bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diabetes-free life in India: Application of survival function analysis
Authors: Singh Shri , Pedgaonkar Sarang , Puri Parul , Gupta Jitendra
Published: November 2018

Background:India being a diverse country has an assortment of various socio-economic and demographic structures. These socio-economic and demographic factors often intervene with the diabetes-free survival in any geographical region. The present study explores diabetes-free survival patterns of adult respondents with respect to various socio-economic and demographic factors in eighteen states of India with better demographic indicators.

Material and Methods:The study utilizes data from the fourth round of the District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) undertaken during 2012–2013. The study computes the survival functions by five year age groups followed by Peto and Pike's test for assessing the significant differences in the survival pattern between the various sub-groups in 18 states of India.

Results:The study points out that the diabetes-free survival of a respondent is affected by factors such as the place of residence, sex, social group, the standard of living (wealth) index, and region of residence.

Conclusions:Timely detection, screening, and treatment of non-communicable diseases, as well as palliative care, are recommended to the community for diabetes prevention. A healthy lifestyle including healthy diet, physical activity on regular basis, and avoiding tobacco needs to be promoted.
Medical workforce planning in Australia
Authors: Medical Workforce Advisory Committee (AMWAC) Australian
Published: November 2018

The Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee (AMWAC) was established by the Australian Health Ministers'Advisory Council (AHMAC) in 1995 to provide information and analysis to AHMAC and the profession about themedical workforce to inform the policy process. This article provides a brief history of the events leading to the formationof AMWAC and of the work of this committee, particularly its approach to medical workforce planning and the outcomesof some of its research. The paper concludes that the forces leading to and maintaining workforce geographic andstructural maldistribution are better understood as a result of AMWAC studies and the work of other stakeholders.Further research is required to improve understanding of the hospital medical workforce and the factors influencing thecareer decisions of young doctors and to monitor the impact of strategies to improve workforce distribution.
Toward gender balance in the Australian medical workforce:some planning implications
Authors: Medical Workforce Advisory Committee (AMWAC) Australian
Published: November 2018

Men and women doctors participate differently in the workforce. As the proportion of women in the workforceincreases, gender-based differences in workforce participation are raising important planning questions. For example,how will differences in hours worked per week impact on the number of trainee doctors required to meet futuredemand, why do some disciplines attract more women, what will be the impact on the practice of medicine if thesetrends continue and how does the training environment impact on variation in career decision. In this paper wesummarise and discuss the findings of recent research undertaken by the Australian Medical Workforce AdvisoryCommittee and outline some public policy responses.
What impact has managerialism hadon a New South Wales AreaHealth Service?
Authors: Beattie Belinda
Published: November 2018

In a perfect world, the health public sector would be completely efficient and effective. In reality, managers, policy-makers,politicians, academics, public sector employees and business representatives are constantly searching for newways to orientate the public sector towards being more cost-effective, accountable, results- and outcome-orientated, task-specificand better organised and structured. In New South Wales (NSW), this has been most apparent in endeavoursto bring about a change towards the philosophy of 'new managerial thinking' or corporate management. This paperexplores the hypothesis that managerialism has significantly influenced the culture of the New England Area HealthService (NEAHS) and its relationship with its staff. To test this hypothesis, between 1996-1997 a self-administeredquestionnaire survey form was sent to a sample of the NEAHS staff across all work sites and all levels. It is concludedthat during this time, the organisation was struggling with change management issues and the successfulimplementation of managerialist philosophy and its elements as evidenced by staff confusion, doubt and 'cultural shock'.
Future directions for Victoria's public maternity services: is this "what women want"?
Authors: Brown Stephanie J , Bruinsma Fiona
Published: November 2018

Background: Several state governments are
once again reviewing policies for the provision of
maternity care. This paper presents findings from
a state-wide Victorian survey of recent mothers
conducted in 2000 regarding women?s experiences
of antenatal care. We also offer some
reflections on the way in which results from this
and earlier Victorian surveys have been used,
somewhat selectively, to support the State Government?s
new framework for maternity services,
while other issues highlighted in the survey results
have been overlooked.
Design: Population-based postal survey mailed
to Victorian women who gave birth in a 2-week
period in September 1999, 5?6 months after
childbirth.
Results: 42% of women attending a public hospital
clinic described their antenatal care as ?very
good? compared with 73% of women attending a
birth centre, 59% attending private practitioners
for antenatal care but receiving public intrapartum
care (combined care), 56% attending a midwives
clinic, 53% receiving shared care and 84% of
women receiving private maternity care. The
social characteristics of women enrolling in different
models of care do not explain these differences.
Immigrant women were much less likely to
be happy with their care in pregnancy than Australian-
born women, with no improvement in ratings of care over more than a decade.
Tools for priority setting: lessons from South Australia
Authors: Leggat Sandra G , Scheil Wendy , Williams Helena , Kerin Kate
Published: November 2018

Background: This paper provides an overview of
the process and tools used to develop and implement
a priority setting framework for the Clinical
Senate of South Australia. Established as a clinical
advisory group to the Minister and Department
of Health, the Clinical Senate recognised the need
for an open priority setting process to fairly assign
planning resources to the large number of clinical
issues that needed to be addressed.
Discussion: Using a workbook, developed from
the literature and evidence related to priority setting,
agreement was reached on the use, components
and structure of the priority setting process.
The final products included a Gap Finder Tool and
a Priority Setting Framework.
Summary: This paper describes the process
used to develop the priority setting tools. Decision
makers in other organisations can use similar
processes and tools to develop or enhance their
priority Setting processes.
From the Book Review Editor
Authors: Day Gary E
Published: November 2018

IN THIS ISSUE of the Journal I am reviewing three texts with quite different themes, ranging from health
law and ethics to statistics for health managers and, finally, how different health systems assess and
control new technologies. Also in this edition is a watch on the wide range of reports that are released by
various Government and non-government departments and agencies across Australia. Due to the huge
number of reports released, it is not possible to review them all. However, AHR will attempt to highlight
particular reports of interest and provide you with a web address. Happy reading!!
Conserving forest biodiversity: A comprehensive multiscaled approach.
Authors: Recher HA
Published: November 2018

DAVID Lindenmayer and Jerry Franklin are the two
most influential forest conservation biologists of the
past decade and will probably remain so for the
coming decade. Each has contributed significantly to
forest research, management, biodiversity
conservation and policy. Lindenmayer is an
Australian based at the Australian National
University in Canberra who has worked mainly in the
temperate eucalypt forests of Victoria and
southeastern New South Wales. Most of his research
is wildlife oriented, with an emphasis on arboreal
marsupials and the impacts of forest management on
forest vertebrates. Franklin is an American at the
University of Washington, Seattle in the Pacific
Northwest. His research is more botanically oriented,
with an emphasis on the impacts of forest
management on forest structures (e.g., large trees and
logs) and processes. Of the two, Franklin has had the
greatest involvement in the political, economic and
social processes driving the modern change in
forestry practices and attitudes. Together they form a
formidable team to present a summary and an
analysis of how temperate forests globally can and
should be managed. Their goal is not just to enhance
biodiversity and other ecological values, but to
ensure the long-term sustainability of forest
ecosystems. Only when forests are managed
sustainably to protect biodiversity can forest
managers guarantee the many social and economic
benefits derived from the world’s forests, including
wood production.
Effect of treatment of cocoa-pods with Aspergillus niger on liveweight gain and cocoa-pod intake of Bali (Bos sondaicus) cattle in South-East Sulawesi
Authors: Saili T. , Marsetyo  , Poppi D. P. , Isherwood P. , Nafiu L. , Quigley S. P.
Published: November 2018

Cocoa-pods, a by-product of the cocoa industry, could potentially be used as a feed resource for ruminants in eastern Indonesia. However, little is known regarding the optimal amount to be included in the diet or the effect of treatment with Aspergillus niger on cocoa-pod quality. In this experiment the effect of rate of inclusion (0 or 10 g DM/kg liveweight.day or ad libitum) of A. niger-treated or untreated cocoa-pods in the diet on intake and liveweight gain of Bali cattle (Bos sondaicus) was investigated. Ad libitum intake of cocoa-pods was greater when they were treated with A. niger (17.1 ± 0.07 g DM/kg liveweight.day; mean ± s.e.m.) compared with untreated cocoa-pods (13.9 ± 0.19 g DM/kg liveweight.day) when offered as the sole component of the diet. The digestibility of A. niger-treated cocoa-pods (448.9 ± 23.7 g/kg) was not different to untreated cocoa-pods (422.9 ± 13.9 g/kg) when fed ad libitum, which was lower than native grass (527.2 ± 10.7 g/kg). Animals offered A. niger-treated cocoa-pods lost less liveweight than animals offered untreated cocoa-pods when offered ad libitum (–0.104 ± 0.02 and –0.280 ± 0.02 kg/day, respectively), and grew faster when included in the diet at 10 g DM/kg liveweight.day (0.233 ± 0.02 and 0.129 ± 0.02 kg/day, respectively). In conclusion, in areas where cocoa plantations exist, cocoa-pods may be a useful feed resource for ruminants when fed at low levels of inclusion in the diet. The treatment of cocoa-pods with A. niger will result in increased liveweight gain. However, it is unlikely such treatments will be adopted by small-holder farmers due to the increased requirements for inputs, such as time, labour, funds, equipment, and technical skills.
Stem cells, stem cell niche and antler development
Authors: Li Chunyi , Yang Fuhe , Suttie Jimmy
Published: November 2018

Annual full regeneration of deer antlers has been proved to be a stem cell-based process, and antler stem cells (ASC) reside in both antlerogenic periosteum (AP) and pedicle periosteum (PP). In this review, we first put forward a hypothesis that the closely associated skin is the primary component of ASC niche and then provide results testing this hypothesis. Membrane insertion experiments confirmed that interactions between ASC and the associated skin are indispensible for both antler generation and regeneration, and these are achieved through exchanging diffusible molecules. Intradermal AP transplantation study demonstrated that both epidermal and dermal papilla cells are involved in these interactions. Further, the AP inversion experiment indicated that the initial inductive signal originates from the ASC resident in the AP cellular layer, although the AP fibrous layer is naturally adjacent to skin. Experimental manipulation to the niche has profound effects on antler development. We believe that eventual identification of these interactive molecules will not only greatly enhance our knowledge of antler development, but also have significant impacts on regenerative medicine in general.
Meta-analysis to establish the response of having heavier mature ewes during gestation on the birthweight of the lamb and the weaning weight of the ewe and lamb
Authors: Schreurs N. M. , Kenyon P. R. , Morel P. C. H. , Morris S. T.
Published: November 2018

There is much uncertainty about feeding ewes to maximise the performance of progeny and of the ewe itself to weaning. This includes questions about feeding the ewe to influence the lamb’s birthweight for lamb survival, feeding to augment the ewe’s lactation to maximise the lamb’s growth potential before weaning and feeding the ewe to increase the probability of having multiple offspring. The objective of this study was to carry out a meta-analytic study to consider the response of having heavier mature ewes during gestation on lamb and ewe performance measured by birth and weaning weights. The birthweight of singleton lambs was the greatest, twins were intermediate and triplets the lowest (5.8, 4.8 and 4.1 kg, respectively; P < 0.001). A similar trend (P < 0.001) was observed for the weaning weight of the lamb (29.1, 25.2 and 23.7 kg for lambs weaned as a single, twin or triplet, respectively). The liveweight of ewe at weaning was greater (P < 0.001) for those ewes that failed to wean a lamb (69.6 kg) or weaned a single lamb (67.8 kg) compared with ewes that weaned twin and triplet lambs (64.8 and 65.3 kg; respectively). A greater ewe liveweight during gestation gave different responses on the lamb birthweight, lamb weaning weight and the weaning weight of the ewe and this was dependent on birth and weaning rank category of the lamb (P < 0.05). Overall, the response of heavier ewes on lamb birthweights and ewe and lamb weaning weights was small compared with the effect of birth and weaning rank of the lamb.
Effect of climate variability on pasture-based dairy feeding systems in south-east Australia
Authors: Özkan Şeyda , Hill Julian , Cullen Brendan
Published: November 2018

The Australian dairy industry relies primarily on pasture for its feed supply. However, the variability in climate affects plant growth, leading to uncertainty in dryland pasture supply. This paper models the impact of climate variability on pasture production and examines the potential of two pasture-based dairy feeding systems: (1) to experience winter deficits; (2) to carry forward the conserved pasture surpluses as silage for future use; and (3) to conserve pasture surpluses as hay. The two dairy feeding systems examined were a traditional perennial ryegrass-based feeding system (ryegrass max. – RM) and a system that incorporated double cropping into the perennial ryegrass pasture base (complementary forage – CF). The conditional probability of the RM and CF systems to generate pasture deficits in winter were 94% and 96%, respectively. Both systems could carry forward the surplus silage into the following lactation almost once in every 4–5 years with the RM system performing slightly better than the CF system. The proportions of the grain-based concentrates fed in the two systems were 25% and 27% for the RM and CF systems, respectively. This study suggests that double-cropping systems have the potential to provide high-quality feed to support the feed gaps when pasture is not available due to increased variability in climatic conditions.
Germination and storage behaviour of seeds of the subtropical evergreen tree Daphniphyllum glaucescens (Daphniphyllaceae)
Authors: Chien Ching-Te , Baskin Jerry M. , Baskin Carol C. , Chen Shun-Ying
Published: November 2018

Daphniphyllum glaucescens Blume ssp. oldhamii (Hemsl.) Huang is an important subtropical evergreen tree in Taiwan. Seeds of D. glaucescens have non-deep, simple, epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy, and a minimum of 10–12 weeks is required for the first step of seedling production, i.e. hypocotyl emergence. It is not known how to decrease the time for seedling production and how to store seeds for retention of viability. We determined the effects of (i) gibberellic acid and cold-stratification on germination (hypocotyl emergence) and (ii) storage temperature and seed moisture content (MC) on germinability. Exogenous application of GA3 and of GA4 promoted germination and increased the germination rate. Moist cold-stratification at 5°C also promoted germination; the longer the stratification period, the faster the rate of germination. More than 70% of seeds (fresh seeds, MC = 37.6%) dried to an MC of 6.4%, 8.5% and 25.5% (fresh weight basis) retained germinability after a 1-month storage at 5°C, whereas germination percentage decreased to 0–2% after a 12-month storage at the same temperature. Germination percentage of seeds dried to the same MC and stored at 15°C decreased to 0% after 8 months, whereas seeds stored at −20°C did not germinate even after just 1 month of storage. The present evidence suggests that seeds of D. glaucescens have intermediate rather than orthodox or recalcitrant storage behaviour.
Mycosporine-like amino acids profile and their activity under PAR and UVR in a hot-spring cyanobacterium Scytonema sp. HKAR-3
Authors: Rastogi Rajesh P. , Richa  , Singh Shailendra P. , Häder Donat-P. , Sinha Rajeshwar P.
Published: November 2018

The cyanobacterium Scytonema sp. HKAR-3 isolated from a hot spring in India was investigated for the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and their induction under PAR and PAR+UVR. High-performance liquid-chromatograph (HPLC) analysis revealed the presence of two MAAs, mycosporine–glycine (λmax = 310 nm) and an unknown MAA-334 (λmax = 334 nm), with retention times of 4.1 and 8.7 min, respectively. This is the first report for the presence of two MAAs and, in particular, the synthesis of mycosporine–glycine in any strain of Scytonema. There was no effect of radiation type (PAR or PAR+UVR) on the synthesis of mycosporine–glycine; however, the synthesis of MAA-334 was found to be higher in samples receiving PAR+UVR than in those receiving PAR only. There was a circadian induction in the synthesis of MAAs under alternate 12-h light (PAR or PAR+UVR) and dark periods. MAAs were found to be induced mostly during the light period and their production dropped again during the dark period. This suggests that the synthesis of MAAs is an energy-dependent process and depends on solar energy for its maintenance in natural habitats.
Hydrogen peroxide generated by copper amine oxidase involved in adventitious root formation in mung bean hypocotyl cuttings
Authors: She Xiao-Ping , Huang Ai-Xia , Ren Yun
Published: November 2018

The role of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated by copper-containing diamine oxidases (CuAO) in adventitious rooting in mung bean hypocotyl was studied. The physiological data show that aminoguanidine (AG), an irreversible inhibitor of CuAO, inhibited adventitious rooting significantly. Among major catalysed and metabolised products or substrates of CuAO, only H2O2 obviously induced adventitious rooting and notably reversed the inhibitory effect of AG on adventitious rooting. The spatio-temporal change of CuAO activity in the rooting region of hypocotyls was histochemically measured using a peroxidase-coupled assay with the artificial substrate 3,3-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride (DAB) as chromogen. DAB staining was detected in the parenchyma tissue between the vascular bundles, where roots originated before the emergence of root primordium, and then in the forming root primordium. With the origination of adventitious roots, the density and area of DAB staining increased rapidly. Most cells in root primodium had an evidently DAB staining, and strong staining mostly distributed in root meristem. H2O2, which was detected with the H2O2-sensitive probe 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate, had a similar change to CuAO activity in this process. AG largely suppressed DAB staining and H2O2 fluorescence, and prevented root primordium formation. Taken together, these results clearly prove that, CuAO is responsible for H2O2 production during adventitious rooting, and H2O2 generated by CuAO is required for adventitious rooting in mung bean hypocotyls.
Functional dynamics of energy variables and their impacts on growth and population attributes of a woody perennial at arid wasteland
Authors: Mathur Manish
Published: November 2018

Different forms of energy, such as radiation energy (photosnthtecially active radiation), thermal energy (factors that determine climate) and Gibbs free energy (chemical form of energy released by the catabolic processes of intermediary metabolism, retained within energy molecules such as ATP and NADPH, and then used either to build new tissue or to perform physiological work), and their availability affect the various aspects of species intrinsic as well extrinsic parameters. In the present investigation, various energy variables (latent heat, energy availability (PET), energy-water balance (AET) and net radiation), maintenance and construction respiration, net and gross primary productivity, growth and community attributes were quantified for a desert woody annual plant Corchorus depressus inhabiting different wastelands. The study was conducted in two consecutive years and the samplings were carried out during three distinct seasonal events, including rain (pulse), winter (inter-pulse) and summer (no-pulse event). Student’s t-test showed significant variation among the parameters quantified. Negative relationships of net primary production and gross primary production with heat index were established. Among the solar-energy variables, incoming solar radiation exhibited linear positive relationship with relative importance value of C. depressus, seed output, and a power positive relationship with percentage cover. Total respiration as well as construction cost also exhibited positive relationships with above traits of C. depressus. These results confirmed efficient energy-utilisation ability of this species that indirectly produces strong competence to other invading species, and such efficient species would be a suitable choice for wasteland management and rehabilitation.
Binary Ionic Liquid System for Direct Cellulose Etherification
Authors: Kakibe Takeshi , Nakamura Satoshi , Amakuni Kiyokazu , Kishi Hajime
Published: November 2018

Etherification of cellulose was performed using a mixture of ionic liquids (ILs) playing roles in both cellulose dissolution and catalysis. We investigated the effects of the reaction time and the ratio of these ILs in the mixture. Cellulose etherification was performed in these IL mixtures. The proportion of propoxy cellulose exceeded 2.5 after 24 h.
Mechanosynthesis of
Authors: Khaligh Nader Ghaffari , Ling Ong Chiu , Mihankhah Taraneh , Johan Mohd Rafie , Ching Juan Joon
Published: November 2018

1,1′-(1,4-Butanediyl)bis(imidazole) was prepared by a modified method and its application as an efficient promoter was demonstrated for the mechanosynthesis of N-methyl imines using ball milling as a non-conventional process under solvent-free conditions. In this new protocol design, the bis-imidazole acted as a recyclable acid-scavenging agent. This efficient approach to the N-methyl imines displays a combination of the synthetic virtues of a non-conventional condensation reaction with ecological benefits and convenience of a facile mechanosynthetic process. The current method has advantages such as reduced waste by avoiding solvent, exclusion of hazardous materials during the reaction, elimination of handling an anhydrous gas in an evacuated container or a solution of methylamine in ethanol, good yields for relatively unreactive benzaldehydes containing electron-donating substituents, short reaction times, and metal- and acid-free conditions. Furthermore, the promoter was easily regenerated and reused several times with no significant loss of activity.
Phylogeny and revision of the New World seed-feeding bruchine genus Gibbobruchus Pic (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Manfio D. , Ribeiro-Costa C. S. , Caron E.
Published: November 2018

Gibbobruchus Pic, 1913 belongs to the subtribe Acanthoscelidina, which encompasses ~50% of the subfamily Bruchinae (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae). These species are distributed in the Americas and are mainly associated with Bauhinia seeds (Fabaceae). The monophyly of Gibbobruchus and its species groups were tested based on 26 adult morphological characters and 15 taxa. Of these taxa, 13 species were recognised including two new species, G. vinicius, sp. nov. and G. bolivianus, sp. nov. Gibbobruchus is monophyletic and supported by seven synapomorphies. The currently proposed composition of species groups is: Group speculifer: G. speculifer, G. ornatus, G. vinicius, Manfio & Ribeiro-Costa, sp. nov.; Group polycoccus: G. polycoccus; Group wunderlini: G. wunderlini; Group scurra: G. cavillator, G. bolivianus, Manfio & Ribeiro-Costa, sp. nov., G. scurra; and Group mimus: G. guanacaste, G. iturbidensis, G. mimus, G. cristicollis, G. divaricatae. A lectotype is designated for G. triangularis and a neotype for G. mimus; two new synonyms are proposed: Gibbobruchus cavillator (Fåhraeus, 1839) = Gibbobruchus triangularis (Pic, 1926) syn. nov. = Gibbobruchus nigronotatus (Pic, 1931) syn. nov. Four species have new distribution records. An identification key for the species, descriptions, redescriptions, and illustrations, are also provided.
Cryptic species of Nereididae (Annelida : Polychaeta) on Australian coral reefs
Authors: Glasby Christopher J. , Wei Nu-Wei V. , Gibb Karen S.
Published: November 2018

We investigate the presence of cryptic species among three highly variable nereidid polychaetes commonly found in Australian coral reefs − Nereis denhamensis Augener, 1913, Perinereis suluana (Horst, 1924) and Pseudonereis anomala Gravier, 1901 − based on morphological and molecular data (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI, and nuclear histone H3). DNA extracted and sequenced from 70 specimens from northern Australia and the Philippines indicated the existence of eight species: three matched the types of existing species; four are newly described (Nereis heronensis, sp. nov., N. lizardensis, sp. nov., Perinereis pictilis, sp. nov. and Pseudonereis anomalopsis, sp. nov.) from NE Australia, and one species is described but not named due to lack of material. Nereis denhamensis, N. heronensis, sp. nov. and N. lizardensis, sp. nov. are distinguished from each other by proboscidial paragnath number and morphology of the metamorphosed female. Perinereis suluana can only be separated from P. pictilis, sp. nov. by colour pattern, while Pseudonereis anomala, P. anomalopsis, sp. nov. and P. sp. differ in colour pattern and the number and arrangement of paragnaths. Nereis (Lycoris) tydemani from Maluku, Indonesia, is newly synonymised with P. anomala. Divergence times estimated using COI indicated that speciation in all three groups occurred in the mid Miocene (20–17 ± 7 mya), which corresponds to a period of restricted east–west dispersal as Australia collided with the Indo-Malay archipelago, followed by range expansion opportunities in NE Australia as a result of flourishing coral reefs responding to warming seas and rising sea levels.
Morphological and molecular insights on Megalothorax: the largest Neelipleona genus revisited (Collembola)
Authors: Schneider Clément , D'Haese Cyrille A.
Published: November 2018

The genus Megalothorax Willem, 1900 is redefined along with a redescription of the type species M. minimus Willem, 1900 and the description of five new species (M. granulosus, sp. nov., M. nigropunctatus, sp. nov., M. perspicillum, sp. nov., M. svalbardensis, sp. nov. and M. willemi, sp. nov.). We describe and comment on broad sets of discriminating characters for Megalothorax systematics. For the first time, trichobothria are recorded for Neelipleona, probably of generic importance. The described species are provided with DNA data (COI, 16S and 28S) and included in a molecular-based phylogenetic analysis. The traditional distinction between minimus-group and incertus-group is discussed in the light of DNA and morphology components. A key to the worldwide Megalothorax species is provided.
On the New World spiders previously misplaced in Leptopholcus: molecular and morphological analyses and descriptions of four new species (Araneae : Pholcidae)
Authors: Huber Bernhard A. , Carvalho Leonardo S. , Benjamin Suresh P.
Published: November 2018

The generic placement of New World pholcids assigned to the genus Leptopholcus Simon, 1893 has long been questioned and recent molecular data have shown that Caribbean (Hispaniolan) representatives are more closely related to the Old World genus Micropholcus Deeleman-Reinhold & Prinsen, 1987 than to ‘true’ African Leptopholcus (Dimitrov, Astrin and Huber 2013, Cladistics 29: 132–146). Here we provide new molecular (16S, 18S, 28S, COI, H3, WNT1) and morphological data about Caribbean (Cuban, Puerto Rican) and South American (Brazilian) representatives, supporting the sister-group relationship with Micropholcus and suggesting a monophyletic New World clade that in turn consists of a Caribbean and a South American clade. The ten New World species previously assigned to Leptopholcus are thus transferred to Micropholcus for which an emended diagnosis is provided: M. baoruco (Huber, 2006), comb. nov.; M. brazlandia (Huber, Pérez & Baptista, 2005), comb. nov.; M. dalei (Petrunkevitch, 1929), comb. nov.; M. delicatulus (Franganillo, 1930), comb. nov.; M. evaluna (Huber, Pérez & Baptista, 2005), comb. nov.; M. hispaniola (Huber, 2000), comb. nov.; M. jamaica (Huber, 2000), comb. nov.; M. kiskeya (Huber & Wunderlich, 2006), comb. nov.; M. pataxo (Huber, Pérez & Baptista, 2005), comb. nov.; M. toma (Huber, 2006), comb. nov. Four Brazilian species are newly described: M. piaui, sp. nov.; M. piracuruca, sp. nov.; M. crato, sp. nov.; M. ubajara, sp. nov. Natural history data are provided for M. piaui and M. ubajara.
Evolution of host use, group-living and foraging behaviours in kleptoparasitic spiders: molecular phylogeny of the Argyrodinae (Araneae : Theridiidae)
Authors: Su Yong-Chao , Smith Deborah
Published: November 2018

Spiders in the subfamily Argyrodinae are known for their associations with other spiders. These associations include predation (araneophagy), web usurpation and kleptoparasitism. Although the majority of the 239 described species are solitary, ~20 species live in groups in the webs of their hosts. We constructed a molecular phylogeny of argyrodine genera and species in order to investigate (1) the evolution of araneophagy and kleptoparasitism, and (2) group-living and its association with particular types of host webs. We investigated the phylogeny of 41 primarily Asian and American species representing six recognised genera of Argyrodinae, using sequences of four genes: mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA (16S); and nuclear 28S rRNA (28S) and histone 3 (H3). We used Bayesian methods to reconstruct the ancestral states of three behavioural characters: foraging method, group-living and specialisation on large webs of large hosts. We tested for correlated evolution of group-living behaviour and specialisation on large webs using reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The molecular phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the Argyrodinae. Reconstruction of ancestral states shows the evolutionary pathway of web-invading behaviour in Argyrodinae is from araneophagy to kleptoparasitism, and then to group-living kleptoparasitism. We found the evolution of group-living behaviour is strongly correlated with specialisation on the use of large host webs, which provide a larger food resource than smaller webs.
Populations of Barracouta, Thyrsites atun (Euphrasen), in Australian Waters.
Authors: Blackburn M , Gartner PE
Published: November 2018

Different populations of barracouta (Scombriformes: Acinaceidae), the
principal Australian fish of commerce, have been recognized by a study of
differences in the following: spawning season; size composition of adult stock;
and seasonal movements and annual fluctuations as revealed by records of
catch and fishing effort. Tagging experiments gave little information because
of the low rate of commercial exploitation of the populations.
There are probably five populations in southern coastal waters, which
make migrations to certain areas as follows: one in winter and spring to
eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales, one from spring to autumn
to Bass Strait and its western approaches, one in summer and autumn to
eastern Tasmania, one in autumn and winter to South Australia and western
Victoria, and one (possibly not distinct from the previous population) in
autumn and winter to the south coast of Western Australia. Spawning and
feeding take place in the course of these migrations. Little is known about the
populations when they are not migrating, but the three first-mentioned groups
all appear to seek the neighbourhood of eastern Bass Strait between the
migratory seasons. The fish prefer waters of about 13-180C and tend to
vacate areas when they become cooler or warmer than this.
Only the Bass Strait and eastern Tasmanian populations are significantly
fished and the size of the catches is generally governed by the demand.
However, there have been occasional years of scarcity, such as 1950-51 and
1951-52 in Bass Strait and 1951-52 in eastern Tasmania. These represent
natural fluctuations (there is no evidence of depletion of any population) and
for the Bass Strait population they are probably fluctuations in availability in
the fishing areas rather than in abundance of the whole population. It is
considered that the combined Australian populations could yield 10 times as
much as the present annual catch of 6,000,000 Ib (beheaded and cleaned)
when fluctuations were not adverse.
Relationship between seagrass standing crop and the spatial distribution and abundance of the natantian fauna at Green Island, Northern Queensland
Authors: Mellors JE , Marsh H
Published: November 2018

The natantian fauna of the seagrass bed at Green Island (16°46'S,145°58'E) was sampled monthly at
night by using a small beam trawl along three transects. Most of the catch consisted of members of
the caridean families Processidae, Palaemonidae and Hippolytidae (in order of numerical abundance).
The remainder consisted of members of the penaeidean families Sergestidae and Penaeidae. Seagrass
standing crop and a living-space index correlated significantly with the abundances of carids but not
those of penaeids. The most appropriate regression models explaining the variation in processid and
palaemonid densities included only the living-space index and explained between 25 and 38% of the
variance. The most appropriate model for the abundance of the hippolytid family was a combination
of living-space index and standing crop, which explained 21% of the variance.
Sediment metabolism in a transitional continental - marine area: The Albufera of Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)
Authors: Lopez P , Vidal M , Lluch X , Morgui JA
Published: November 2018

The concentrations of nutrients in sediment pore water and the fluxes of nutrients at the water-sediment interface were measured in a channel that joins continental and marine areas in the Albufera of Majorca in order to evaluate the role of sediments in the nutrient dynamics in this system.
Upstream, surficial pore water presented lower values of Eh, which became negative in summer, whereas downstream Eh remained positive. Nutrient concentrations were especially high upstream, reaching 1000 mol L-1 of NH4 and 75 μmol L-1 of PO4 during summer.
In summer, measured fluxes showed intense respiration upstream, with an oxygen consumption of 130 mg m-2 h-1 and a respiratory quotient near 4, which indicates dominance of anaerobic respiration. Total CO2 efflux and nutrient fluxes were also high, reaching 30.50 mmol m-2 h-1 for CO2, >2000 μmol m-2 h-1 for NH4 and 58 μmol m-2 h-1 for PO4. A substantial amount of the total CO2 efflux (14 mmol m-2 h-1) was due to calcium carbonate redissolution. Downstream, oxygen consumption, respiratory quotient and ammonium fluxes were lower (around 70 mg m-2 h-1, between 2 and 3, and <20 μmol m-2 h-1, respectively), which indicates a moderate rate of decomposition activity and suggests denitrification as the main respiratoy process. Differences between fluxes measured 'in situ' and those calculated from pore-water concentrations indicated non-diffusive fluxes upstream and suggest substantial denitrifying activity downstream.

Extra keywords: benthic chambers, sediment fluxes, pore water, ammonium, phosphate.
Controlling mechanisms of sediment-driven dissolved oxygen dynamics in New Bedford Outer Harbour
Authors: Kolb BH , Heineman MC
Published: November 2018

A summer-long monitoring programme investigated mechanisms controlling near-bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in New Bedford Outer Harbor, a shallow embayment on the southern Massachusetts coast that receives discharge from a 1.3 m3 s-1 municipal sewage outfall. Continuously recording meters and hydrographic cruises measured DO, temperature, salinity, meteorology, waves and/or currents. The programme quantified the magnitude, spatial extent and duration of oxygen undersaturation in the bottom waters. Summer stratification of New Bedford Outer Harbor reduced reaeration of the bottom waters. Depletion of near-bottom DO was strongly correlated with the presence and duration (though not intensity) of stratification. Stratification is typically thermal, a result of seasonal warming of the water surface, although it can become enhanced (and somewhat salinity driven) owing to the influx of cold saline bottom water following major storm events. Destratification is caused by high wind speed or a drop in 24-h average air temperatures below the water temperature. The decrease in DO concentrations when the water column is stratified is directly related to local sediment oxygen demand. In general, DO dynamics were found to be local and fundamentally one dimensional.
Trace element composition in sediments of the Amazonian Lake Cristalino
Authors: Ferraz ESB , Fernandes EAN
Published: November 2018

Lake Cristalino is a small lake adjacent to the Negro River near Manaus (03�08'S, 60�06'W) and not far from the Arnazonas River, in the central Amazon basin. The lake is fed seasonally by waters of the Negro River, a blackwater river with low levels of nutrients and suspended solids (7 g m-3). However, some investigations have established that Lake Cristalino has a high sedimentation rate (0.4-0.5 cm year-1) similar to those in the alluvial floodplain lakes of the Arnazonas River (suspended solids 200-300 g m-3). Sediment cores were taken during the low-water period and the trace-element composition and the natural radioactivity in the lake were examined. The results show a core (31 cm length) relatively uniform in concentrations of trace elements (Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, Yb and Zn), and the presence of 137Cs in the first half. Concentrations of trace elements in Lake Cristalino sediments were not correlated with concentrations in the sediments of its parent river, the Negro River, or with concentrations in soils of the local area. However, significant correlation was found between the sediments of the lake and those of the Amazonas River. On the basis of these results, and water-level data at Manaus port, it is concluded that the lake occasionally receives variable amounts of sediment from the Amazonas River.
Distribution of aluminium from alum sludge in water and sediment
Authors: Abdullah MP , Baba I , Sarmani S , Erdawati
Published: November 2018

Aluminium sulfate is generally used as a primary coagulant in most municipal water treatment plants. The sludge produced is often discharged back into the river. Depending on the physicochemical properties of the river water, aluminium from the sludge will become soluble and form various species that may be toxic to aquatic life. This study is an attempt to look at the effect of alum sludge dumping on the distribution of various aluminium species in the Linggi River of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, which is used as source of raw water for the Linggi Water Treatment Plant. The result showed that the total aluminium concentrations in the five sampling stations located upstream and downstream of the dumping point along the river were 0.48-1.14 mg L-1, of which labile aluminium was 0.37-0.56 mg L-1 and non-labile aluminium was 0.12-0.58 mg L-1. Statistical analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in aluminium concentration in the water along the river. However, total aluminium concentration in the sediments increased significantly downstream from the water plant, indicating that aluminium from the sludge dumping may accumulate in the sediment.
Biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and trace metals in anoxic freshwater sediments of the Neckar River, Germany
Authors: Song Y , Muller G
Published: November 2018

Pore-water components (SO42-, Fe2+, Mn2+), including nutrients (NH4+:, NO3-, PO43-), alkalinity and pH were determined at three sites in the Neckar River. Sequential extraction procedures and trace metals in both pore waters and sediments are reported in order to evaluate the mobility of trace metals in contaminated sediments. The results show that the mineralization of organic matter plays an important role in the cycling of nutrients and trace metals. Pore-water profiles (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd) suggest that the element maximums at the sediment-water interface are caused by the decomposition of biomass. Low concentrations of dissolved Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd in the anoxic sediments can be explained by a sharp decrease of SO42- in pore water concomitant with HS- production. This leads to the formation of highly insoluble metal sulfides. Solubility calculations show that the sediments act as a sink for trace metals with respect to trace metal sulfides. The organic/sulfidic-bound fraction accounts for 64-81% of Cd in the sediment cores, 36-67% of Pb and 51-69% of Cu. In contrast, Cr in pore water increases with depth because of its release from Fe/Mn oxides. NH4+ and PO43- are also released into the pore water owing to the mineralization of organic matter. No significant fluxes of NH4+ and PO43- into overlying water were found because of the existence of an oxic surface layer.
Relation between mercury concentration and water discharge in the Katun River, Siberia
Authors: Sukhenko SA
Published: November 2018

Some results of a study of the pattern of mercury (Hg) occurrence in the Katun River were used to identify the main origin of Hg in the water. A relatively simple method based on statistical analysis of concentration-discharge and load-discharge relationships was applied. The behaviour of these curves is quite different for flows polluted by sources of different origins, making it possible to separate the loads caused by point and diffuse sources. The results do not show a clear prevalence of point Hg sources, at least for hydrological periods when the water discharges are close to annual average values or higher. The results do reveal that, for the Katun River, a particular mining activity (i.e. an Hg smelter) on a tributary is not the dominant Hg source and that the contribution to the river load of surface runoff washing off Hg from the whole drainage basin may be significant.
Heavy metals in intact and resuspended sediments of a California reservoir, with emphasis on potential bioavailability of copper and zinc
Authors: Slotton DG , Reuter JE
Published: November 2018

Alternatives to a bulk sediment metals approach were used to characterize the potential bioavailability of sediment zinc, copper, and cadmium in a California reservoir affected by historic mining wastes. Acid volatile sulfide (AVS) concentrations in the sediment were compared, on a molar basis, to metals that were extracted simultaneously with AVS. Acid volatile sulfide binding accounted for approximately 24% of the acid-soluble Zn, Cu, and Cd from shallow sediments and 81% from the deeper, depositional sediments. Metal sulfide solubility relations predicted the dissolved zinc: copper ratio that was found in interstitial water. The behaviour of sediment metals upon resuspension into overlying water was also investigated, using a calibrated, portable resuspension device on intact sediment cores. Total metals concentrations in overlying water demonstrated a significant positive, exponential relationship with resuspension energy. In time-series settling experiments, total metals concentrations declined exponentially in hours to days as particles fell out of solution. The most notable finding was that dissolved metals (0.45 �m filtration) did not increase significantly above background water column concentrations at any resuspension energy and remained low throughout time series up to 120 h. This suggests the presence of alternate metals-binding capacity in the sediments in addition to AVS. Zinc exhibited lower dissolved concentrations in overlying water with increasing resuspension.
Models to predict net and gross sedimentation in lakes
Authors: Hakanson L
Published: November 2018

This study models net and gross sedimentation in lakes. The fluxes of material play an important role in most lake contexts. They influence transport, bio-uptake and ecological effects of most toxins and nutrients. The aim is to present a new type of 'mixed' dynamic/statistical model and to discuss advantages and disadvantages with this approach. Empirical data to validate the model emanate from sediment traps from 25 lakes. Rates of gross sedimentation in traps were compared to catchment and morphometric parameters determined from maps in an attempt to identify the processes that influence sedimentation. The most important variables are relative depth (linked to resuspension), forest and open land cover (of the near area of the catchment), relief of catchment, coverage of mires and lakes, and the lake water retention time. This study shows that it is easy to lose predictive power in dynamic models relative to empirical models, in which each parameter constant and x-parameter automatically accounts for the complexities in natural ecosystems. In dynamic models empirical knowledge is replaced by logical constructions, which may not be accurate. The mixed model would need to be extended with new large submodels to predict, for example mean distribution coefficient of total-P in tributaries, tributary suspended load, rate of sedimentation and resuspension rate. This would result in a huge 'prescriptive' model with wide uncertainty limits for the predicted mean values for net and gross sedimentation.