bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phytoplankton nutrient status and mean water column irradiance in Lakes Malawi and Superior
Authors: Guildford S.J. , Bootsma H.A. , Fee E.J. , Hecky R.E. , Patterson G.
Published: November 2008

Phytoplankton growth in Lake Malawi was moderately nitrogen and phosphorus-deficient according to indicators of phytoplankton nutrient status (particulate C:N, C:P, N:P composition ratios, nitrogen and phosphorus debt assays) and occasionally light-deficient during the period of deepest mixing (July and August). Phytoplankton in Lake Superior was light-deficient during most of the year because of the deeply mixed water column. However, during the stratified period when the mean water column irradiance increased, phytoplankton in Lake Superior became severely phosphorus-deficient according to the same nutrient status indicators used in Lake Malawi as well as alkaline phosphatase activity. Specific rates of carbon uptake normalized to particulate carbon, calculated from photosynthesis at optimum light, were on average three times greater in Lake Malawi than in Lake Superior. We calculated that nitrogen and phosphorus inputs from rivers and precipitation supplied < 15% of the demand for these elements due to photosynthesis for both Lake Malawi and Lake Superior and could not explain the observed difference in phytoplankton nutrient status or specific rate of carbon uptake normalized to particulate carbon. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus supplied in Lake Malawi is lower and closer to Redfield ratios than that in Lake Superior. We speculate that the more balanced supply ratio of these nutrients, combined with higher rates of internal regeneration in the warmer deeper mixed layer of Lake Malawi, result in phytoplankton that is less nutrient-deficient and has higher specific rates of carbon uptake normalized to particulate carbon than Lake Superior.
Numerical simulation of wind-driven circulation in Lake Tanganyika
Authors: Podsetchine V. , Huttula T.
Published: November 2008

A three-dimensional numerical circulation model of Lake Tanganyika, developed within the Lake Tanganyika Research Project (LTR-FAO/FINNIDA) is described. The model is based on full non-linear hydrodynamics equations, modified according to hydrostatic and Boussinesq approximations. A space-splitting scheme is used for numerical approximation of governing equations. Numerical experiments with different wind loading revealed the rather complicated flow structure in Lake Tanganyika.

Data for model validation have been collected since May 1993. Main hydrological and meteorological parameters such as water level, wind speed and direction, air temperature, humidity and water temperature are recorded with automatic devices. A simple Lagrangian approach with floating buoys and GPS system is used for current measurements.

The obtained surface velocities in different locations lake-wide were compared with the calculated surface currents. Agreement between measured and simulated velocities was satisfactory. Accuracy of the simulations depends on the accuracy of the wind forcing reconstruction. Regular strong winds are observed over Lake Tanganyika during the dry season, a period of trade winds that starts at the end of May and lasts until late August or early September. Numerical experiments with a mesoscale meteorological model (Savijärvi, H., 1995. Sea breeze effects on large–scale atmospheric flow. Contr. Atmos. Phys. 68 335–344) showed that the lake-land breeze system is intensified during this period.

The collected data and the numerical experiments with the circulation model provide a solid base for understanding the main hydrophysical processes on a lake-wide scale. Important knowledge has also been obtained on the spatial and temporal dynamics of currents.
Instream flow assessments for regulated rivers in South Africa using the Building Block Methodology
Authors: King J. , Louw D.
Published: November 2008

The demand for water from South Africa’s growing population is creating an ever-increasing pressure on the country’s rivers. The urgent need to provide more water services often conflicts with the desire to maintain or improve the ecological condition of the rivers. To provide guidance on the sustainable use of a river’s water-resources, the Building Block Methodology (BBM) has been developed for assessing the instream flow requirement for any river. Development has been done jointly over the last five years by the national Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and river scientists, and the accent is on identifying a complex of different magnitude flows for maintenance of entire river ecosystems. The BBM caters for the almost universal reality in South Africa of having rapidly to provide scientific guidance on such flows for a river in cases where biological data and understanding of the functioning of the river are limited. However, the methodology works equally well in data-rich situations. The BBM depends on available knowledge and expert opinion, gleaned from experienced river scientists in a structured workshop process. Limited new data of a specific nature are gathered to facilitate the process. Relevant data on the river are prepared in a way that workshop participants can easily understand and quickly begin to use. Scientists typically involved in the workshop, all with specific roles, are those with specialist knowledge of the river or similar rivers in terms of the fish, aquatic invertebrates, riparian vegetation, river importance, habitat integrity, fluvial geomorphology, local hydraulics, water chemistry and social dependence on the riverine ecosystem. Hydrological and hydraulic modelers provide data inputs and facilitate the workshop process by answering questions and producing additional data as requested. The workshop output, reached by consensus, is a quantitative description in space and time of a flow regime that should facilitate maintenance of the river ecosystem in some pre-determined desired future state. Information from a BBM workshop is used by DWAF in the Planning phase of a proposed water-resource development. Further development of the BBM, to extend it into the Design, Construction and Operation phases, has been initiated. This includes linking with a public participation process, input into design of the scheme, base-line studies of the river and subsequent monitoring to assess the efficacy of the recommended flow regime.
Overview and characterization of the hydrology and primary producer communities of selected coastal lagoons of Yucatán, México
Authors: Herrera-Silveira Jorge A. , R. Javier Ramírez , J. Arturo Zaldivar
Published: November 2008

The major hydrological characteristics of the coastal lagoons of Yucatán and their relationship with the space-time pattern of the primary producer communities are described. The weather patterns in the region play an important role in the seasonal changes of nutrient inputs, which are related to the groundwater discharges. The fluctuations of the mean sea level in response to freshwater discharges and frontal systems influenced the differences observed in the residence time of water, which could play an important role in the accumulation of toxic substances from sewage discharges and biological metabolism. The spatial distribution of primary producers was heterogeneous with high biomass production in the middle zone of the lagoons. The dominant group in each system changed seasonally in response to the coupling between external forces and their life cycles; however, the submerged macrophytes might be the principal group in these shallow aquatic ecosystems. The mangrove vegetation experienced strong differences in their structural development which could be used as a signal of the impacts observed in the area. Though there is no river in the region, the mangrove vegetation was well represented in the North Coast and irregular freshwater inputs favored the dispersion of this community. However, because the seasonality of these freshwater inputs did not show a better structure, their contribution to total primary production should be limited in some areas to a specific period of the year. The heterogeneity observed in the hydrology and primary producer communities suggested a high diversity and the existence of different food webs that offer various potential uses. However, for adequate management polices, these uses must be planned considering the space-time pattern of the hydrology and primary producers.
Epipelic diatoms from the Matanza-Riachuelo river (Argentina), a highly polluted basin from the pampean plain: biotic indices and multivariate analysis
Authors: Gómez N.
Published: November 2008

During the fall and winter of 1995, ninety-two samples were collected from twenty-three sampling stations in the Matanza-Riachuelo river basin. Epipelic diatoms and physico-chemical parameters were studied to establish water quality. Ecological methodologies (species richness, diversity and saprobity indices and multivariate analysis) were employed to assess the impact of the pollution on diatom assemblages. Suspended solids, biological and chemical oxygen demands increased downstream, and dissolved oxygen, pH and transparency increased upstream. Conductivity was variable. This fluvial system is affected by organic and inorganic pollutants, many of them toxic. The presence of heavy metals, phenols, pesticides, hydrocarbons among other chemicals, mostly account for the impoverishment of the diatom assemblages of the basin, thus leading to changes in assemblages structure. Changes in water quality were better reflected by species richness, diversity indices and by principal component analysis than pollution indices in this basin.
Exemptionalism vs environmentalism: the crucial debate on the value of ecosystem health
Authors: Cairns J.
Published: November 2008

The concept of exemptionalism holds that human society is exempt from the biophysical laws that control other species because of human ingenuity, technology, creativity and economic systems. Some economists believe that resource depletion is irrelevant because alternative resources will be developed if there is enough demand backed by money. A related statement is that any problem created by technology can be resolved by technology. Within these frames of reference, ecosystem health is of minor, arguably no, importance to the exemptionalist.

The concept of environmentalism views Homo sapiens as just another biological species that is tightly controlled by biophysical laws, but which is able to modify the biophysical laws more than other species. This view acknowledges human society's dependence on ecological life support systems and the services they provide and assumes that the well-being of human society is closely linked with the health of natural systems. Only within the later framework will ecosystem health be a major concern of human society.
Practices and Attitudes of Surgeons Toward the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections: A Provincial Survey in Alberta, Canada
Authors: Davis Philip J. B. , Spady Donald , Gara Chris de , Forgie Sarah E. D.
Published: November 2008

We surveyed 589 surgeons in Alberta, Canada, about the prevention of surgical site infections and compared their practices to the recommendations of evidence-based guidelines. Of the 247 (42%) who responded, most (156 [63%]) were not in compliance with guideline recommendations for preoperative bathing, hair removal, antimicrobial prophylaxis, or intraoperative skin preparation (although 91 [37%] state they are following guidelines).
Mechanisms and evolution of hypoxia tolerance in fish
Authors: Mandic Milica , Todgham Anne E , Richards Jeffrey G
Published: November 2008

The ability of an organism to acquire O2from its environment is key to survival and can play an important role in dictating a species' ecological distribution. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to show a tight, phylogenetically independent correlation between hypoxia tolerance, traits involved in dictating O2extraction capacity and the distribution of a group of closely related fish species, sculpins from the family Cottidae, along the nearshore marine environment. Sculpins with higher hypoxia tolerance, measured as low critical O2tensions (Pcrit), inhabit the O2variable intertidal zones, while species with lower hypoxia tolerance inhabit the more O2stable subtidal zone or freshwater. Hypoxia tolerance is phylogenetically independently associated with an enhanced O2extraction capacity, with three principal components accounting for 75 per cent of the variation inPcrit: routine O2consumption rate; mass-specific gill surface area; and whole blood haemoglobin (Hb)–O2-binding affinity (P50). Variation in whole blood Hb–O2P50is strongly correlated with the intrinsic O2-binding properties of the purified Hb while the differences in the concentration of the allosteric Hb modulators, ATP and GTP, provide a Hb system with substantial plasticity for survival in a highly O2variable environment.
Computer vision, camouflage breaking and countershading
Authors: Tankus Ariel , Yeshurun Yehezkel
Published: November 2008

Camouflage is frequently used in the animal kingdom in order to conceal oneself from visual detection or surveillance. Many camouflage techniques are based on masking the familiar contours and texture of the subject by superposition of multiple edges on top of it. This work presents an operator,Darg, for the detection of three-dimensional smooth convex (or, equivalently, concave) objects. It can be used to detect curved objects on a relatively flat background, regardless of image edges, contours and texture. We show that a typical camouflage found in some animal species seems to be a ‘countermeasure’ taken against detection that might be based on our method. Detection byDargis shown to be very robust, from both theoretical considerations and practical examples of real-life images.
Camouflage and visual perception
Authors: Troscianko Tom , Benton Christopher P , Lovell P. George , Tolhurst David J , Pizlo Zygmunt
Published: November 2008

How does an animal conceal itself from visual detection by other animals? This review paper seeks to identify general principles that may apply in this broad area. It considers mechanisms of visual encoding, of grouping and object encoding, and of search. In most cases, the evidence base comes from studies of humans or species whose vision approximates to that of humans. The effort is hampered by a relatively sparse literature on visual function in natural environments and with complex foraging tasks. However, some general constraints emerge as being potentially powerful principles in understanding concealment—a ‘constraint’ here means a set of simplifying assumptions. Strategies that disrupt the unambiguous encoding of discontinuities of intensity (edges), and of other key visual attributes, such as motion, are key here. Similar strategies may also defeat grouping and object-encoding mechanisms. Finally, the paper considers how we may understand the processes of search for complex targets in complex scenes. The aim is to provide a number of pointers towards issues, which may be of assistance in understanding camouflage and concealment, particularly with reference to how visual systems can detect the shape of complex, concealed objects.
Order–disorder character and twinning in the structure of a new synthetic titanosilicate: (Ba,Sr)4Ti6Si4O24·H2O
Authors: Cadoni Marcella , Bloise Andrea , Ferraris Giovanni , Merlino Stefano
Published: November 2008

Prismatic crystals of the title compound, up to 100 µm long and {001} twinned by metric merohedry, were obtained as a side-product of a hydrothermal run devoted to synthesizing the heterophyllosilicate lamprophyllite. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were collected on a Bruker-AXS Smart Apex diffractometer from a crystal with approximate composition (Ba0.80Sr0.20)4Ti6Si4O24·H2O. The structure was solved and refined as a disordered structure in the space group Cmmm [a
o = 5.906 (2), b
o = 20.618 (8), c
o = 16.719 (6) Å, R = 0.089 for 682 reflections with I
o > 2σ(I
o)], and then deciphered by the order–disorder (OD) theory as an ordered structure and refined in the space group P2/c [a = 5.906, b = 16.719, c = 10.724 Å, β = 105.99°, R = 0.083 for 1090 reflections with I
o > 2σ(I
o)]. The discussion based on the OD theory shows that the refined ordered structure corresponds to one (2M) of two maximum degree of order (MDO) polytypes. The structure of the second MDO polytype (4O) was modelled but not refined because it does not substantially occur in our sample. In the structure, infinite (001) ribbons of Ti octahedra elongated along the [100] direction are connected by (SiO3)4 four-membered rings, thus realising a new type of heteropolyhedral framework. The ribbons are three-octahedra wide and one-octahedron thick; they are formed by linking, via edge-sharing, rutile-type edge-sharing rows of octahedra. This ribbon represents a slice of the octahedral sheet that occurs in perrierite-(Ce), Ce4MgFe2Ti2O8(Si2O7)2. The (Ba,Sr) ions are hosted within two independent [100] narrow channels both delimited by four Ti octahedra and four Si tetrahedra. The disorder of H2O is discussed on the basis of a Raman spectrum.
Peripheral blood CD27+ IgG+ B cells rapidly proliferate and differentiate into immunoglobulin‐secreting cells after exposure to low CD154 interaction
Authors: Fecteau Jessie F. , Roy Annie , Néron Sonia
Published: November 2008

In vitro CD40 stimulation of human B cells isolated from lymphoid organs is dominated by memory B cells undergoing faster proliferation and higher differentiation than naive B cells. In contrast, we previously reported that blood memory B cells mainly differentiate into immunoglobulin‐secreting cells in response to CD40 stimulation. However, variations in CD40–CD154 interaction are now recognized to influence B‐cell fate. In this study, we have compared the in vitro response of blood CD27− and CD27− IgG− to CD27+ and CD27+ IgG+ B cells following low‐density exposure to CD154 in the presence of a mixture of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), IL‐4 and IL‐10. The evolution of these cell populations was monitored during initiation and following long‐term stimulation. Over a 5‐day period, CD27+ B cells underwent differentiation into immunoglobulin‐secreting cells more readily than CD27− cells, and CD27+ IgG+ B cells gave rise to a near homogeneous population of CD19+ CD27++ CD38+ IgGlo cells capable of high immunoglobulin G (IgG) secretion. During the same period, CD27− IgG− B cells partially became CD19++ CD27− CD38− IgG++ cells but showed no IgG secretion. Long‐term stimulation revealed that CD27+ IgG+ B cells retained a high expansion capacity and could maintain their momentum towards differentiation over naive B cells. In addition, long‐term stimulation was driving CD27− IgG− and total CD19+ B cells to evolve into similar CD27+ and CD27− subsets, suggesting naive homeostatic proliferation. Overall, these results tend to reconcile memory B cells from blood and lymphoid organs regarding their preferential differentiation capacity compared to naive cells, and further suggest that circulating memory IgG+ cells may be intrinsically prone to rapid activation upon appropriate stimulation.
Genetic integrity of sympatric hybridising plant species: the case ofOrchis italicaandO. anthropophora
Authors: Pellegrino G. , Bellusci F. , Musacchio A.
Published: November 2008

Plant species diversification entails the action of reproductive barriers, which are severely challenged when related species grow in contact and form hybrid progeny.Orchis italicaandO. anthropophoraare two related orchid species that produce a known hybrid form,O. xbivonae. Here, we analysed a hybrid zone of these two orchids using molecular analysis and experimental crosses. As molecular tools, we employed both real‐time PCR and PCR amplification of nuclear markers to evaluate the occurrence of backcross recombination. With these approaches, we demonstrated that all examined hybrids belong to the F1generation. Chloroplast DNA analysis showed thatO. anthropophorawas the maternal species of most of hybrid specimens and that cytoplasmic introgression was lacking in both parental species. Pollination experiments showed that the two orchid species were strictly out‐crossing, although self‐compatible, and have comparable levels of reproductive fitness in all crossing treatments. Conversely, hybrids demonstrated low reproductive success in all intra‐ and back‐crossing treatments. The absence of any backcross generations and plastid introgression suggest thatO. xbivonaedoes not represent a bridge to gene flow betweenO. italicaandO. anthropophora.Indeed, the low hybrid fitness testifies to the effectiveness of late post‐zygotic barriers occurring between the parental species.
Phylogenetic and transcriptional analysis of a strictosidine synthase‐like gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals involvement in plant defence responses
Authors: Sohani M. M. , Schenk P. M. , Schultz C. J. , Schmidt O.
Published: November 2008

Protein domains with similarity to plant strictosidine synthase‐like (SSL) sequences have been uncovered in the genomes of all multicellular organisms sequenced so far and are known to play a role in animal immune responses. Among several distinct groups of Arabidopsis thaliana SSL sequences, four genes (AtSSL4–AtSSL7) arranged in tandem on chromosome 3 show more similarity to SSL genes from Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans than to other Arabidopsis SSL genes. To examine whether any of the four AtSSL genes are immune‐inducible, we analysed the expression of each of the four AtSSL genes after exposure to microbial pathogens, wounding and plant defence elicitors using real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR, Northern blot hybridisation and Western blot analysis with antibodies raised against recombinant AtSSL proteins. While the AtSSL4 gene was constitutively expressed and not significantly induced by any treatment, the other three AtSSL genes were induced to various degrees by plant defence signalling compounds, such as salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate and ethylene, as well as by wounding and exposure to the plant pathogens Alternaria brassicicola and cucumber mosaic virus. Our data demonstrate that the four SSL‐coding genes are regulated individually, suggesting specific roles in basal (SSL4) and inducible (SSL5‐7) plant defence mechanisms.
Variation in gametophyte dominance in populations of Chondrus verrucosus (Gigartinaceae, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Bellgrove Alecia , Aoki Masakazu N.
Published: November 2008

We describe the abundance, including spatial and temporal variability, of phases of the isomorphic Chondrus verrucosus Mikami from Japan. Chondrus verrucosus occurred in a dense (∼90% cover) and temporally stable bed on a small, isolated rocky outcrop (Oyakoiwa) in Shizuoka Prefecture. Small vegetative fronds were always much more abundant than large vegetative and fertile fronds over the spring to late summer periods in 1999 and 2000. Over the same period, fertile carposporophytic fronds were generally more abundant than fertile tetrasporophytic fronds, and fertile male fronds appeared infrequently at low densities. Using the resorcinol‐acetal test, we determined the proportion of gametophytes and tetrasporophytes in three populations of C. verrucosus: Oyakoiwa and Noroshi (Shizuoka) in the summers of 1999 and 2000 and Kamehana Point (Miyagi) in autumn 2000. All populations had a significantly higher proportion of gametophytes than tetrasporophytes in both years, although gametophytic proportions were lower at Noroshi (∼70%) than at Oyakoiwa (∼80%) and Kamehana Point (∼97%). However, examination of all isolated individuals sampled on Noroshi showed equal proportions of each phase in 1999, but gametophyte dominance (74%) in 2000. Differences in dispersal and spore production between phases are discussed as mechanisms potentially contributing to variation in gametophyte dominance.
Arteries of the scrotum: a microvascular study and its application to urethral reconstruction with scrotal flaps
Authors: Carrera Anna , Gil‐Vernet Alfredo , Forcada Pau , Morro Rosa , Llusa Manuel , Arango Octavio
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVE

To study scrotal microvascularization and apply the findings to the design of reliable skin flaps for reconstructive surgery of complex urethral or panurethral stenoses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 15 cryopreserved male cadavers, scrotal skin vascularization was explored using macro‐ and microdissections, and the scrotal sac made transparent using the Spalteholtz method. A meticulous descriptive analysis of the arterial network was conducted out in all cases to evaluate the number, distribution and anastomosis of the cutaneous arteries of the scrotum.

RESULTS

Scrotal skin is irrigated by two main vascular systems, through the inferior external pudendal arteries and the perineal arteries, which branch into multiple scrotal arteries. These arteries are distributed in three cutaneous territories, two lateral and one central, which are widely inter‐anastomosed. Each lateral territory receives an inferior external pudendal artery which accesses at the midpoint of the scrotal root and fans out to cover the entire corresponding hemiscrotum. The central cutaneous territory is vascularized through the branches of two main scrotal arteries which are a continuation of the perineal arteries and which access via the posterior face, running deeply on both sides of the septum.

CONCLUSIONS

The special anatomical distribution of scrotal branches stemming from perineal arteries enables the construction of adequate reliable longitudinal median island scrotal flaps for the reconstructive surgery of panurethral stenosis, as profuse axial vascularization is ensured.
INTRODUCTION TO GEORGIAN MORPHOLOGY AND SIMPLE SENTENCE STRUCTURES
Authors: Vamling Karina
Published: November 2008

The aim of this sketch is to provide the reader who is not familiar with Georgian with a brief introduction to Georgian grammatical structures and to illustrate some of the specific features of Georgian that are dealt with in some of the articles in this volume.
A NOTE ON SYNONYMIC PARALLELISM AND BILINGUALISM*
Authors: Boeder Winfried
Published: November 2008

Synonym pairs like Caxton'scherité pat is luve,Georgiantatbiri da gamorĉeva‘counsel (Arabic) and advice (Georgian)’ andbed‐ivbali‘fate (Georgian)‐fate (Arabic)’ are found both in the bilingual speech of children and adults and in the monolingual usage of many cultures. Starting their life as the metalinguistic device of translation and nativization in bilingual contact, they soon can be identified with independently motivated forms of reinforcement, e. g. in medieval Georgian poetry. This functional reinterpretation leads to the dominance of other language functions in the Jakobsonian sense. Formally, the transition from a metalinguistic to a predominantly referential function via other functions is accompanied by a preference for neutral expressions (likecounsel and advice),and the last stage is reached when synonym pairs are lexicalized as compounds or binomials.
ON WORD PAIRS EXPRESSING SPACIAL AND TEMPORAL ORIENTATION
Authors: Abuladze Lia
Published: November 2008

In modern Georgian there exist pairs of words‐antonyms which designate spacial as well as temporal orientations: çin (a) ‘front’‐ukan (a) ‘back’ and zevit ‘up’‐kvevit ‘down’. Semantic analysis of these words has shown, that even while designating spacial (consequently, visual) orientation, they can be used with different meanings depending on the speaker's point of view, thus explaining the relativity of the designated notions. While designating temporal orientation, temporal and locative meanings of these words influence each other mutually which sometimes leads to misinterpretation.
ON ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES IN SCANDINAVIAN AND OTHER LANGUAGES*
Authors: Delsing Lars‐Olof
Published: November 2008

Abstract. In this paper I discuss possible structural analyses of attributive adjectives. I agrue that attributive adjectives should be given the same basic structure as predicative adjectives. Attributive adjectives are analysed as lexical heads, taking the noun as its right hand specifier. I show that this analysis, the SpecA‐analysis, can account for a wide range of data concerning attributive adjectives. The paper addresses questions such as adjectival agreement, independently used adjectives, blocking effects caused by ajectives, head‐movement of adjectives, and binding relations within the adjectival phrase.
Ecological niche modelling as a technique for assessing threats and setting conservation priorities for Asian slow lorises (Primates: Nycticebus)
Authors: Thorn J. S. , Nijman V. , Smith D. , Nekaris K. A. I.
Published: November 2008

Aim  Data on geographical ranges are essential when defining the conservation status of a species, and in evaluating levels of human disturbance. Where locality data are deficient, presence‐only ecological niche modelling (ENM) can provide insights into a species’ potential distribution, and can aid in conservation planning. Presence‐only ENM is especially important for rare, cryptic and nocturnal species, where absence is difficult to define. Here we applied ENM to carry out an anthropogenic risk assessment and set conservation priorities for three threatened species of Asian slow loris (Primates: Nycticebus).

Location  Borneo, Java and Sumatra, Southeast Asia.

Methods  Distribution models were built using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) ENM. We input 20 environmental variables comprising temperature, precipitation and altitude, along with species locality data. We clipped predicted distributions to forest cover and altitudinal data to generate remnant distributions. These were then applied to protected area (PA) and human land‐use data, using specific criteria to define low‐, medium‐ or high‐risk areas. These data were analysed to pinpoint priority study sites, suitable reintroduction zones and protected area extensions.

Results  A jackknife validation method indicated highly significant models for all three species with small sample sizes (n = 10 to 23 occurrences). The distribution models represented high habitat suitability within each species’ geographical range. High‐risk areas were most prevalent for the Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) on Java, with the highest proportion of low‐risk areas for the Bornean slow loris (N. menagensis) on Borneo. Eighteen PA extensions and 23 priority survey sites were identified across the study region.

Main conclusions  Discriminating areas of high habitat suitability lays the foundations for planning field studies and conservation initiatives. This study highlights potential reintroduction zones that will minimize anthropogenic threats to animals that are released. These data reiterate the conclusion of previous research, showing MaxEnt is a viable technique for modelling species distributions with small sample sizes.
Zivilmacht Europa1: a critical geopolitics of the European Union as a global power
Authors: Bachmann Veit , Sidaway James D
Published: November 2008

The EU's global role is the focus of much media, political and scholarly commentary. This paper explores how ideas associated with the term ‘civilian power’ became an enduring geopolitical conception for an integrated Europe as a significant global actor. It traces their evolution from the early 1970s, whereby in 1972 François Duchêne (Anglo‐Swiss scholar, journalist and advisor to Jean Monnet) introduced a vision of the European Community as a civilian power, just before the first enlargement of the Community and at a moment of geopolitical and geoeconomic turbulence associated with a sense of faltering American hegemony. Narratives about civilian power have subsequently been reworked and revitalised in the context of further European Union enlargement and challenges from American neo‐conservatism. In these contexts, this paper critically scrutinises the range of meanings associated with civilian power and their relations to other claims and visions of what it means to be a great power.
Three‐dimensional analyses of ultrasonic scaler oscillations
Authors: Lea Simon C. , Felver Bernhard , Landini Gabriel , Walmsley A. Damien
Published: November 2008

Background: It is stated that the oscillation patterns of dental ultrasonic scalers are dependent upon whether the instrument is of a magnetostrictive or piezoelectric design. These patterns are then linked to differences in root surface debridement in vitro.

Material and Methods: Piezoelectric (A, P) and magnetostrictive (Slimline, TFI‐3) ultrasonic scalers (three of each) were evaluated, loaded (100 g/200 g) and unloaded with a 3D laser vibrometer. Loads were applied to the probe tips via teeth mounted in a load‐measuring device.

Results: Elliptical motion was demonstrated for all probes under loaded and unloaded conditions. Loading flattened the elliptical motion along the length of the probe. Unloaded, Slimline tip 1 was significantly different to tips 2 and 3 (p<0.0001). There were no differences between the A‐tips (p>0.207). All TFI‐3 tips were different to each other (p<0.0001). P‐tips 1 and 2 were different to each other (p=0.046). Loaded, Slimline tips were different to each other (p<0.001). There were no differences between the P probes (p>0.867). Generator power increased all Slimline and P tip vibrations (p<0.0001).

Conclusions: Probe oscillation patterns are independent of ultrasound production mechanism and are dependent upon probe shape and generator power. Loaded probes oscillated with an elliptical pattern.
IL‐6−174 genotype associated with the extent of periodontal disease in type 1 diabetic subjects
Authors: Raunio Taina , Knuuttila Matti , Hiltunen Liisa , Karttunen Riitta , Vainio Olli , Tervonen Tellervo
Published: November 2008

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether genetic polymorphism in certain cytokine and receptor molecule genes and diabetic status associate with the extent of periodontal disease in type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Material and Methods: Eighty patients with type 1 DM participated. Visible plaque, bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PD) and attachment level (AL) were examined clinically and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were used to assess the glycemic control of DM. CD‐14, IL‐6, TNF‐α, IL‐10, IL‐1α, IL‐1β and TLR‐4 gene polymorphisms were studied using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results: The 3‐year HbA1c was good (<7.5%) in 16%, acceptable (7.5–8.5%) in 36% and poor (>8.5%) in 48% of the subjects. IL‐6−174 genotype and 3‐year GHbA1c associated significantly with BOP and PD4 mm, subjects with the GG genotype of the IL‐6−174 exhibiting more severe periodontal disease than those with the GC/CC genotype. After stratification by IL‐6 genotype, associations between the extent of periodontal disease and 3‐year HbA1c levels remained significant in subjects carrying the GC/CC but not the GG genotype.

Conclusions: In addition to the HbA1c level, the IL‐6−174 genotype is a significant susceptibility factor for periodontal disease among type 1 diabetics.
Differential effects of exogenous L-glutamine, L-glutamic acid, sodium glutamate, and casamino acids on glutamine synthetase and nitrate reductase in isolated pea roots cultured with or without sucrose
Authors: Sahulka J. , Lisá L.
Published: November 2008

Exogenous L-glutamine, the sodium salt of L-glutamic acid, and casamino acids do not decrease glutamine synthetase (GS) level in isolated pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Jupiter and cv. Proteus) roots cultured with 20 g∙L−1 sucrose while L-glutamic acid does decrease it. The effect of L-glutamic acid is stronger in solutions lacking nitrate. By contrast, only the exogenous sodium salt of L-glutamic acid does not enhance the decrease in GS level caused by sugar starvation in isolated roots cultured without any sugar while, the other compounds tested do enhance this decrease. These facts confirm our earlier conclusion that sugar availability and the concentration of H+ ions are more important for GS level regulation in pea roots than nitrogen substrate availability and the presence of the end products. Nitrate reductase (NR) level is depressed by exogenous L-glutamine, the sodium salt of L-glutamic acid, casamino acids, and a low (0.2 mM) concentration of L-glutamic acid whereas it is increased by higher (0.8 and 1.0 mM) concentrations of L-glutamic acid, by α-ketoglutaric acid (0.4 to 0.6 mM), and by nitric acid (0.2 to 0.4 mM) added to saturating concentration (10 mM) of nitrate present in the form of potassium and calcium salts. The negative effect of L-glutamine, sodium glutamate, and casamino acids can be reversed by L-glutamic acid. This suggests that more mechanisms may be involved in NR regulation by these compounds and that the mechanism controlled by increased concentration of H+ ions is of great importance.
Geolocation of North Sea cod (Gadus morhua) using hidden Markov models and behavioural switching
Authors: Pedersen M. W. , Righton D. , Thygesen U. H. , Andersen K. H. , Madsen H.
Published: November 2008

When geolocating fish based on archival tag data, a realistic assessment of uncertainty is essential. Here, we describe an application of a novel Fokker–Planck-based method to geolocate Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) in the North Sea area. In this study, the geolocation relies mainly on matching tidal patterns in depth measurements when a fish spends a prolonged period of time at the seabed with a tidal database. Each day, the method provides a nonparametric probability distribution of the position of a tagged fish and therefore avoids enforcing a particular distribution, such as a Gaussian distribution. In addition to the tidal component of the geolocation, the model incoporates two behavioural states, either high or low activity, estimated directly from the depth data, that affect the diffusivity parameter of the model and improves the precision and realism of the geolocation significantly. The new method provides access to the probability distribution of the position of the fish that in turn provides a range of useful descriptive statistics, such as the path of the most probable movement. We compare the method with existing alternatives and discuss its potential in making population inference from archival tag data.
Involvement of Nitric Oxide in Microcirculatory Reactions after Ischemia-Reperfusion of the Rat Urinary Bladder
Authors: Bajory Z. , Szabó A. , Király I. , Pajor L. , Messmer K.
Published: November 2008

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in inflammation. Our aim was to investigate the role of NO in the microcirculatory changes after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) of the bladder using intravital videomicroscopy (IVM). Methods: In rats, 60 min of bladder ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion was performed in the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), the NO precursor L-arginine, or saline pre-treatments. Venular red blood cell velocity (RBCV), functional capillary density (FCD), vessel diameters, and leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions in postcapillary venules were determined. Concentrations of nitrite/nitrate in the plasma and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in the lungs and the bladder were measured. Results: Elevations of the numbers of rolling and adherent leukocytes, and of plasma nitrite/nitrate levels were found, while FCD and RBCV decreased. L-NAME pretreatment ameliorated the enhanced leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions without influencing the microcirculatory perfusion. In contrast, the L-arginine pretreatment further increased plasma nitrite/nitrate levels and preserved the FCD and RBCV, but did not affect leukocyte-endothelial interactions. None of these treatments influenced MPO activities. Conclusion: Our results suggest that NO plays an enhancing role in the I/R-induced neutrophil-endothelial interactions of the bladder. Supplementation of NO ameliorates the microcirculatory perfusion deficit without influencing the postischemic microcirculatory inflammatory reactions.
Development of a New Animal Model of Liver Cirrhosis in Swine
Authors: Zhang J.-J. , Meng X.-K. , Dong C. , Qiao J.-L. , Zhang R.-F. , Yue G.-Q. , Zhong H.-Y.
Published: November 2008

This study aimed to develop a new experimental model of liver cirrhosis in swine by using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and ethanol. Liver cirrhosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 twice a week for 9 weeks. Maize flour was the only food provided and the animals drunk a 5% alcohol-water mixture. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, bilirubin and portal venous pressure (PVP) levels were determined throughout CCl4 treatment. The animals were sacrificed under general anesthesia at week 9 and liver samples were collected for histological analysis. 83.3% of the swine had liver cirrhosis and 33.3% had died. There was no change of body weight during the course of the experiment (p > 0.05). The AST and ALT levels increased significantly in the early stage of the study but had a trend to decrease during the late phase. The level of bilirubin increased greatly and albumin decreased during the whole experiment (p < 0.05). PVP levels decreased in the early stage in CCl4-treated swine, but increased significantly at the late phase. In conclusion, this study was successful in producing liver cirrhosis and offers an ideal experimental model for observing surgical therapeutic efficacy.
Ischemic Intestinal Injury during Cardiopulmonary Bypass Does Not Show an Association with Neutrophil Activation
Authors: Jormalainen M. , Vento A.E. , Wartiovaara-Kautto U. , Suojaranta-Ylinen R. , Lauronen J. , Paavonen T. , Petäjä J.
Published: November 2008

Background: Neutrophil activation and tissue sequestration are crucial events in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury, but their role in the gut wall after clinical cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) remains unclear. We tested whether local post-CPB inflammatory response in the gut wall would be associated with intestinal mucosal perfusion. Methods: Twenty pigs underwent 60 min of aortic clamping and 75 min of normothermic perfusion. Intestinal biopsies were taken after 120 min of reperfusion. Based on ileal myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), the animals were divided into 2 groups, CPB-induced increase in MPO (MPO+) versus no such increase (MPO–), for comparison of the parameters that measure gut mucosal perfusion. Ileal pCO2 and intramucosal pH were determined, and arterial gases were analyzed. Additionally, several hemodynamic parameters and blood thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) were measured. Results: Myocyte degeneration, endothelial activation and vasculitis were more pronounced in the MPO+ group (p < 0.05), while the MPO– group showed significantly increased piCO2 and lower mucosal pH values during reperfusion. Hemodynamics and TAT levels did not differ between the groups. Conclusion: Tissue sequestration of neutrophils was poorly associated with perturbed mucosal perfusion after CPB. Mechanisms of gut wall injury after a low-flow/reperfusion setting can differ from those in reperfusion injury after total ischemia.
Cell Volume Regulation in Nonrenal Epithelia
Authors: Reuss Luis
Published: November 2008

Cell volume regulation occurs in both tight, Na+-transporting epithelia (e.g., frog skin) and in leaky, NaCl-transporting epithelia (e.g., amphibian gallbladder). In tight epithelia volume regulation occurs only in response to cell swelling, i.e. only regulatory volume decrease (RVD) is observed, whereas in leaky epithelia cell volume regulation has been observed in response to osmotic challenges that either swell or shrink the cells. In other words, both RVD and regulatory volume increase (RVI) are present. Both volume regulatory responses involve stimulation of ion transport in a polarized fashion: in RVD the response is basolateral KC1 efflux, whereas in RVI it is apical membrane NaCl uptake. The loss of KCl during RVD appears to result in most instances from increases in basolateral electrodiffusive K+ and Cl- permeabilities. In gallbladder, concomitant activation of coupled KCl efflux may also occur. The RVI response includes activation of apical membrane cation (Na+/H+) and anion (Cl-/HCO-3) exchangers. It is presently unclear whether the net ion fluxes resulting from activation of these transporters, during either RVD or RVI, account for the measured rates of restoration of cell volume. In gallbladder epithelium, RVD is inhibited by agents which disrupt microfilaments or interfere with the Ca2+-calmodulin system. These pharmacologic effects are absent in RVI. Some steps in the chain of events resulting in either RVI or RVD have been established, but the signals involved remain largely unknown. There is reason to suspect a role of intracellular pH in the case of RVI and of membrane insertion of transporters in the case of RVD, possibly with causal roles of both intracellular Ca2+ and the cytoskeleton in the latter.
K:Cl Cotransport: Emerging Molecular Aspects of a Ouabain-Resistant, Volume-Responsive Transport System in Red Blood Cells
Authors: Lauf P.K.
Published: November 2008

Erythrocytes from teleosts to mammals, like man, possess a ouabain-resistant K flux component which is Cl-dependent and activated upon suspension of the cells into hyposmotic media. This volume-responsive K:Cl cotransporter may be synonymous with a Cl-dependent K pathway stimulated by chemical interventions such as SH group (thiol) alkylation or oxidation at cytoplasmic sites of the membrane. Based on a comparison of the response of the two activity expressions of probably the same molecule to ionic and metabolic perturbations a molecular model is proposed accommodating K:Cl flux activities under a variety of stimulatory and inhibitory influences. Physiologically, this pathway may be involved in the maturational cell volume reduction occurring between the stages of reticulocytes and the final erythrocytes as well as corresponsible for the expression of the low K steady state of certain animal red blood cells. The pathophysiological potential of this K:Cl transporter lies in the fact that, when activated, red blood cells dehydrate through K:Cl loss.
Gender Relations in Family-Farm Agriculture and Rural-Urban Migration in Brazil
Authors: Brumer Anita
Published: November 2008

Censuses in Brazil have shown a progressive change of the population from primarily rural to predominantly urban. This change has been explained, on the one hand, by stagnation, modernization, or the industrialization of agriculture (push factors) and, on the other hand, by attraction to the services and jobs of the growing towns (pull factors). However, with the exception of the 1960 decade, every decade from 1950 to 2000 shows a greater number of migrant women than men. The selectiveness of rural-urban migration is apparently the result of a division of labor by sex that subordinates women and prevents them from inheriting land.
Brazilian mothers' socialization goals: Intracultural differences in seven Brazilian cities
Authors: Seidl-de-Moura Maria Lucia , Lordelo Eulina , Vieira Mauro Luis , Piccinini Cesar Augusto , de Oliveira Siqueira José , Colino Magalhães Celina Maria , Ramos Pontes Fernando Augusto , Salomão Nadia Maria , Rimoli Adriana
Published: November 2008

The present study aimed to investigate Brazilian mothers' socialization goals. The participants in the study were 349 primiparous mothers, whose ages ranged from 17 to 47 years (mean = 26.6 years), who had children aged between 1 and 48 months (mean = 16.4 months). The families were living in seven different cities representing each of the five geographical regions of the country. A scale to evaluate the families' socio-economic status and an interview about socialization goals were used. The answers were coded in five categories defined in previous studies: self-maximization, self-control, lovingness, proper demeanor, and decency. Comparison of the means showed that Brazilian mothers gave more emphasis to self-maximization and proper demeanor than to the other categories, presenting a pattern that fosters the development of children's autonomous—relational selves. The intracultural variation found was related to the different cities studied. GLM results showed main effects of both city size and mothers' educational level on their socialization goals. These findings contribute to the understanding of characteristics of socialization goals related with autonomy and sociocentrism.