bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of bis(4‐cyanato 3,5‐dimethylphenyl) naphthyl methane/epoxy/glass fiber composites
Authors: Jayakumari L.S. , Thulasiraman V. , Sarojadevi M.
Published: February 2008

Bis(4‐cyanato 3,5‐dimethylphenyl) naphthylmethane was prepared by treating CNBr with bis(4‐hydroxy 3,5‐dimethylphenyl) naphthylmethane in the presence of triethylamine at −5 to 5°C. The dicyanate was characterized by FT‐IR and NMR techniques. The prepared dicyanate was blended with commercial epoxy resin in different ratios and cured at 120°C for 1 hr, 180°C for 1 hr, and post cured at 220°C for 1 hr using diamino diphenyl methane (DDM) as curing agent. Castings of neat resin and blends were prepared and characterized by FT‐IR technique. The morphology of the blends was evaluated by SEM analysis. The composite laminates were also fabricated from the same composition using glass fiber. The mechanical properties like tensile strength, flexural strength, and fracture toughness were measured as per ASTMD 3039, D 790, and D 5528, respectively. The tensile strength increased with increase in cyanate content (3, 6, and 9%) from 322 to 355 MPa. The fracture toughness values also increased from 0.7671 kJ/m2 for neat epoxy resin to 0.8615 kJ/m2 for 9% cyanate ester epoxy modified system. The thermal properties were also studied. The 10% weight loss temperature of pure epoxy is 358°C and it increased to 398°C with incorporation of cyanate ester resin. The incorporation of cyanate ester up to 9% loading level does not affect the Tg to a very great extent. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synergistic effects of carbon fillers in electrically and thermally conductive liquid crystal polymer based resins
Authors: King Julia A. , Barton Rodwick L. , Hauser Rebecca A. , Keith Jason M.
Published: February 2008

Adding conductive carbon fillers to insulating thermoplastic resins increases composite electrical and thermal conductivity. Often, as much of a single type of carbon filler is added to achieve the desired conductivity, while still allowing the material to be molded into a bipolar plate for a fuel cell. In this study, varying amounts of three different carbons (carbon black, synthetic graphite particles, and carbon fiber) were added to Vectra A950RX Liquid Crystal Polymer. The resulting single filler composites were tested for electrical resistivity (1/electrical conductivity) and thermal conductivity. In addition, the effects of single fillers and combinations of two different carbon fillers were studied via a factorial design. The results indicated that for the composites containing only single fillers, synthetic graphite, followed by carbon fiber, cause a statistically significant decrease in composite electrical resistivity. Composites containing only synthetic graphite, followed by carbon black, and then carbon fiber cause a statistically significant increase in thermal conductivity. For the combinations of two different fillers, the composites containing carbon black/synthetic graphite and synthetic graphite/carbon fiber had a statistically significant and positive effect on thermal conductivity. It is possible that thermally conductive pathways are formed that “link” these carbon fillers, which results in increased composite thermal conductivity. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Rheological and thermal behavior of starch/LDPE blends containing EAA
Authors: Yin Qin , Dong Aiqin , Wang Jinling , Yin Yeping
Published: February 2008

The composite casts were prepared from native corn starch and low density polyethylene. Ethylene‐arylic acid copolymer (EAA) was added as compabilizer and glycerol was added as plasticizer in the formulation. Their rheological and thermal properties were evaluated by capillary rheometry, differential scanning calorimerty, and thermogravimetry analysis. The results show that the viscosity of the blend has an Arrhenius dependence on temperature and a power law dependence on shear rate. The power law exponents (around 0.5) are less than unity, indicating that the melts are shear thinning. The thermal behavior of these materials is evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The water evaporation process observed by DSC in starch is also observed in the blends. Degradation mechanisms of the blends are identified by means of TGA, being assigned to the mass loss due to the plasticizer leaching, and to the degradation of the starch and synthetic polymer fractions. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Comparison of mechanical properties of epoxy composites reinforced with stitched glass and carbon fabrics: Characterization of mechanical anisotropy in composites and investigation on the interaction between fiber and epoxy matrix
Authors: Çeçen Volkan , Sarikanat Mehmet , Yildiz Hasan , Tavman Ismail H.
Published: February 2008

The primary purpose of the study is to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of epoxy‐based composites having different fiber reinforcements. Glass and carbon fiber composite laminates were manufactured by vacuum infusion of epoxy resin into two commonly used noncrimp stitched fabric (NCF) types: unidirectional and biaxial fabrics. The effects of geometric variables on composite structural integrity and strength were illustrated. Hence, tensile and three‐point bending flexural tests were conducted up to failure on specimens strengthened with different layouts of fibrous plies in NCF. In this article, an important practical problem in fibrous composites, interlaminar shear strength as measured in short beam shear test, is discussed. The fabric composites were tested in three directions: at 0°, 45°, and 90°. In addition to the extensive efforts in elucidating the variation in the mechanical properties of noncrimp glass and carbon fabric reinforced laminates, the work presented here focuses, also, on the type of interactions that are established between fiber and epoxy matrix. The experiments, in conjunction with scanning electron photomicrographs of fractured surfaces of composites, were interpreted in an attempt to explain the failure mechanisms in the composite laminates broken in tension. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Water soluble poly(ethylene oxide) functionalized norbornene polymers
Authors: Alfred Sterling F. , Al‐Badri Zoha M. , Madkour Ahmad E. , Lienkamp Karen , Tew Gregory N.
Published: February 2008

The synthesis of three different poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers with a norbornene and oxanorbornene end group is presented. The macromonomers were polymerized to comb‐polymers by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) using Grubbs' Catalyst G3 to produce water soluble polymers with polydispersities between 1.04 and 1.30 and molecular weights between 14,000 and 50,000 g/mol. Characterization by static and dynamic light scattering reveals that the comb‐polymers with norbornene backbone are molecularly disperse in aqueous solution, while the oxanorbornene‐backbone polymers form small water‐soluble aggregates. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2640–2648, 2008
Integrating soil conservation practices and glyphosate‐resistant crops: impacts on soil
Authors: Locke Martin A , Zablotowicz Robert M , Reddy Krishna N
Published: February 2008

BACKGROUND: Conservation practices often associated with glyphosate‐resistant crops, e.g. limited tillage and crop cover, improve soil conditions, but only limited research has evaluated their effects on soil in combination with glyphosate‐resistant crops. It is assumed that conservation practices have similar benefits to soil whether or not glyphosate‐resistant crops are used. This paper reviews the impact on soil of conservation practices and glyphosate‐resistant crops, and presents data from a Mississippi field trial comparing glyphosate‐resistant and non‐glyphosate‐resistant maize (Zea mays L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under limited tillage management.

RESULTS: Results from the reduced‐tillage study indicate differences in soil biological and chemical properties owing to glyphosate‐resistant crops. Under continuous glyphosate‐resistant maize, soils maintained greater soil organic carbon and nitrogen as compared with continuous non‐glyphosate‐resistant maize, but no differences were measured in continuous cotton or in cotton rotated with maize. Soil microbial community structure based on total fatty acid methyl ester analysis indicated a significant effect of glyphosate‐resistant crop following 5 years of continuous glyphosate‐resistant crop as compared with the non‐glyphosate‐resistant crop system. Results from this study, as well as the literature review, indicate differences attributable to the interaction of conservation practices and glyphosate‐resistant crop, but many are transient and benign for the soil ecosystem.

CONCLUSIONS: Glyphosate use may result in minor effects on soil biological/chemical properties. However, enhanced organic carbon and plant residues in surface soils under conservation practices may buffer potential effects of glyphosate. Long‐term field research established under various cropping systems and ecological regions is needed for critical assessment of glyphosate‐resistant crop and conservation practice interactions. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of ligands or substrate of insulin‐regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) on trophoblast invasion
Authors: Cohen Marie , Wuillemin Christine , Chai Siew Yeen , Bischof Paul
Published: February 2008

Insulin‐regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) activity increases during placentation and in the invasive tumor cell of trophoblast suggesting a role for this peptidase in the invasiveness of normal and malignant trophoblast. To investigate this hypothesis, we studied the effects of substrate (OT) and inhibitors (angiotensin peptides and LVV‐H7) of IRAP on the first trimester trophoblast proliferation and invasion. Addition of these peptides in the culture medium of trophoblastic cells significantly decreased metalloproteinase‐9 activity and cellular invasiveness while no effect was observed on cell proliferation. The peptide IRAP inhibitors could exert their effect on cytotrophoblastic cell invasiveness by inhibition of its enzymatic activity, and thus increasing half life of the known placental peptide substrate of IRAP, OT. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coupling of non‐aqueous electrokinetic chromatography using cationic cyclodextrins with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Mol Roelof , de Jong Gerhardus J. , Somsen Govert W.
Published: February 2008

Non‐aqueous electrokinetic chromatography (NAEKC) using cationic cyclodextrins (CDs) was coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). A methanolic background electrolyte (BGE) was used which contained the hydrochloride salts of the single‐isomer derivative cyclodextrins 6‐monodeoxy‐6‐mono(2‐hydroxy)propylamino‐β‐cyclodextrin (IPA‐β‐CD) or 6‐monodeoxy‐6‐mono(3‐hydroxy)propylamino‐β‐cyclodextrin (PA‐β‐CD). Applying a reversed capillary electrophoresis (CE) polarity (−30 kV), efficient separation of negatively charged compounds was achieved with plate numbers of up to 190 000. PA‐β‐CD appeared to be the most suitable for the separation of various acidic drugs while also providing a high chiral selectivity. Analyte detection was achieved by ESI‐MS in the negative‐ion mode using a sheath‐liquid interface. In order to prevent current drops caused by the cathodic electroosmotic flow, a pressure of 15 mbar was applied on the inlet vial during NAEKC/MS analysis. The effect of the cationic CDs on the MS signal intensities of acidic test drugs was thoroughly studied. When a voltage is applied across the CE capillary, the overall mobility of the cationic CDs is towards the inlet vial so that no CD molecules enter the ion source. The chloride counter ions of the CDs, which migrated towards the capillary outlet, were found to cause ionization suppression, although significant analyte signals could still be detected. Depending on the CD concentration in the BGE, limits of detection for acidic drugs were in the 50–400 ng/mL range in full‐scan mode. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry study of ammonia in mouth‐ and nose‐exhaled breath and in the oral cavity
Authors: Smith David , Wang Tianshu , Pysanenko Andriy , Španěl Patrik
Published: February 2008

A study has been carried out, involving three healthy volunteers, of the ammonia levels in breath exhaled via the mouth and via the nose and in the static oral cavity using on‐line, selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS), obviating the problems associated with sample collection of ammonia. The unequivocal conclusion drawn is that the ammonia appearing in the mouth‐exhaled breath of the three volunteers is largely generated in the oral cavity and that the ammonia originating at the alveolar interface in the lungs is typically at levels less than about 100 parts‐per‐billion, which is a small fraction of the total breath ammonia. This leads to the recommendation that exhaled breath analyses should focus on nose‐exhaled breath if the objective is to use breath analysis to investigate systemic, metabolic disease. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry of long‐chain polysaccharides
Authors: Perdivara Irina , Sisu Eugen , Sisu Ioana , Dinca Nicolae , Tomer Kenneth B. , Przybylski Michael , Zamfir Alina D.
Published: February 2008

A novel strategy was developed to extend the application of electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry (MS) to the analysis of long‐chain polysaccharides. High molecular weight polydisperse maltodextrins (poly‐α(1‐4) glucose) and dextrans (poly‐α(1‐6) glucose) were chosen as model compounds in the present study. Increased ionization efficiency of these mixtures in the positive ion mode was achieved upon modification of their reducing end with nitrogen‐containing groups. The derivatization method is based on the formation of a new CN bond between 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine (HMD) and the reducing end of the polysaccharide, which exists in solution as an equilibrium between the hemiacetal and the open‐ring aldehyde form. To achieve the chemical modification of the reducing end, two synthetic pathways were developed: (i) coupling of HMD by reductive amination and (ii) oxidation of the hemiacetal to lactone, followed by ring opening by HMD to yield the maltodextrin lactonamide of 1,6‐hexanediamine (HMMD). Amino‐functionalized polysaccharides were analyzed by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FTICR‐MS) in the positive ion mode by direct flow injection. The hexamethylenediamine (HMD) and maltodextrin lactonamide of 1,6‐hexanediamine (HMMD) moieties provide increased proton affinities which dramatically improve the detection of the long‐chain polysaccharides by FTICR‐MS. The present approach allowed for identification of single components in mixtures with prominent heterogeneity in the degree of polymerization (DP), without the need for chromatographic separation prior to MS. The high mass accuracy was essential for the unambiguous characterization of the species observed in the analyzed mixtures. Furthermore, molecular components containing up to 42 glucose residues were detected, representing the largest polysaccharide chains analyzed so far by ESI FTICR‐MS. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ductus venosus Doppler velocimetry in the first trimester: a new finding
Authors: Teixeira L. S. , Leite J. , Viegas M. J. B. C. , Faria M. M. L. , Chaves A. S. , Teixeira R. C. , Pires M. C. , Pettersen H.
Published: February 2008

Objectives

To establish reference curves for ductus venosus blood flow velocities during the first trimester and compare them with previously published curves.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional and retrospective study performed between January 1998 and January 2003. The following inclusion criteria were used: singleton pregnancy, velocity measurements taken when the crown–rump length (CRL) was between 34 and 84 mm, absence of fetal anomalies, full‐term pregnancy and newborn birth weight appropriate for gestational age. The following variables of the ductus venosus were measured: peak velocity during ventricular systole (S‐wave) and diastole (D‐wave), nadir during atrial contraction in late diastole (A‐wave), time‐averaged maximum velocity (TAMXV) and pulsatility index for veins (PIV).

Results

A total of 843 fetuses were included. The mean CRL was 62 (range, 34–84) mm. The S‐wave, D‐wave, TAMXV and PIV were normally distributed, and logarithmic transformation was performed to achieve a normal distribution for the A‐wave. S‐wave, D‐wave and A‐wave and TAMXV increased with CRL. PIV increased up to a CRL of 63 mm and decreased thereafter. Regression analysis revealed a significant quadratic relationship between PIV and CRL.

Conclusions

S‐wave, D‐wave, A‐wave velocities and TAMXV in the ductus venosus increase with CRL between 34 and 84 mm. The reference range for PIV has a biphasic pattern, with an initial non‐significant increase up to a CRL of 63 mm and a fall thereafter. Copyright © 2008 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Getting To Outcomes Demonstration and Evaluation: An Illustration of the Prevention Support System
Authors: Chinman Matthew , Hunter Sarah B. , Ebener Patricia , Paddock Susan M. , Stillman Lindsey , Imm Pamela , Wandersman Abraham
Published: February 2008

Communities are increasingly being required by state and federal funders to achieve outcomes and be accountable, yet are often not provided the guidance or the tools needed to successfully meet this challenge. To improve the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes, the Getting To Outcomes (GTO) intervention (manual, training, technical assistance) is designed to provide the necessary guidance and tools, tailored to community needs, in order to build individual capacity and program performance. GTO is an example of a Prevention Support System intervention, which as conceptualized by the Interactive Systems Framework, plays a key role in bridging the gap between prevention science (Prevention Synthesis and Translation System) and prevention practice (Prevention Delivery System). We evaluated the impact of GTO on individual capacity and program performance using survey‐ and interview‐based methods. We tracked the implementation of GTO and gathered user feedback about its utility and acceptability. The evaluation of GTO suggests that it can build individual capacity and program performance and as such demonstrates that the Prevention Support System can successfully fulfill its intended role. Lessons learned from the implementation of GTO relevant to illuminating the framework are discussed.
A Robust Bayesian Approach for Structural Equation Models with Missing Data
Authors: Lee Sik-Yum , Xia Ye-Mao
Published: February 2008

In this paper, normal/independent distributions, including but not limited to the multivariate t distribution, the multivariate contaminated distribution, and the multivariate slash distribution, are used to develop a robust Bayesian approach for analyzing structural equation models with complete or missing data. In the context of a nonlinear structural equation model with fixed covariates, robust Bayesian methods are developed for estimation and model comparison. Results from simulation studies are reported to reveal the characteristics of estimation. The methods are illustrated by using a real data set obtained from diabetes patients.
Habitat use by the gnathiid isopodElaphognathia discolorliving in terebellid polychaete tubes
Authors: Tanaka Katsuhiko , Nishi Eijiroh
Published: February 2008

The pattern of habitat utilization byElaphognathia discolor, a gnathiid isopod inhabiting terebellid polychaete tubes, was examined in bimonthly samples taken between June 2003 and April 2004 from Shizugawa Bay, north-eastern Japan. Nine species of terebellid polychaetes were obtained, and gnathiids were found in tubes of four terebellid species. Of the terebellids,Nicolea gracilibranchiswas collected in each sample, while the other species were obtained only intermittently. Both larval and adultE. discolorinhabited the tubes ofN. gracilibranchisthroughout the year, with their prevalence in samples ranging from 57.1 to 80.0%. A large range of larval stages was found withinN. gracilibranchistubes, including the first larval stage and premature females, suggesting that this gnathiid species may useN. gracilibranchistubes for resting and moulting throughout the larval period. The distribution of adult gnathiids within tubes significantly differed from random. Adult males rarely coexisted with other males in tubes, while several larvae and females often lived together. Groups of female gnathiids in polychaete tubes were usually attended by a single male, resembling the ‘harems’ observed in other gnathiids and suggesting that the mating system ofE. discolorcan be classified as semelparous harem polygynandry.
Small-scale variation within a Modiolus modiolus (Mollusca: Bivalvia) reef in the Irish Sea. III. Crevice, sediment infauna and epifauna from targeted cores
Authors: Rees E.I.S. , Sanderson W.G. , Mackie A.S.Y. , Holt R.H.F.
Published: February 2008

Beds of Modiolus modiolus, in areas of moderate to strong tidal currents, develop into reefs with a relief of wave like undulations 0.09–0.45 m in amplitude and length scales of 6–18 m. Cores taken by diver operated suction sampler were targeted at positions on the ridges and troughs of a reef, in the Irish Sea off north-west Wales, allowing the fauna to be compared between adjoining ridges and troughs. Sessile epifauna was mostly attached to the larger mussels clumped together on the ridges. The crevice fauna and infauna were also nearly three times more abundant on the ridges, but the lists of species were similar from the two sub-habitats. Species richness was higher on the ridges, however, diversity and evenness measures were similar for ridges and trough samples. The Modiolus sub-habitats were found to be distinct from other macrofaunal assemblages in the wider southern Irish Sea. Deposition of faecal pellets in the spatially complex habitat amongst the mussels provided conditions suitable for an infauna more typical of inshore muddy sands enriched by organic matter. The scale of the ridge and trough morphology may increase variability between replicates when grabs are used remotely to sample this type of biogenic feature.
Stomatogenesis and morphological re-description of the marine ciliate,Philasterides armatalis(Protozoa: Ciliophora: Scuticociliatida)
Authors: Hu Xiaozhong , Warren Alan , Song Weibo
Published: February 2008

The stomatogenesis and morphology of the marine planktonic ciliatePhilasterides armataliscollected from mollusc-culturing waters off the coast of Qingdao, China, were studied using a differential interference contrast microscope for observationsin vivoand protargol impregnation. In terms of its infraciliature, this species possesses typical characteristics of the genusPhilasterides: bipartite paroral membrane, the anterior part double-rowed and the posterior part in a zig-zag-formation, and three well-defined membranelles arranged inParanophrys-pattern. This investigation confirms the dual origin of the buccal apparatus in the opisthe, one derived from the scutica and the other from the paroral membrane. Its stomatogenesis belongs to the ‘Philasterides’ sub-type, although it differs from its only congenerP. armata, in that paroral membrane 1 gives rise to the paroral membrane and the scutica in the proter, and paroral membrane 2 forms the paroral membrane, membranelles 1 and 2 and the scutica in the opisthe. Based on stomatogenetic data, the phylogenetic positions of several genera in the suborder Philasterina are reconsidered.
Size and age at sexual maturity in Adelomelon brasiliana (Neogastropoda: Volutidae) off Argentina
Authors: Cledón Maximiliano , Arntz Wolf , Penchaszadeh Pablo E.
Published: February 2008

Size at first maturity of Adelomelon brasiliana near Mar del Plata, Argentina, was established analysing gonad tissue samples and the secondary sexual characters. Age was determined through growth marks. Gonad matures after development of secondary sexual characters.

Minimum shell length at sexual maturity is 107 mm in females and 102 mm in males. The shell length at which 50% of the animals are mature is 115.1 mm in females and 107.25 mm in males (approximatley 7 years of age). In males, penis matures before testis. All animals are mature beyond 125 mm in females and 115 mm in males, respectively (approximatley 8 years of age). The comparative late sexual maturation in this species makes the population quite sensitive to over-fishing.
Marine planktonic dinoflagellates of the order Dinophysiales (Dinophyta) from coasts of the tropical Mexican Pacific, including two new species of the genusAmphisolenia
Authors: Hernández-Becerril David U. , Ceballos-Corona J. Gerardo A. , Esqueda-Lara Karina , Tovar-Salazar Myriam A. , León-Álvarez Daniel
Published: February 2008

Despite a recent revision of the dinoflagellates of the order Dinophysiales on Mexican coasts and a checklist of dinoflagellates from the Mexican Pacific, many records still need to be confirmed, for there are very few reliable illustrations and/or descriptions. In this paper, species composition and distribution of dinoflagellates belonging to the Dinophysiales, the product of the analysis of net phytoplankton material collected from coasts of the tropical Mexican Pacific (Jalisco to Chiapas) are presented. The material has been studied using light microscopy, although a few species were also studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Forty-one species from five genera were identified, with two new records annotated for the Mexican Pacific:Amphisolenia thrinaxandMetaphalacroma skogsbergii, and two new species of the genusAmphisolenia,Amphisolenia fusiformissp. nov. andAmphisolenia michoacanasp. nov. Illustrations, dimensions and distribution data are provided for each species, and descriptions of the new species are also given.Amphisolenia palmata,A. rectangulata,A. truncata,Dinophysis apicata,D. hindmarchii,Histioneis biremis,H. crateriformis,H. pulchra,Ornithocercus cristatus,O. heteroporoidesandO. orbiculatusare illustrated for the first time in the waters of the Mexican Pacific. The number of species found in this study is relatively low. The speciesDinophysis norvegicaandD. sacculus, reported in previous papers, do not seem to occur in Mexican waters, as their distribution is rather limited to the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic, respectively. Finally, the identity of certain species ofDinophysisand the nature of the new species described here are discussed.
Distribution of Micropogonias furnieri at different maturity stages along an estuarine gradient and in relation to environmental factors
Authors: Jaureguizar Andrés J. , Militelli M. Inés , Guerrero Raúl
Published: February 2008

Whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) maturity stages distribution and its relation to environmental factors was evaluated from 166 stations sampled within the Río de la Plata estuary (36°S–56°W) during spring 1994–1999 and 2003. A canonical correspondence analysis was used to explain whitemouth croaker distribution and estimate its relation to environmental factors (depth, surface and bottom waters temperature and salinity, bottom salinity and temperature horizontal gradients and vertical stratification). Results indicate that bottom salinity horizontal gradient (BSHG) and depth have a major influence on M. furnieri maturity stages spatial distribution; bottom salinity and temperature play a significant although secondary role. Spent and resting adult stages were associated to low BSHG, high salinity and low temperature while immature, gravid (with hydrated oocytes) and running stages to low salinity and high temperature. Although immature, gravid and running stages were clearly linked to similar bottom salinity they were segregated, with gravid and running stages associated to a strong BSHG. The distinct preferences of the different spawning stages result in a segregated distribution pattern along the main axis of the Río de la Plata estuary. The area with low salinity and high horizontal bottom salinity gradient (habitat for gravid and running stages) was located at the river head. The horizontal retention mechanism associated to BSHG within the spawning habitat favours growth and survival of fish larvae and the subsequent transport to nursery habitats.
Efficiency of using emerald crabs Mithraculus sculptus to control bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (syn. Valonia ventricosa) in aquaria habitats
Authors: Figueiredo Joana , Narciso Luís , Turingan Ralph , Lin Junda
Published: February 2008

Ornamental crabs of the genus Mithraculus (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majidae) are utilized in reef aquaria to control nuisance algae, particularly bubble algae. Although Mithraculus have modified, spooned-shaped chelae to feed on both fleshy and filamentous algae, they may consume alternative foods offered in a reef aquarium. The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of using Mithraculus sculptus to control the bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (Siphonocladales–Cladophorales complex, Chlorophyta) in the presence of alternative foods (commercial pellets and frozen mysids) commonly utilized in reef aquaria. Results indicated that medium and large sized crabs consumed more bubble algae than smaller conspecifics. Although, M. sculptus first chose alternative foods to bubble alga (77% and 69% of the time chose pellets and frozen mysids, respectively), algal consumption only decreased significantly if, besides algae, pellets were provided; when only algae were provided, algal consumption was similar to when they were provided with mysids. The prey choice model was used as a conceptual framework to study the mechanisms underlying active selection; food energy content and handling time were measured and food profitability was calculated. Handling time decreased with increasing crab size. Pellets presented a higher profitability than algae but mysids and algae presented similar profitability; this seems to be in agreement with the observed reduced algal consumption when pellets made part of the diet. Mithraculus sculptus feeding behaviour on V. ventricosa recorded with digital high-speed video (DHSV) suggests that as the crab tears the algal cell apart, the cell liquid that contains juvenile cytoplasmatic spheres is released into the water; this behaviour might contribute to algal dispersal and consequently algal infestation. These results seem to indicate that M. sculptus might not be such an efficient bio-controller of the pest V. ventricosa as previously thought, particularly when pellets are used as food; however, its bio-control efficiency might be improved if, mysids are used as food.
Size compositions and reproductive biology of an important bycatch shark species (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) in south-western Australian waters
Authors: Jones Ashlee A. , Hall Norman G. , Potter Ian C.
Published: February 2008

Heterodontus portusjacksoniwas obtained from the catches of commercial trawl, gillnet and longline fisheries operating in south-western Australian waters, in which this shark is an abundant bycatch species. Ninety per cent of theH. portusjacksonicaught by commercial trawling in a marine embayment were <400 mm in total length, whereas 99 and 100%, respectively, of the individuals taken by commercial gillnet and longline outside that embayment were >400 mm. Although the differences between the size compositions in the catches obtained by trawling vs both gillnetting and longlining, which were similar, are partly attributable to gear selectivity, they also reflect a use by juvenileH. portusjacksoniof protected nearshore waters as nursery areas and a tendency for larger juveniles and adults to occupy reef/rock habitats in a range of water depths. The fact that all but one of the numerousH. portusjacksoni>800 mm were females is reflected in the ratio of females to males differing significantly from parity in the gillnet and longline samples. Yolked oocytes usually take one year to develop to ovulatory size. Ovulation occurs in late winter to early summer and hatching takes place a year later when the embryo is 180–220 mm. The claspers of males commence rapid growth at a total length of ~450 mm, coincident with the onset of clasper calcification and gonadal maturation. The rate of clasper growth relative to total length reached a maximum at ~570 mm and then declined precipitously as the claspers approached full calcification. Based on gonadal criteria, theL50at maturity for females (805 mm) was nearly 40% greater than that for males (593 mm). Values of the deviance information criterion and marked overlap in their 95% confidence intervals demonstrate that theL50of 581 mm derived for males using full clasper calcification as the index of maturity was equally valid as the aboveL50derived for males at maturity using gonadal criteria. The capture of substantial numbers of juveniles by trawling and of females <L50at maturity by gillnetting and longlining may be having localized effects on the population structure ofH. portusjacksoniin south-western Australian waters.
Centropages aegypticus sp. nov., a new calanoid copepod from the northern Red Sea
Authors: El-Sherbiny Mohsen M. , Ueda Hiroshi
Published: February 2008

A new species of calanoid copepod, Centropages aegypticus sp. nov. collected from the Egyptian coasts of the northern Red Sea is described. This species is unique in having two pointed conical processes on the dorsal surface of cephalosome in both sexes, female genital compound somite with irregular-surface outline of the right swelling part and transverse dorsolateral row of spinules on the left side, 2-segmented exopod of the female leg 5, asymmetrical medial processes of the female leg 5, of which the left one is longer and medially-curved and the right one with oblique row of thick spinules, and a club-shaped medial seta on the third exopodal segment of the male leg 5. The new species is similar to C. tenuiremis, but is not assigned to the same species group as the latter species or to any other groups.
Population features of the invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyceae: Laminariales) in Nuevo Gulf (Patagonia, Argentina)
Authors: Casas Graciela N. , Piriz María Luz , Parodi Elisa R.
Published: February 2008

The invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida was observed for the first time in the Nuevo Gulf (Patagonia, Argentina) in December 1992. At the present time, with the exception of sandy bottoms, the coasts of the Nuevo Gulf are almost entirely colonized. From October 1997 to February 2000, the characteristics of this population, i.e. the relationships between morphological features and seawater temperature, the seasonality in sporophyll development and the proportions of different reproductive stages during its life cycle, were analysed. The observations confirmed that the maximal mean densities of sporophytes (149.1 plants m−2) occurred in winter while the mean tallest sporophytes (88.5 cm) and the mean highest biomass (16501 g m−2) were registered in spring and at the beginning of the summer. Coexisting juvenile and mature sporophytes were found. Sporophylls showed also seasonal characteristics, with maximal width in summer. Manipulative experiments conducted for testing the recruitment pattern of Undaria pinnatifida confirmed that the presence of juvenile individuals was uninterrupted. Thus, in this paper, we denote that U. pinnatifida has a constant recruitment, together with high reproductive rates, which are some of the characteristics of an introduced species, which explains why they became a highly invasive species or ‘pest species’, with negative environmental and economic effects.
Re-description of some enigmatic genera of Syllidae (Phyllodocida: Polychaeta)
Authors: Aguado María Teresa , Martín Guillermo San
Published: February 2008

Several type series of unusual and poorly known genera of Syllidae have been examined. New diagnoses for the following genera and re-descriptions of their type species are provided: Anguillosyllis, Clavisyllis, Lamellisyllis and Nuchalosyllis; Brachysyllis, previously synonymized with Dioplosyllis, is herein considered to be a valid taxon. The species Brachysyllis infuscata is also re-described. Three genera are considered to be non-valid taxa: Braniella, synonymous with Anguillosyllis; Alluaudella, synonymous with Odontosyllis; and Exogonella, synonymous with Parexogone. Their type species herein are re-described and assigned to their corresponding valid genus. Finally, Exogonoides is considered nomina dubia since its relationships with other syllids could not be established. Keys to species of Anguillosyllis and Brachysyllis are also included.
Identification of deep water lantern sharks (Chondrichthyes: Etmopteridae) using morphometric data and multivariate analysis
Authors: Coelho Rui , Erzini Karim
Published: February 2008

Taxonomic distinction to species level of deep water sharks is complex and often impossible to achieve during fisheries-related studies. The species of the genus Etmopterus are particularly difficult to identify, so they often appear without species assignation as Etmopetrus sp. or spp. in studies, even those focusing on elasmobranchs. During this work, the morphometric traits of two species of Etmopterus, E. spinax and E. pusillus were studied using 27 different morphological measurements, relatively easy to obtain even in the field. These measurements were processed with multivariate analysis in order to find out the most important ones likely to separate the two species. Sexual dimorphism was also assessed using the same techniques, and it was found that it does not occur in these species. The two Etmopterus species presented in this study share the same habitats in the overlapping ranges of distribution and are caught together on the outer shelves and slopes of the north-eastern Atlantic.
The relationship between environmental variation and species abundance in shrimp community (Crustacea: Decapoda: Penaeoidea) in south-eastern Brazil
Authors: Castilho Antonio L. , Pie Marcio R. , Fransozo Adilson , Pinheiro Allysson P. , Costa Rogério C.
Published: February 2008

The impact of shrimp fisheries in tropical regions has become comparable to the world's most intensively exploited temperate shelf ecosystems. The increase in the fishing fleet in south-eastern Brazil and the decrease in landings of profitable shrimp species have contributed to the incorporation of additional species into those fisheries. The goal of the present study is to investigate the influence of environmental factors on the abundance patterns of shrimp communities on the south-eastern coast of Brazil, over a period of two years. Monthly collections were conducted in the Ubatuba and Caraguatatuba regions using a commercial shrimp fishing boat equipped with ‘double-rig’ nets. Each region was divided into 7 sampling stations up to 35 m deep. The relationship between the environmental factors and the abundance patterns in the shrimp communities was assessed using a canonical correlation analysis (CCorrA). The first set of variables used during the CCorrA included environmental characteristics and the second set of variables the abundance of the studied species. A total of 374,915 individuals were collected during the present study. Xiphopenaeus kroyeri showed the highest abundance (273,127), followed by Artemesia longinaris (73,422), and Pleoticus muelleri (15,262). In the first root, depth and temperature showed the highest factor loadings (0.9 and −0.7) and canonical weights (0.6 and −0.4). These environmental factors were strongly associated with the abundance of X. kroyeri (factor loading =−0.9 and canonical weight =−0.9). The second root demonstrated a positive relationship between abundance of P. muelleri and depth, and an inverse association with bottom temperature. The abundance patterns of X. kroyeri and P. muelleri were strongly affected by the water mass South Atlantic Central Water (cold waters =15°C), which can lead to a temperature decrease in deeper areas (>15 m). Thus, the opposite abundance trend for depth of these species might reflect bathymetric variation in temperature, a clear example of distinct behavioural differences of species of different origins, either tropical (X. kroyeri) or subantarctic (P. muelleri). The low overall association between environmental parameters and shrimp abundance patterns indicates that each studied species might have responded idiosyncratically to environmental variation, such that a general community-level response was not apparent. However, other confounding factors such as intraspecific migration patterns might have also played a role in generating the observed patterns.
Small-scale variation within a Modiolus modiolus (Mollusca: Bivalvia) reef in the Irish Sea: I. Seabed mapping and reef morphology
Authors: Lindenbaum C. , Bennell J.D. , Rees E.I.S. , McClean D. , Cook W. , Wheeler A.J. , Sanderson W.G.
Published: February 2008

Surveys by digital side-scan sonar, RoxAnnTM acoustic ground discrimination systems, multibeam echosounder and a sub-bottom profiling system showed that a Modiolus modiolus reef, in the Irish Sea off Pen Llŷn, north-west Wales, had a distinctive morphology and acoustic characteristics. The extent of the reef could therefore be determined and the benthic structure reliably mapped. The biogenic reef is in an area with moderately strong tidal currents and overlays lag gravel and cobbles with patchy sand veneers. The mussels form an undulating surface, orientated perpendicular to the current, with an average wavelength of 11.7 m and amplitude of 0.24 m that is significantly different from the surrounding seabed. Reef deposits reach a thickness of 1 m on top of the underlying lag gravels. The characteristic reef surface morphology helps distinguish the reef from the surrounding seabed on side-scan sonar and multibeam echosounder records and the undulations create the spatial complexity that influences the small-scale distribution of the associated epifauna, and infauna, reported in papers II and III of this series. The M. modiolus reef was recorded in the same location 40 y ago and has probably persisted there for over 150 y. Monitoring implications are discussed.
Political Thought in an Intercivilizational Perspective: A Critical Reflection
Authors: Gebhardt Jürgen
Published: February 2008

In the light of the emerging globalecumenethere is an ongoing intellectual discourse that focuses on the quest for a reorientation of political theorizing. It challenges the more or less canonized approaches to the understanding of political life and thought that dominate Western mainstream political and social science. This essay critically explores the epistemological assumptions underlying the prevalent paradigm of socio-political analysis, and points out its weakness in coming to grips with the multi-civilizational cosmos of human self-understanding which makes up the historico-political world. It argues that a genuine hermeneutical science is needed in order to restate the meaningful pattern of human self-interpretation across cultures and civilizations in its historical depth and global reach. It takes as its starting point the rise of the great civilizations in the axial times and their respective visions of order which still shape modernity. These post-axial visions, various as they were in appearance and content, merged with political power to provide the meaning-creating symbolic forms of societal self-understanding, thus providing society with a logic of order. This essay defines the common ground of the intercivilizational modality of human existence in history and society as the proper subject of comparative political theorizing, insofar as it intends to bring to our attention the essence of the political in all of its historical modalities.
Are Arendt's Reflections on Evil Still Relevant?
Authors: Bernstein Richard J.
Published: February 2008

The relevance of Arendt's reflections on evil is analyzed in three respects. She warns that the appeal to absolutes (good or evil) destroys politics; her claim that radical evil involves making human beings as human beings superfluous is relevant to contemporary concerns with the vast refugee and stateless populations; and her idea of the banality of evil focuses our attention on the evil deeds that persons commit even when they do not have evil motives or intentions.
Treating the Body Politic: The Medical Metaphor of Political Rule in Late Medieval Europe and Tokugawa Japan
Authors: Shogimen Takashi
Published: February 2008

The essay examines medical metaphors in the discourse on government from a cross-cultural perspective. Drawing on George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's theory of metaphor, a comparison of medical metaphors in the political writings in late medieval Europe (c. 1250–c. 1450) and Tokugawa Japan (1602–1867) demonstrates that the European notion of medical treatment as the eradication of the causes of diseases magnified the coercive and punitive aspects of government, while the Japanese notion of medical treatment as the art of daily healthcare served to accentuate the government's role of preventing conflicts and maintaining stability. These differing images of medical treatment metaphorically structured contrasting conceptions of government in the two historical worlds.
Representation of Humans and Animals in Greece and the Balkans during the Earlier Neolithic
Authors: Nanoglou Stratos
Published: February 2008

There were differences in the representation of humans and animals between the regions of Thessaly and the central Balkans during the earlier Neolithic. These differences imply the constitution of distinct worlds. Representation is anthropocentric in Thessaly and it focuses on particular actions of the human body. In the central Balkans, there is more animal imagery, although here too humans predominate. The lack of specific traits suggests an ontological principle of generic identity.
Past Practices: Rethinking Individuals and Agents in Archaeology
Authors: Knapp A. Bernard , van Dommelen Peter
Published: February 2008

Archaeologists who seek to examine people's roles in past societies have long assumed, consciously or unconsciously, the existence of individuals. In this study, we explore various concepts and dimensions of ‘the individual’, both ethnographic and archaeological. We show that many protagonists in the debate over the existence of ‘individuals’ in prehistory use the same ethnographic examples to argue their positions. These positions range from the claim that any suggestion of individuals prior to 500 years ago simply projects a construct of western modernity onto the past, to the view that individual identities are culturally specific social constructs, both past and present. Like most contributors to the debate, we too are sceptical of an unchanging humanity in the past, but we feel that thinking on the topic has become somewhat inflexible. As a counterpoint to this debate, therefore, we discuss Bourdieu's concept of habitus in association with Foucault's notion of power. We conclude that experiencing oneself as a living individual is part of human nature, and that archaeologists should reconsider the individual's social, spatial and ideological importance, as well as the existence of individual, embodied lives in prehistoric as well as historical contexts.
Time and Archaeological Event
Authors: Lucas Gavin
Published: February 2008

This paper re-examines the concept of the archaeological event as a means to avoid dual or multiple levels for historical phenomena, which a scalar view of time creates. Central to this procedure is an examination of the nature of residuality in relation to the archaeological record; it is argued that our concept of residuality needs to be broadened to encompass a more general view of material organization where the property of reversibility is foregrounded. In doing so, a different conception of the event is generated which defines itself not in terms of particularity but reversibility.