an initial assessment tool for proper diagnosis and treatment planning of patients with blunt abdominal trauma.

Methods

Two hundred fifty‐two patients with blunt abdominal trauma were prospectively enrolled. Multidetector computed tomography was performed during resuscitation. The risk and benefit of using MDCT in the diagnosis and planning of treatment were analyzed.

Results

The time required for a MDCT examination averaged 10.2 minutes. Of the studies done, 224 revealed abdominal injuries. Of those, 34 were performed in patients with unstable hemodynamic status without adverse effect. Prompt diagnosis and proper treatment were given according to the MDCT findings. A total of 43 (17.1%) MDCTs showed contrast extravasation. Active bleeding was confirmed in all and treated with transarterial embolization (30) or surgery (13). Another 58 patients sustained bowel, mesenteric, or pancreatic injuries (BMPI) necessitating laparotomy. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MDCT in identifying patients with active bleeding or BMPI were all 100%.

Conclusions

Multidetector computed tomography was useful as a second line initial assessment tool to identify injuries and determine treatment planning in blunt abdominal trauma patients. No increased risk was found if the facility is readily available, the protocol is well designed, and the patient is well prepared.
Prognostic Significance of Extrathyroid Extension of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Massive but Not Minimal Extension Affects the Relapse‐free Survival
Authors: Ito Yasuhiro , Tomoda Chisato , Uruno Takashi , Takamura Yuuki , Miya Akihiro , Kobayashi Kaoru , Matsuzuka Fumio , Kuma Kanji , Miyauchi Akira
Published: January 2006

Objectives

Extrathyroid extension has been recognized as a prognostic factor in papillary thyroid carcinoma. In the most recent version of the UICC TNM classification system, extrathyroid extension has been classified into two grades, minimal extension (extension to sternothyroid muscle or perithyroid soft tissues) and massive extension (extension to subcutaneous soft tissue, larynx, trachea, esophagus, or recurrent laryngeal nerve). In this study, we investigated the prognostic significance of each of the two types of extension.

Patients and Methods

One thousand and sixty‐seven patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma without distant metastasis at surgery, who underwent surgical treatment in Kuma hospital between 1990 and 1995 and had been followed postoperatively for 60 months or more, were enrolled in this study. The grading of extrathyroid extension was based on both pathological findings and intraoperative surgical findings.

Results

In univariate analysis, although patients with massive extension showed a significantly worse relapse‐free survival (RFS) rate than those with no or minimal extension (P < 0.0001), there was no difference in the RFS rate between patients with no extension and those with minimal extension. Among patients with massive extension, the RFS rate tended to be worse in those with posterior extension than in those with anterior extension (P = 0.0562). Furthermore, the RFS rate of patients with massive posterior extension only to the recurrent nerve demonstrated a better RFS rate than those with extension to other posterior organs (P = 0.0052). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that massive extrathyroid extension is recognized as an independent prognostic factor for RFS (P = 0.0003).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that (1) upgrading of T category for tumors with massive extension is appropriate, whereas that for tumors with only minimal extension is not, and (2) careful surgical treatment and postoperative follow‐up are required for tumors with massive extension to posterior organs other than the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
Seasonal marine feeding and body condition of sea trout (Salmo trutta) at its northern distribution
Authors: Rikardsen A.H. , Amundsen P-A. , Knudsen R. , Sandring S.
Published: January 2006

The seasonal marine feeding pattern of sea trout was studied from March to December 2001 in two large fjords situated at latitudes 69°N and 66°N in the northern part of Norway. Despite low sea temperatures and high salinity, sea running trout were caught during all sampling occasions in both fjords. The trout had fed extensively on marine crustaceans (shrimps, amphipods, and krill) and polychaetes during early and late winter, and had a stable or increasing condition factor during this period. In summer and autumn, the trout fed predominantly on fish, mainly juvenile herring. Food consumption rates were lowest during late autumn and early winter (October–December) in both fjords, while trout in the southernmost fjord had the highest consumption rates from April to August and trout in the northernmost fjord from May to September. These patterns in both fjords matched the seasonal variations in condition factor and relative lipid content of the fish during the same periods. The marine winter migration of these northern sea trout populations appears to be a feeding migration in which the fish maintain or increase their body condition, representing a previously undocumented alternative to the more common life history strategy of over-wintering and starvation in freshwater at the northern distribution of this species.
Partial fishing mortality per fishing trip: a useful indicator of effective fishing effort in mixed demersal fisheries
Authors: Rijnsdorp Adriaan D. , Daan Niels , Dekker Willem
Published: January 2006

Effort management has been proposed as an alternative for quota management in mixed demersal fisheries. It requires a metric to estimate the fishing mortality imposed by a given quantity of nominal fishing effort. Here, we estimate the partial fishing mortality rate imposed by one unit of fishing effort (Fpue) during individual fishing trips and explore the usefulness of this indicator for managing North Sea beam trawlers >300 hp targeting sole (Solea solea) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa). Fpue is positively related to vessel engine power, and increased annually by 2.8% (sole) and 1.6% (plaice). The positive trend was due to an increase in skipper skills and investment in auxiliary equipment, the replacement of old vessels by new ones and, to a lesser extent, to upgrade engines. The average Fpue imposed per day at sea by a 2000 hp beam trawler was estimated to be 1.0 × 10−5 (sole) and 0.6 × 10−5 (plaice), and it showed substantial seasonal and spatial variations. The Fpue of sole and plaice were negatively related in summer and showed no relationship in winter. The existence of predictive seasonal and spatial patterns in Fpue opens up the possibility of fine-tuning management by directed effort restrictions and uncoupling management of plaice and sole.
Benthic responses to organic enrichment and climatic events in the western North Sea
Authors: Rees H.L. , Pendle M.A. , Limpenny D.S. , Mason C.E. , Boyd S.E. , Birchenough S. , Vivian C.M.G.
Published: January 2006

Macrofaunal assemblages inhabiting stable offshore muddy sand substrata responded predictably to the effects of mild organic enrichment arising from sewage-sludge disposal off the north-east coast of England (western North Sea). At the disposal site, densities were elevated up to two-fold, but classical ‘indicator’ species were only marginally enhanced and there was no evidence of a significant waste-induced change in assemblage structure. The response following cessation of disposal was equally predictable, with a decline in densities to ‘reference’ levels some three years later. However, physical manifestations of disposal, including tomato pips and non-biodegradable artefacts, were still evident after this time.

Changes in diversity at selected monitoring stations tended to track each other over time and the employment of treatment/reference ratios and limit values for acceptable change provided a useful model for the simplified expression of trends. Predictions concerning the limited scale and intensity of the effects of sewage-sludge disposal appear to have been met, indicating that the management option of sea disposal was, at the time, an environmentally acceptable one.

Temporal trends in the benthic fauna were also correlated with winter values of the North Atlantic Oscillation Index for the preceding year. The densities and variety of species tended to be lower in response to warmer winters characterized by westerly airflows which were commonly encountered in the 1990s. Finally, the increasing importance of extended time-series data for the investigation of man-made impacts on the marine environment is highlighted, along with the accompanying requirement for continuity and quality assurance of sampling programmes.
Annual variability and trophic relations of the mesozooplankton community in the eutrophicated coastal area (Vranjic Basin, eastern Adriatic Sea)
Authors: Vidjak Olja , Bojanić Natalia , Kušpilić Grozdan , Marasović Ivona , Gladan Živana Ninčević , Brautović Igor
Published: January 2006

Mesozooplankton was sampled during one year in the eutrophicated Vranjic Basin and the influence of environmental variables on its abundance and distribution was analysed. Parallel microzooplankton samples were collected in order to assess trophic relationships within the zooplankton community. Total mesozooplankton abundances were high, exceeding 2×104 ind m−3 in the warmer part of the year, but the biodiversity was low. The annual variability of this assemblage was mostly influenced by temperature. Copepods were dominant among net plankton groups, while ciliates dominated the protozoan community. The key species of the copepod community were Acartia clausi, Oithona nana and Euterpina acutifrons, occurring simultaneously throughout the year. High abundances of small copepod Oithona nana were determined in both meso- and microzooplankton samples, and comparisons of the catches from 125 μm net and 5-l Niskin bottles revealed no significant differences between them. Significant correlation determined between Acartia clausi and oligotrich ciliates indicates predator–prey relationship and the importance of the ciliate community in the energy transfer through the trophic web of this area.
Tinogullmia lukyanovae sp. nov.—a monothalamous, organic-walled foraminiferan from the coastal Black Sea
Authors: Gooday Andrew J. , Anikeeva Oksana V. , Sergeeva Nelly G.
Published: January 2006

Recent studies indicate that monothalamous (single-chambered) foraminifera are an important component of meiobenthic communities in the brackish, coastal waters of the Black Sea. The dominant taxa include Psammophaga and Vellaria, both of which are common in estuarine settings in other parts of the world. Here, we describe Tinogullmia lukyanovae sp. nov. from the Crimean and Caucasus regions of the Black Sea. The new species is several hundreds of microns in size. It is characterized by a more or less symmetrical, spindle-shaped to cylindrical, organic-walled test with two terminal apertural structures, usually in the form of rounded or more elongate, nipple-like projections. The protoplasm is finely granular and a nucleus is not visible. The new species typically occurs in well-oxygenated water at depths of a few tens of metres or less. A specimen from a 250-m deep site off the Caucasus coast, tentatively assigned to T. lukyanovae sp. nov., is of particular interest because it occurs at a depth where the bottom water is anoxic and sulphidic.
Temporal variation of a syllid (Syllidae: Polychaeta) taxocoenosis associated with Stypocaulon scoparium (Stypocaulaceae: Phaeophyceae) in the western Mediterranean
Authors: López Eduardo , Gallego Ramón
Published: January 2006

Between May of 2000 and July of 2001 a study aiming to determine the seasonal variation of syllid local population abundances was carried out. Samples were taken every second month and consisted of two replicates, each one being a quadrat 20 cm wide. After fixing, the samples were washed and the draining water was passed through a 1 mm sieve; then the syllids were identified and counted. For each replicate a number of ecological indexes were calculated, namely population density, number of species and Shannon's and Simpson's diversity indexes, computing mean values for each sample. In order to identify the most representative species of the taxocoenosis the Ci (constancy index, frequency of the species ranging from 0 to 1) and Di (dominance index, relative abundance ranging from 0 to 100 considering all the collected individuals) were computed for each one.

Analysis of the eight samples yielded 6548 individuals and 48 species belonging to the four subfamilies of Syllidae, of which Exogoninae and Syllinae were the most abundant and diverse. During the study period, the syllid taxocoenosis suffered dramatic changes. The abundance, that in May of 2000 was 33,375±775 individuals/m2, diminished to 2162.5±37.5 in September. After this date, the population density slowly increased. The number of present species evolved in a very similar way. Twelve species occurred in all the samples, although just six were abundant enough to yield Ci×Di products exceeding 5, thus being considered as good descriptors of the taxocoenosis. The variation of population density for most of these species more or less paralleled that of the total population of syllids. With regards to relative abundance, the taxocoenosis was always clearly dominated by Exogoninae species, especially by Salvatoria vieitezi, whose dominance scores always fluctuated around 45%. Syllis prolifera was the only important non-Exogoninae species in terms of dominance, although this parameter showed strong variation in this species.
Morphology and biology of Prionospio patagonica (Annelida: Spionidae) from Chile
Authors: Radashevsky Vasily I. , Díaz Mauricio , Bertrán Carlos
Published: January 2006

Prionospio patagonica inhabits temporary silty tubes intertidally and shallow subtidally in brackish water estuarine environments in southern Chile. The species is gonochoristic with the female:male ratio being close to 2:1. Females and males release gametes into water. Pelagic planktotrophic larvae were caught in the plankton in the River Valdivia estuary in October–November and in March. Development of the adult morphology is described and illustrated beginning from the 2-chaetiger larval stage. One pair of lateral eyes first appears in the early larva, and shortly after that the right median eye develops. The left median eye appears after settlement, in juveniles with 10–11 segments. Developed 6-segment larvae have three dark red eyes, short palps of equal length, no nototrochs, one pair of small cells with grasping cilia on the pygidium, a small ciliated pit, gastrotrochs on segments 2–6, long serrated bristles in notopodia, adult capillaries in noto- and neuropodia on segments 2–5, single hooks in both rami on segment 6, and one pair of provisional papillae on the pygidium. A ventral buccal bulb is present below the short oesophagus and two pairs of provisional protonephridia are present in segments 1 and 2. The wall of the anterior part of the midgut has a characteristic brown pigment. The 6-segment larvae, about 400 μm long, settle and undergo gradual metamorphosis. In adults, hooks are gradually lost from noto- and neuropodia but sabre chaetae appear from segment 7 and retain their anterior position as growth proceeds. Up to 14 pairs of cirriform branchiae develop from segment 2, and three adult cirri appear on the pygidium. The afferent and efferent arms of each branchial blood loop are interconnected by capillary loops. A greenish heart body is present in the main dorsal blood vessel in anterior segments. Up to 21 pairs of metanephridia develop in anterior sterile segments, beginning with segment 4. Transparent gonoducts are present in fertile segments.
A suitable model for the biomonitoring of trace metal bioavailabilities in estuarine sediments: the annelid polychaete Nereis diversicolor
Authors: Poirier Laurence , Berthet Brigitte , Amiard Jean-Claude , Jeantet Anne-Yvonne , Amiard-Triquet Claude
Published: January 2006

The need to use biomonitors representative of the sedimentary compartment has been recognized, particularly in estuaries. Thus, trace metal contamination has been monitored in an infaunal polychaete worm Nereis diversicolor and sediments in the Seine estuary and comparatively in the relatively clean Authie estuary (French coast of the English Channel) over two years taking samples every three months at both sites. No correlations were shown between total metal (Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) concentrations in raw sediments and ragworms. Because these worms are known to be good biomonitors of the bioavailabilities of sedimentary trace metals, it follows that total sediment metal concentrations have a poor predictive ecotoxicological value. Using a correction factor to minimize the influence of weight, it is possible to make a good estimation of the average metal concentrations in a population of worms at a given site, sampling only a limited number of specimens. Metallothioneins are often considered to be good biomarkers of the presence of significant availabilities of trace metals. Metallothionein-like proteins (MTLPs) are present in N. diversicolor, but there is no significant relationship between MTLPs and metal concentrations. This situation might result from the importance of metal-containing granules, both extra- and intracellular, in ragworms.
Polychaete communities associated with gastropod shells inhabited by the hermit crabs Clibanarius erythropus and Calcinus tubularis from Ibiza, Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Bick Andreas
Published: January 2006

Shells inhabited by hermit crabs are unique microhabitats with an abundant epi- and endofauna. Using polychaetes as an example, communities associated with the whelk Stramonita haemastoma, the hermit crabs Clibanarius erythropus and Calcinus tubularis, as well as empty, damaged shells were investigated. No polychaete community was associated with live S. haemastoma: only 30% of the investigated gastropods harboured polychaetes. Hermit crab-occupied shells supported polychaete communities dominated by Spirorbidae in the case of Clibanarius erythropus and by small Sabellidae, Spirobranchus polytrema and Dipolydora armata in Calcinus tubularis. The polychaete fauna associated with empty shells was similar to that on shells previously inhabited by one of the hermit crab species but different from those of the surrounding hard bottom. The reproductive strategy of the some polychaetes species is adapted to life on this small-sized habitat.
An illustrated key to species of Palaemon and Palaemonetes (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from European waters, including the alien species Palaemon macrodactylus
Authors: González-Ortegón Enrique , Cuesta José A.
Published: January 2006

A detailed illustrated key to the identification of the European species of the genera Palaemon and Palaemonetes is provided. This key has been elaborated taking into account recent changes in the species composition of both genera for European waters, such as the invalidity of Palaemon garciacidi, which is a synonym of P. longirostris, and the presence of an introduced species, Palaemon macrodactylus that has been recently recorded at different localities along the Atlantic coast. The key is based on external morphological characters to facilitate its use by non-specialists. Data on the coloration, habitat and distribution of all species are also given.
Reproduction and population dynamics of Leptochela gracilis (Decapoda: Pasiphaeidae) on the western coast of Korea, Yellow Sea
Authors: Oh C.W. , Kim J.Y. , Jeong I.J. , Suh H.L. , Cho Y.K.
Published: January 2006

Investigations were made on reproduction and population dynamics of Leptochela gracilis on the western coast of Korea, Yellow Sea, between May 2000 and October 2001. The egg volume was significantly larger at later egg stage than at early egg stage. Brood loss did not occur during the incubation period. Based on dry weight, the reproductive output (mass of incubating eggs/mass of female) averaged 0.18. The mature females first appeared in May, reached a peak in July and August, and then did not appear after September. The main breeding season was summer, although slightly different between the two years. A similar pattern could be found in monthly changes of gonadosomatic index (GSI), showing relatively higher GSI during the annual breeding season. A significant difference in ovarian dry weight between females with non-eyed eggs and eyed eggs indicates that ovarian maturation occurred during the embryonic development, suggesting that females were potentially consecutive breeders, capable of multiple spawning within a reproductive season. The size at which 50% of females were mature (CL50) was estimated as 7.63 mm carapace length. Females grew faster and reached a larger size at age than males (L∞=12.43 mm CL and K=0.90 y−1 for females, and L∞=12.22 mm CL and K=0.58 y−1 for males).
Extended parental care in a hermit crab of the genus Calcinus (Anomura: Diogenidae)
Authors: Calado Ricardo , Nogueira Natacha , dos Santos Antonina
Published: January 2006

The present work reports the existence of extended parental care in a hermit crab species of the genus Calcinus. The species shows a high energetic investment in egg production, only producing one to six large-sized eggs. The larval development is extremely abbreviated, with the larvae hatching at an advanced zoeal stage, a rather uncommon feature among marine and non-symbiotic decapods. The sequential moults end in a glaucothoe-type larval stage that is retained inside the female's host gastropod shell, probably in complete lecithotrophy. The high maternal reproductive investment displayed by this species is certainly maximized through the retention of juveniles until they enter a suitable gastropod shell, since it considerably reduces the chances of intra- or interspecific predation.
Presence of postlarval alvinocaridid shrimps over south-west Indian Ocean hydrothermal vents, with comparisons of the pelagic biomass at different vent sites
Authors: Herring Peter J.
Published: January 2006

Two types of alvinocaridid shrimp postlarvae were taken at plume depth over the Kairei and Edmond hydrothermal vent fields in the south-west Indian Ocean. These postlarvae were superficially indistinguishable from similar postlarvae taken previously over hydrothermal vents in the Atlantic. The micronekton invertebrate taxa in the water column over the Kairei and Edmond sites were similar to those in the Atlantic. The most frequently taken deep-water fish at Kairei was an unidentified cyemid snipe eel, whereas in the Atlantic its place was taken by Gonostoma bathyphilum and species of the melamphaeid Scopeloberyx. Previous sampling over East Pacific Rise hydrothermal sites at 13°N failed to take any alvinocaridid postlarvae, but the ostracod Gigantocypris agassizi was a major component of the micronekton.
Assemblages of the moulluscan fauna in subtidal soft bottoms of the Ría de Aldán (north-western Spain)
Authors: Lourido Antía , Gestoso Loreto , Troncoso Jesús S.
Published: January 2006

The composition and spatial distribution of the mollusc fauna on the subtidal soft bottoms of the Ría de Aldán (Galicia, north-western Spain) were studied by means of quantitative sampling and multivariate analyses. The faunal distribution was mainly conditioned by a sedimentary gradient that was defined by a decreasing grain size from the mouth towards the inner margins of the ría. Several assemblages were determined which could be defined according to the classic terms of ‘community’ and ‘facies’. A ‘Venus fasciata community’ and a ‘facies of Goodallia triangularis–Pisione parapari’ are present in coarser sandy sediments of the outer ría area. The communities characterized by ‘Venus gallina’ and ‘Tellina fabula–Tellina tenuis’ were found in the fine sand bottoms at the centre and margins of the ría. The shallower and muddier sediments in the inner ría showed a mix of typical species from the ‘Abra alba’ and the ‘Venus gallina’ communities, and in the Río Aldán's mouth could be distinguished a facies of a protected zone.
Scavenging behaviour by Ergalatax contractus (Gastropoda: Muricidae) and interactions with Nassarius nodifer (Gastropoda: Nassariidae) in the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong
Authors: Morton Brian
Published: January 2006

Aspects of the feeding behaviour of Ergalatax contractus (Muricidae) were studied. Field experiments demonstrated that large numbers of individuals of this species, comprising ∼90% of a suite of gastropod scavengers, were attracted to baited traps in the subtidal sands of Lobster Bay, Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong. Laboratory experiments identified the effective chemo-detection distances of E. contractus as 60 cm in still and >80 cm in flowing water, respectively. The average times to arrival at bait in still and flowing water were 92.3 and 69.0 min, respectively, but were significantly less for individuals experiencing a longer period of starvation. The mean time taken for E. contractus to consume a meal was 70.6 min.

Comparisons were made between Ergalatax contractus and Nassarius nodifer, representative of a suite of sympatric scavenging nassariids in Lobster Bay. The nassariid arrived significantly faster at bait in both still (30.2 min) and flowing water (20.8 min) than E. contractus and fed faster (25.7 min), as is typical of representatives of the Nassariidae. Although the two species partition carrion resources temporally, manipulation experiments provided evidence for inter-specific competition between them. That is, although E. contractus possesses the morphological and behavioural characteristics of a predator, its opportunistic scavenging abilities have led to its success and numerical superiority on the shallow subtidal sands of Lobster Bay. The dominance of E. contractus in Lobster Bay, and elsewhere in Hong Kong, is unusual. Here, the normally predatory E. contractus, far outnumbers all other scavengers, possibly because of an enhanced, largely allochthonous, supply of food which it is able to exploit by virtue of its previously identified opportunistic habit of scavenging the leftovers of other predators. The presence of inter-specific competition between E. contractus and a sympatric suite of nassariids enhances, not impedes, carrion exploitation.
Commercial oyster stocks as a potential source of larvae in the regeneration of Ostrea edulis in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland
Authors: Kennedy R.J. , Roberts D.
Published: January 2006

Ostrea edulis was extremely rare in the wild in Strangford Lough from the early 1900s until renewed spatfall was observed at a number of sites in the 1990s. A monitoring programme was undertaken to investigate the presence and distribution of planktonic oyster larvae at nine sites around the lough between June and September in 1997 and 1998 as a precursor to studies of spatfall patterns. Larval densities at sites in the northern basin of the lough were significantly higher than those in the southern basin where larvae were lacking or in low numbers. Densities and sizes of oyster larvae showed significant temporal variation suggesting pulsed larval release. Larval densities also showed significant spatial variation with higher densities at sites closer to commercial stocks pointing to these as the main source of oyster larvae. This hypothesis was supported during a larval flux study over a complete tidal cycle which indicated a 90% net tidal movement of O. edulis larvae from the entrance of the bay where commercial stocks were held to the main body of the lough. Thus the maintenance of dense commercial stocks of flat oysters may provide the key to the redevelopment of native oyster beds in Strangford Lough and elsewhere by providing an initial broodstock nucleus from which larvae can be exported.
A synthesis of the echinoderm fauna of the Maltese islands
Authors: Tanti Christine M. , Schembri Patrick J.
Published: January 2006

A review of existing literature records of echinoderms from Malta and a study of a large collection of specimens was carried out between 2000 and 2004 so as to update and produce a validated checklist of echinoderms occurring in Maltese waters. Seventy different species of echinoderms are recorded, including a number of species for which only single records exist for the Maltese islands and five species that were not found in the present study. The Maltese echinoderm fauna includes 45% of the 153 recorded Mediterranean echinoderm species, and apart from two aliens, is typical of the central Mediterranean region.
Movement patterns in the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis
Authors: Lauzon-Guay Jean-Sébastien , Scheibling Robert E. , Barbeau Myriam A.
Published: January 2006

Time-lapse video was used to record movement paths of Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis on a rocky bottom at 8 m depth, both at a grazing front and in recently formed barrens in the wake of the front. Urchins did not exhibit strong directionality in movement and we did not detect any differences in movement variables between the front and barrens. Density of conspecifics had a negative effect on the speed, move length (distance), and daily displacement of urchins, but did not significantly affect the proportion of time spent moving, the linearity index and the number of moves taken per day. The frequency distributions of turning angles between moves and steps were non-uniformly distributed, indicating directionality in individual paths. A correlated random walk model was used to predict the displacement of urchins through time and provided a good fit with observed data. Our results provide insight into the foraging behaviour of S. droebachiensis and are consistent with previous observations of small-scale movement in this species.
Sexual reproduction of the Prochloron-bearing ascidians, Trididemnum cyclops and Lissoclinum bistratum, in subtropical waters: seasonality and vertical transmission of photosymbionts
Authors: Hirose Euichi , Adachi Ryuma , Kuze Koji
Published: January 2006

The seasonality of sexual reproduction was studied in two Prochloron-bearing ascidians, Trididemnum cyclops and Lissoclinum bistratum, on a subtropical coral reef off Okinawajima Island, Japan. These colonial ascidians had testes and/or eggs/embryos from spring to summer. Embryos with tails occurred in summer. Whereas many photosymbiotic didemnids are thought to be sexually mature throughout the year in the tropics, sexual reproduction of the same species in subtropical waters may be limited to spring and summer. The subtropical winter may be too cold for gonad formation. A histological study of sexually mature colonies showed no Prochloron cells attached to ascidian larvae in the pre-hatch stage.
The non-indigenous ascidian Distaplia bermudensis in the Mediterranean: comparison with the native species Distaplia magnilarva and Distaplia lucillae sp. nov.
Authors: Mastrototaro F. , Brunetti R.
Published: January 2006

Three species of Distaplia from the Mediterranean are described: D. bermudensis is a species introduced from the western Atlantic Ocean, which principally differs from the native D. magnilarva in having hermaphroditic zooids. The new species D. lucillae differs from the preceding ones in the structure of its stomach wall which is regularly plicated both externally and internally. Distaplia lucillae has colonies with hermaphroditic, but only male ripe, zooids and exclusively female colonies; this is a condition closely related to D. magnilarva though different. A key to European Distaplia is provided.
Age and growth of coney (Cephalopholis fulva), from the central coast of Brazil
Authors: de Araujo Julio Neves , Martins Agnaldo Silva
Published: January 2006

Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) otoliths were collected from 1997 to 1999 off the central coast of Brazil. Analysis of the edges of otoliths sections suggests that one translucent and one opaque zone are formed once a year. Coney age and size-ranges were 2–25 years and 172–428 mm total length (TL) respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was TLt=316(1−e−0.138(t+5.301)). The maximum age observed in this study is well above that previously reported for coney.
Examining the importance of Aberdeenshire (UK) coastal waters for North Sea bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Authors: Stockin Karen A. , Weir Caroline R. , Pierce Graham J.
Published: January 2006

Using land- and vessel-based surveys, data on the relative abundance, distribution and habitat use of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Aberdeenshire waters were collected between 1999 and 2001. Bottlenose dolphins were present throughout the year, with peak abundance during the months of March to May. The occurrence of calves was seasonal, with the proportion of calves highest during the spring months. Foraging behaviour was recorded mainly in the vicinity of Aberdeen harbour. Dolphins photographed in Aberdeenshire waters were successfully matched and confirmed as Moray Firth animals. The results of the present study suggest that Moray Firth bottlenose dolphins utilize Aberdeenshire waters more frequently than previously reported. Aberdeen harbour is apparently an important feeding area, and Aberdeenshire waters are regularly used by mother–calf pairs. This has important management implications since this area of coastline does not currently form part of the designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for this population.
Psychological disposition and self-reported health among the ‘oldest-old’ in China
Authors: WU ZHENG , SCHIMMELE CHRISTOPH M.
Published: January 2006

This study contributes to our understanding of the ageing process by investigating whether particular psychological dispositions among older people are associated with healthy ageing. The study's objective is to further our knowledge about what constitutes ‘health’ for the ‘oldest-old’ (people aged 80 or more years) in China. It is recognised that apart from the absence of disease, good health is a subjective experience, and it is posited that self-reported health is associated with psychological disposition, or in other words, that an individual's personal attitudes, motivations, and beliefs condition their perception of health and illness. Using data from China's Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (1998 and 2000 waves), we examine whether psychological disposition in 1998 had an independent effect on self-reported health in 2000. The study is based on a stratified random sample of 4,366 people aged 80 or more years. After introducing controls for health status and socio-demographic variables, the multivariate, longitudinal results demonstrate that a robust psychological disposition was indeed associated with good short-term, self-reported health. The findings also illustrate that the effect differed by age, for the relationship was significant for octogenarians and nonagenarians but insignificant for centenarians. Data limitations prevented an empirical investigation of the processes that underlie the relationship between psychological disposition and self-reported health.
Identifying vulnerable older people: insights from Thailand
Authors: LLOYD-SHERLOCK PETER
Published: January 2006

This paper explores the usefulness of the ‘asset vulnerability framework’, as devised by Moser (1998), for assessing the economic wellbeing of older people living in poor rural and urban communities in Thailand. Gaining an accurate view of older people's material situation is essential for the development of policies that target the needs of older people in contexts of resource scarcity. The paper shows the limitations and potential biases of assessments based purely on reported income levels. It then sets out the key principles of the asset vulnerability framework, which seeks to combine information about exposure to different economic risks with the relative capacity to deal with them. Drawing on survey data, the paper maps resilience to economic risk, finding that the very old and those living in rural communities are in the most precarious position, whereas gender differences are less apparent. The asset vulnerability framework is then applied to specific forms of risk: catastrophic health expenditure and the death of a child caused by HIV/AIDS. Patterns of vulnerability revealed by the framework roughly accord with those revealed by reported income, but there are important differences, such as the size of the vulnerability gap between rural and urban populations. The framework provides a much fuller picture of why some groups of older people are in a more precarious economic situation than others. The paper recommends that future surveys draw on Moser's framework, and place emphasis on identifying the risks that older people consider most important.
Old-age vulnerability, ill-health and care support in urban areas of Indonesia
Authors: VAN EEUWIJK PETER
Published: January 2006

The epidemiological health transition in Indonesia has lead to a substantial ageing of its population and a rapid increase in the prevalence of chronic progressive illnesses in advanced age that, in most cases, require some sort of care. This shift from ‘cure’ to ‘care’ necessitates new paradigms in both health-care delivery and research on older people in less-developed countries. Care involves both attitudes and practice, and is a dynamic interaction between giver and recipient. The vulnerability of frail older people is strongly related to the resources, capability and willingness of kin and non-kin to act as care-givers for extended periods. Normative filial piety and kinship obligations are no longer undisputed. This paper reports a study of the care and support received by chronically ill older people in urban areas of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The majority rely on close family members, most often a wife or a daughter (or both), to provide treatment, care and support. The main care activities are support with ‘activities of daily living’ and therapies for specific illnesses. Care-givers experience manifold burdens when providing care for frail older people, and tend to reduce their support as the severity and duration of their relative's illness increases. It is shown that an older person's vulnerability to inadequate care provision, or its withdrawal, is associated with marital status and gender (unmarried women and widows being most at risk), poverty, weak support networks, and having care-givers who are themselves vulnerable.
Understanding vulnerabilities in old age
Authors: SCHRÖDER-BUTTERFILL ELISABETH , MARIANTI RULY
Published: January 2006

Understanding vulnerability matters because being vulnerable represents a profoundly undesirable state. People who experience vulnerability in old age are of obvious humanitarian concern, as their insecurity and heightened exposure to certain threats is likely to be compounded by reduced capacities for coping independently. Comprehension of the causes and consequences of vulnerability is important for the development of social policies as it indicates ways of avoiding and alleviating bad outcomes. Policies which have the concept of vulnerability at their heart encourage the development of preventive and targeted measures, which is crucial in conditions of financial constraints and competing demands. By studying vulnerability we investigate processes of relative disadvantage or exclusion and, for purposes of comparison, absolute differences in socio-economic or policy context can be set aside. This makes the study of vulnerability particularly germane to cross-cultural and cross-national research on old-age and elderly support.
Migration, social structure and old-age support networks: a comparison of three Indonesian communities
Authors: KREAGER PHILIP
Published: January 2006

Contemporary trends in population ageing and urbanisation in the developing world imply that the extensive out-migration of young people from rural areas coincides with, and is likely to exacerbate, a rise in the older share of the rural population. This paper examines the impact of migration on vulnerability at older ages by drawing on the results of anthropological and demographic field studies in three Indonesian communities. The methodology for identifying vulnerable older people has a progressively sharper focus, beginning first with important differences between the communities, then examining variations by socio-economic strata, and finally the variability of older people's family networks. Comparative analysis indicates considerable heterogeneity in past and present migration patterns, both within and between villages. The migrants' contributions are a normal and important component of older people's support, often in combination with those of local family members. Higher status families are commonly able to reinforce their position by making better use of migration opportunities than the less advantaged. Although family networks in the poorer strata may effect some redistribution of the children's incomes, their social networks are smaller and insufficient to overcome their marked disadvantages. Vulnerability thus arises where several factors, including migration histories, result in unusually small networks, and when the migrations are within rural areas.
A framework for understanding old-age vulnerabilities
Authors: SCHRÖDER-BUTTERFILL ELISABETH , MARIANTI RULY
Published: January 2006

Identifying vulnerable older people and understanding the causes and consequences of their vulnerability is of human concern and an essential task of social policy. To date, vulnerability in old age has mainly been approached by identifying high risk groups, like the poor, childless, frail or isolated. Yet vulnerability is the outcome of complex interactions of discrete risks, namely of being exposed to a threat, of a threat materialising, and of lacking the defences or resources to deal with a threat. In this article, we review approaches to vulnerability in various disciplines in order to develop a systematic framework for approaching vulnerability. This framework distinguishes and examines the interactions among the domains of exposure, threats, coping capacities and outcomes. Drawing on European and Asian gerontological literature, we discuss what might be meant by these domains and their place in the understanding of vulnerability in old age. Two case studies are presented – one on homelessness in Britain, the other on familial care provision in Indonesia – to illustrate the ways in which specific vulnerabilities are created and distributed over the lifecourse.
Ageing and vulnerable elderly people: European perspectives
Authors: GRUNDY EMILY
Published: January 2006

This paper considers the processes and circumstances that create vulnerability among older people, specifically to a very poor quality of life or an untimely or degrading death. Models of ageing processes are used to define vulnerable older people as those whose reserve capacity falls below the threshold needed to cope successfully with the challenges they face. Compensatory supports may intervene to mitigate the effects of challenges and to rebuild reserve. The dimensions of reserve, challenges and compensation are discussed, with emphasis on demographic and other influences on the availability of family and social support. Policy initiatives to reduce vulnerability can focus on each part of the dynamic process that creates vulnerability, namely, ensuring that people reach later life with ‘reserve’, reducing the challenges they face in later life, and providing adequate compensatory supports. The promotion through the lifecourse of healthy lifestyles and the acquisition of coping skills, strong family and social ties, active interests, and savings and assets, will develop reserves and ensure that they are strong in later life. Some of the physical and psychological challenges that people may face as they age cannot be modified, but others can. Interventions to develop compensatory supports include access to good acute care and rehabilitation when needed, substitute professional social and psychological help in times of crisis, long-term help and income support. Our knowledge of which interventions are most effective is however limited by the paucity of rigorous evaluation studies.