bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No One Knows: Offenders with learning disabilities and learning difficulties
Authors: Talbot J.
Published: August 2009

No One Knows is concerned about people with learning disabilities and difficulties who get into trouble with the police and who enter the criminal justice system. The terms ‘learning difficulties’ and ‘learning difficulties’ are often used interchangeably to describe people with an intellectual disability, excluding those who, for example, have dyslexia or Asperger syndrome. No One Knows, however, has adopted a more inclusive approach and has included in its remit offenders with learning disabilities as defined by the World Health Organization as well as those with a broader range of learning difficulties. Although there is some discrepancy on prevalence, it is clear that high numbers of people with
learning disabilities and difficulties are caught up in the criminal justice system. Once in the criminal justice system it is unlikely that an individual with learning disabilities or
difficulties will be identified or that their support needs will be met. This causes difficulties for the individual concerned and for the staff who work with them, who receive little or no training for working with this group of people. The question of whether people with learning disabilities (meaning intellectual disabilities) should be diverted from the criminal justice system is considered.
‘Hearing Voices’: Punishing women’s mental ill‐health in Northern Ireland’s jails
Authors: Scraton P. , Moore L
Published: August 2009

Informed by primary interviews and observational research conducted by the authors with women prisoners in Northern Ireland, this article focuses on prison as an institutional manifestation of women’s powerlessness and vulnerability, particularly those enduring mental ill‐health. It contextualises their experiences within continua of violence and ‘unsafety’. It also considers official responses to critical inspection reports and those of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission based on the authors’ research findings. Finally, the primary research demonstrates that three decades on from publication the first critical analyses of women’s imprisonment, the conditions of gendered
marginalisation, medicalisation and punishment remain. This is brought into stark relief in the punitive regimes imposed on those most vulnerable through mental ill‐health.
Short- and long-term memory contributions to immediate serial recognition: Evidence from serial position effects
Authors: Purser Harry , Jarrold Christopher
Published: August 2009

A long-standing body of research supports the existence of separable short- and long-term memory systems, relying on phonological and semantic codes, respectively. The aim of the current study was to measure the contribution of long-term knowledge to short-term memory performance by looking for evidence of phonologically and semantically coded storage within a short-term recognition task, among developmental samples. Each experimental trial presented 4-item lists. In Experiment 1 typically developing children aged 5 to 6 years old showed evidence of phonologically coded storage across all 4 serial positions, but evidence of semantically coded storage at Serial Positions 1 and 2. In a further experiment, a group of individuals with Down syndrome was investigated as a test case that might be expected to use semantic coding to support short-term storage, but these participants showed no evidence of semantically coded storage and evidenced phonologically coded storage only at Serial Position 4, suggesting that individuals with Down syndrome have a verbal short-term memory capacity of 1 item. Our results suggest that previous evidence of semantic effects on “short-term memory performance” does not reflect semantic coding in short-term memory itself, and provide an experimental method for researchers wishing to take a relatively pure measure of verbal short-term memory capacity, in cases where rehearsal is unlikely.
Advocacy Coalitions and Change in National Forest Wilderness Policies
Authors: Davis Charles
Published: August 2009

National forest wilderness policies have changed considerably in terms of which political institutions make key decisions and factors that help us understand why policy shifts occurred since the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. Despite early efforts by Forest Service officials to limit the size and number of wilderness areas within national forests, their influence was curtailed by an activist Congress that was strongly predisposed to protect roadless areas from the mid-1960s through the early 1990s. However, subsequent efforts to push state national forest wilderness bills were thwarted by a change in Congressional leadership less sensitive to environmental values and other factors. This was followed by a major venue shift involving one President's efforts to create new wilderness areas via rulemaking, and the subsequent President's attempts to reverse or limit the scope of such efforts. Over time, influence over national forest wilderness decisions is analyzed using the advocacy coalition framework to trace its evolution from an agency-based perspective to a lengthy period of Congressional dominance, and, more recently, to a process that is increasing influenced by the President.
Self-consistent analysis of the effect of runaway electrons on plasma facing components in ITER
Authors: Sizyuk V. , Hassanein A.
Published: August 2009

Physical and computational models are developed, used and benchmarked for studying the response of ITER tokamak plasma facing components to runaway electron impact following a plasma disruption. The energy deposition, temperature evolution and material melting thickness are calculated for a wide range of runaway electron parameters, namely, electron kinetic energy, magnetic field, energy partition ratio (along and across magnetic field direction) impact duration, and wall material composition. It is shown that the electron energy partition ratio will have a significant effect on the wall heat load with melting of the first wall with beryllium armor possible. If tungsten armor is used instead, the surface of the mockup is overheated and melted for all ranges of studied parameters of the runaway electrons. Using an insert of a thin layer of a high-Z material inside the beryllium armor can mitigate the heat load in the armor and heat sink structure.
Formation process of tungsten nanostructure by the exposure to helium plasma under fusion relevant plasma conditions
Authors: Kajita Shin , Sakaguchi Wataru , Ohno Noriyasu , Yoshida Naoaki , Saeki Tsubasa
Published: August 2009

Helium irradiation on tungsten changes the surface morphology dramatically by forming a nanometre-sized fibreform structure which could bring about serious problems for fusion reactors. From the experimental results in liner divertor simulators, it is revealed that the incident ion energy and surface temperature are key parameters for the formation of the structure. It is shown that the tungsten nanostructure is easily formed when the temperature is in the range 1000–2000 K, and the incident ion energy is higher than 20 eV. Furthermore, on the basis of the helium irradiation experiments performed in the divertor simulator NAGDIS-I, the initial formation process of the nanostructure is revealed. It is shown that the nanostructure formation is related to pinholes appearing on the bulk part of the material, and then, the rough structure develops to a much finer nanostructure. The nanostructure was also observed on the molybdenum surface that was exposed to the helium plasma. It increases interest in the possibility that nanostructure formation by helium irradiation is a common phenomenon that occurs on various metals.
The impact of the current density profile on heat transport and pedestal structure in JT-60U
Authors: Urano H. , Sakamoto Y. , Suzuki T. , Fujita T. , Kamiya K. , Isayama A. , Kamada Y. , Takenaga H. , Oyama N. , Matsunaga G. , Ide S. , Idomura Y.
Published: August 2009

H-modes operated at higher l
i with the current ramp down have shown higher energy confinement with higher density in JT-60U. The H-factor evaluated for the core plasma depends strongly on l
i with the relation of
for the case without sawtooth activities. Centre peaked profiles of electron density and electron temperature are obtained in high l
i H-modes. While the peripheral current density profiles are largely modified by the current ramp, the pedestal pressure is not significantly changed. The enhanced energy confinement in high l
i H-modes is attributed to the core improvement with the peaked profiles of electron density and electron temperature while no explicit difference in pedestal profile is observed. The electron heat diffusivity is reduced at the plasma core in the high l
i case, resulting in the centre peaked T
e profile while the T
i profiles are approximately unchanged.
Electroacupuncture Zusanli (ST36) on Release of Nitric Oxide in the Gracile Nucleus and Improvement of Sensory Neuropathies in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats
Authors: Rong Pei-Jing , Ma Sheng-Xing
Published: August 2009

The purpose of these studies was to examine the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) Zusanli (ST36) on release of nitric oxide (NO) in the gracile nucleus (GN) and determine if functional neuropathic changes were modified by EA ST36‐induced NO in the nucleus in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. The foot withdrawal responses to mechanical, thermal and cold stimuli were measured before and after EA stimulation. A microdialysis probe was implanted in the GN and dialysate samples were collected 20 min before, during and after EA ST36. Total nitrate and nitrite () concentrations in the samples were quantified by using chemiluminescence. The baseline dialysate concentrations in the GN were decreased in ZDF rats compared to lean control (LC) rats (P< .05). In ZDF rats, dialysate releases in the GN were markedly increased during EA ST36, whereas in LC rats, the releases were moderately enhanced at 20–40 min after EA ST36. The withdrawal latencies to mechanical, cold and thermal stimuli were significantly improved 20 min after EA ST36 both in LC and ZDF rats, but not altered by non‐acupoint stimulation. The withdrawal latencies to EA ST36 were further potentiated by 3‐morpholinyl‐sydnoneimine and inhibited by NG‐Propyl‐l‐arginine infused into the GN in ZDF rats (P< .05). These results show that EA ST36 increases NO release in the GN, and NO in the nucleus modifies withdrawal latencies to mechanical, cold, and thermal nociception stimuli. Data suggest that EA ST36 induces NO release in the GN, which contributes to improvement of sensory neuropathies in rats.
Pharmaceutical Networks: The Political Economy of Drug Development in the United States, 1945–1980
Authors: Tobbell Dominique A.
Published: August 2009

Pharmaceutical Networksdescribes how American drug firms,biomedical researchers, physicians, and Congressional reformers shaped the research, regulatory, and policy environments for prescription drugs in the three decades after World War II. In these decades, pharmaceutical reformers in Congress sought to secure passage of legislation that would increase the government's control over drug development, distribution, and practice. They proposed these reforms as a way of curbing the high cost of prescription drugs and putting a break on the escalating health care costs. To defend itself against this reform movement, the American drug industry built alliances with research universities, medical schools, and professional medical societies by offering to the medical and academic communities solutions to their shared problems. These problems included a shortage of biomedical workers and the increasing authority of the government over medical practice.
Variability in the density and sound-speed of coastal zooplankton and nekton
Authors: Forman Krissy A. , Warren Joseph D.
Published: August 2009

Forman, K. A., and Warren, J. D. 2010. Variability in the density and sound-speed of coastal zooplankton and nekton. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 10–18. Acoustic sampling techniques provide an advantage over traditional net-sampling by increasing scientist ability to survey a large area in a relatively short period, as well as providing higher-resolution data in the vertical and horizontal dimensions. To convert acoustic data into measures of biological organisms, physics-based scattering models are often used. Such models use several parameters to predict the amount of sound scattered by a fluid-like or weakly scattering animal. Two important input parameters are the density (g) and sound-speed (h) contrasts of the animal and the surrounding seawater. The density and sound-speed contrasts were measured for coastal zooplankton and nekton species including shrimps (Palaemonetes pugio and Crangon septemspinosa), fish (Fundulus majalis and Fundulus heteroclitus), and polychaetes (Nereis succinea and Glycera americana) along with multiple physiological and environmental variables. Factors such as animal size, feeding status, fecundity, gender, and maturity caused variations in g. The variations in g observed for these animals could lead to large differences (or uncertainties) in abundance estimates based on acoustic scattering models and field-collected backscatter data. It may be important to use a range of values for g and h in the acoustic scattering models used to convert acoustic data into estimates of the abundance of marine organisms.
First Report of Podosphaera alpina f. alpina on Tolmiea menziesii in Washington State and British Columbia
Authors: Putnicki Lydia S. , Glawe Dean A.
Published: August 2009

Tolmiea menziesii (Pursh) Torr. & A. Gray (Saxifragaceae, piggyback plant) is an understory species typically sold as an ornamental houseplant. We recently made several collections of T. menzii in Washington and British Columbia with powdery mildew symptoms and determined the causal agent to be Podosphaera alpina f. alpina (U. Braun) U. Braun & S. Takam. This is the first report of this fungus on T. menziesii in Washington and British Columbia.

Accepted for publication 5 June 2009. Published 10 August 2009.
Black Walnut Mortality in Colorado Caused by the Walnut Twig Beetle and Thousand Cankers Disease
Authors: Tisserat Ned , Cranshaw Whitney , Leatherman David , Utley Curtis , Alexander Kathleen
Published: August 2009

Since 2001, widespread mortality of black walnut (Juglans nigra) has been reported in Colorado, USA. Affected trees initially show a yellowing and thinning of leaves in the upper crown, followed by twig and branch dieback and ultimately tree death. We report that this mortality is the result of a combination of an expanded geographic range of the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis), its aggressive feeding behavior on black walnut, and extensive cankering caused by an unnamed Geosmithia fungus associated with the beetle. Geosmithia was consistently recovered from the bodies of P. juglandis and this insect introduces the fungus into healthy trees during gallery formation. This is the first report of Geosmithia as a pathogen of black walnut. We propose the name Thousand Cankers to describe this disease because mortality is the result of bark necrosis caused by an enormous number of coalescing branch and trunk cankers. A second pathogen, Fusarium solani, was isolated from the margins of elongate trunk cankers during the final stages of decline, but not from cankers surrounding beetle galleries. Thousand Cankers Disease is eliminating black walnut along the Front Range of Colorado and poses a grave risk to this species in its native range in eastern North America should the insect/Geosmithia complex be introduced.

Accepted for publication 26 May 2009. Published 11 August 2009.
Whether depositing fat or losing weight, fish maintain a balance
Authors: Brix Ole , Grüner Renate , Rønnestad Ivar , Gemballa Sven
Published: August 2009

In fish, the relative amount of tissues of different densities changes significantly over short periods throughout the year, depending on the availability of food, nutrition and their developmental status, such as sexual maturation. If a land-living animal accumulates fat it influences not only its general state of health, but also markedly increases its energy expenditure for locomotion owing to the force of gravity. On a body submerged in water, this force, which acts on the centre of gravity (COG), is counterbalanced by a lifting force that is negligible in air and which acts on the centre of buoyancy (COB). Any difference in the longitudinal positions of the two centres will therefore result in pitching moments that must be counteracted by body or fin movements. The displacement of the COG away from the COB is a result of tissues of different density (e.g. bones and fat) not being distributed homogeneously along the body axis. Moreover, the proportions of tissues of different densities change significantly with feeding status. It is still unknown whether these changes produce a displacement of the COG and thus affect the hydrostatic stability of fish. Analysis of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging images of Atlantic herring, Atlantic salmon and Atlantic mackerel reveals that the COG is fairly constant in each species, although we recorded major interspecies differences in the relative amount of fat, muscle and bone. We conclude that the distribution of different tissues along the body axis is very closely adjusted to the swimming mode of the fish by keeping the COG constant, independent of the body fat status, and that fish can cope with large variations in energy intake without jeopardizing their COG and thus their swimming performance.
LookSeq: A browser-based viewer for deep sequencing data
Authors: Manske Heinrich Magnus , Kwiatkowski Dominic P.
Published: August 2009

Sequencing a genome to great depth can be highly informative about heterogeneity within an individual or a population. Here we address the problem of how to visualize the multiple layers of information contained in deep sequencing data. We propose an interactive AJAX-based web viewer for browsing large data sets of aligned sequence reads. By enabling seamless browsing and fast zooming, the LookSeq program assists the user to assimilate information at different levels of resolution, from an overview of a genomic region to fine details such as heterogeneity within the sample. A specific problem, particularly if the sample is heterogeneous, is how to depict information about structural variation. LookSeq provides a simple graphical representation of paired sequence reads that is more revealing about potential insertions and deletions than are conventional methods.
Triosephosphate isomerase and peroxiredoxin 6, two novel serum markers for human lung squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Xiu‐zhi , Xiao Zhe‐feng , Li Cui , Xiao Zhi‐qiang , Yang Fang , Li Dan‐juan , Li Mao‐yu , Li Feng , Chen Zhu‐chu
Published: August 2009

There is currently substantial interest in the identification of human tumor antigens for the diagnosis and immunotherapy of cancer. In our previous study, secretion character and up‐regulation of triosephosphate isomerase were observed in lung squamous cell carcinoma, and autoantibodies against triosephosphate isomerase and peroxiredoxin 6 were detected in the sera from over 25% of patients, but in none of the healthy controls. In this study, peroxiredoxin 6 was also found at higher levels in the sera of the patients. Up‐regulated triosephosphate isomerase and peroxiredoxin 6 were further validated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in an additional 61 lung squamous cell carcinoma patients, 23 lung adenocarcinoma patients, 56 other types of carcinoma patients, 12 benign lung disease patients, and 59 healthy controls. We found that both triosephosphate isomerase and peroxiredoxin 6 were specifically elevated in lung squamous cell carcinoma sera compared with other groups, with the exception of peroxiredoxin 6 in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Positive correlation between triosephosphate isomerase and distant metastasis was found. At the cut‐off point 0.221 (optical density value) on the receiver operating characteristic curve, triosephosphate isomerase could comparatively discriminate lung squamous cell carcinoma from healthy controls with a sensitivity of 65.6%, specificity 84.7%, and total accuracy 75%. For peroxiredoxin 6, at the cut‐off point 0.151, it could discriminate the two groups with a sensitivity of 70.5%, specificity 62.7%, and total accuracy 65.8%. With both triosephosphate isomerase and peroxiredoxin 6, discriminant analysis results showed that 68.9% of the lung squamous cell carcinoma and 83.1% of healthy controls were correctly classified. We concluded that triosephosphate isomerase and peroxiredoxin 6 could be markers for lung squamous cell carcinoma. (Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 2396–2401)
A reliable body condition scoring technique for estimating condition in African buffalo
Authors: Ezenwa Vanessa O. , Jolles Anna E. , O’Brien Michael P.
Published: August 2009

Evaluating animal body condition is a necessary component of many ecological studies. Although many methods for assessing animal body condition have been developed, relatively few can be used for estimating condition on live animals. Noninvasive body condition scoring techniques have been developed for assessing condition in livestock and more recently such techniques have been applied to wild ungulates. In this study, we examined the reliability of a body condition scoring technique for assessing condition in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer). We compared a body condition score (BCS) based on visual assessment and manual palpation of an animal’s body to two standard metrics of condition widely used in mammals: kidney fat index (KFI) and haematocrit (HCT). Across all buffalo, BCS was significantly and positively correlated with both KFI and HCT. For HCT, this pattern was observed among adults, juveniles, males and females; and in the wet season but not in the dry season. For KFI, BCS was significantly and positively correlated with KFI among adults, juveniles and males, but not in females. Overall, our results suggest that the BCS technique can serve as a useful method for estimating body condition in buffalo.
Clinical trial: efficacy and safety of dexlansoprazole MR 60 and 90 mg in healed erosive oesophagitis – maintenance of healing and symptom relief
Authors: HOWDEN C. W. , LARSEN L. M. , PEREZ M. C. , PALMER R. , ATKINSON S. N.
Published: August 2009

Background  Dexlansoprazole MR, a modified‐release formulation of dexlansoprazole, an enantiomer of lansoprazole, effectively heals erosive oesophagitis.

Aim  To assess dexlansoprazole MR in maintaining healed erosive oesophagitis.

Methods  Patients (n = 451) with erosive oesophagitis healed in either of two dexlansoprazole MR healing trials randomly received dexlansoprazole MR 60 or 90 mg or placebo once daily in this double‐blind trial. The percentage of patients who maintained healing at month 6 was analysed using life table and crude rate methods. Secondary endpoints were percentages of nights and of 24‐h days without heartburn based on daily diaries.

Results  Dexlansoprazole MR 60 and 90 mg were superior to placebo for maintaining healing (P < 0.0025). Maintenance rates were 87% and 82% for the 60 and 90 mg doses, respectively, vs. 26% for placebo (life table), and 66% and 65% vs. 14%, respectively (crude rate). Both doses were superior to placebo for the percentage of 24‐h heartburn‐free days (60 mg, 96%; 90 mg, 94%; placebo, 19%) and nights (98%, 97%, and 50%, respectively). Diarrhoea, flatulence, gastritis (symptoms) and abdominal pain occurred more frequently with dexlansoprazole MR than placebo, but were not dose‐related.

Conclusion  Dexlansoprazole MR effectively maintained healed erosive oesophagitis and symptom relief compared with placebo, and was well tolerated.
Relevance and limitations of biogenic and physicogenic classification: a comparison of approaches for differentiating the origin of soil aggregates
Authors: Jouquet P. , Zangerle A. , Rumpel C. , Brunet D. , Bottinelli N. , Tran Duc T.
Published: August 2009

Although freshly formed or unaltered biogenic aggregates are easily recognized, identifying the origin of aggregates altered by physical and biological processes remains empirical and prone to error. The aim of this study was to distinguish between biogenic (BIO) and physicogenic (PHYS) aggregates in various states of fragmentation or size classes using visual, physical and chemical characteristics. Casts produced byAmynthas khami(BIO) and surrounding soil aggregates without visible biological activity (PHYS) were left to disaggregate by natural rainfall events and then separated into five size classes of >10, 10–5, 5–2, 2–0.5 and <0.5 mm. We then analysed aggregate morphology, elemental and stable isotope composition and soil stability, and used near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to determine their chemical characteristics. Although visual assessment is the method most commonly used in the field to distinguish between BIO and PHYS, our study found that the results obtained were always prone to error and that the classification was arbitrary for BIO and PHYS aggregates smaller than 5 and 2 mm in size, respectively. Soil structural stability was only useful for identifying BIO aggregates larger than 2 mm. While C content and δ13C in BIO were always different from PHYS, regardless of soil aggregate size, N content and δ15N were similar. NIRS was the most effective method because it clearly discriminated soil aggregates on the basis of size and origin. The NIRS characteristics of BIO were also more uniform than those of PHYS, suggesting that BIO aggregates have a simpler organization and as a consequence more homogeneous ecological functions. Thus, our findings suggest that information may be lost when only the physical aspect of aggregates is used to quantify the activity of ecosystem engineers in soil. After fragmentation, BIO aggregates become hidden and although it may be impossible to distinguish them visually from PHYS aggregates they retain some of their specific chemical characteristics.
Environmental control of the recruitment of sardines (Sardina pilchardus) over the western Saharan shelf between 1995 and 2002: a coupled physical/biogeochemical modelling experiment
Authors: MACHU E. , ETTAHIRI O. , KIFANI S. , BENAZZOUZ A. , MAKAOUI A. , DEMARCQ H.
Published: August 2009

Fisheries constitute an important economic sector for Morocco, where the species Sardina pilchardus represents the main landings. In acoustic evaluations conducted along the Moroccan coast since 1995, the absence of juveniles in 1996 and 1998 and the collapse of the sardine stock between 1996 and 1997 represent the main events until 2002. Sardines are known to be microphageous planktivores and thus are sensitive to environmental variability. A biogeochemical model coupled to a hydrodynamic model (ROMS) was run over the Canary Current System (1991–2002) to investigate the environmental factors that could have played a role in the variability of the sardine spawning. A grid refinement (1/12°) centred on the Saharan Bank (SB) region was built to study the main spawning ground of sardines off northwest Africa. The volume of the potential spawning habitat (PSH) of sardines was defined as a function of depth, temperature and salinity, which are included in the ranges 0–200 m, 15–21°C and 35.8–36.8, respectively. Our modelling frame was able to reproduce the seasonal cycle of temperature, phytoplankton concentration and PSH over the SB. It also captured the warming associated with the negative index of the North Atlantic Oscillation of 1995–1997 and allowed a description of the inter‐annual variability of the PSH. Our experiment shows that the volume of PSH was much reduced in 1996 compared to the other years. The results suggest that the delay between high abundance of plankton and favourable spawning conditions is a good proxy for determining the recruitment failure of sardine in this oceanic region.
Transport of subarctic large copepods from the Oyashio area to the mixed water region by the coastal Oyashio intrusion
Authors: SHIMIZU YUGO , TAKAHASHI KAZUTAKA , ITO SHIN‐ICHI , KAKEHI SHIGEHO , TATEBE HIROAKI , YASUDA ICHIRO , KUSAKA AKIRA , NAKAYAMA TOMOHARU
Published: August 2009

The lateral transport of organic carbon in large grazing copepods (Neocalanus cristatus, Neocalanus flemingeri, Neocalanus plumchrus and Eucalanus bungii) from the Oyashio area to the mixed water region (MWR) by the coastal Oyashio intrusion was estimated using the data of VMPS (vertical multiple plankton sampler) and 1500 dbar‐referred geostrophic transport from the CTD (conductivity temperature depth sensor) data of five cruises during June 2001 to April 2002 on a repeat observation section OICE (Oyashio Intensive observation line off Cape Erimo), which extends southeastward from Hokkaido Island, Japan. The transport to MWR by the coastal Oyashio intrusion was estimated to be 5.3 × 1011 g C for the four species. Data from profiling floats also indicated that the copepods were advected from OICE to MWR by the coastal Oyashio intrusion within about 2 months. This transport is considered to be one of the significant sources of organic carbon in MWR as it is larger than the amount of large zooplankton consumed by Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) in MWR, one of the dominant copepod predators in this region.
Patchiness structure and mortality of Pacific sauryCololabis sairalarvae in the northwestern Pacific
Authors: OOZEKI YOSHIOKI , TAKASUKA AKINORI , OKAMURA HIROSHI , KUBOTA HIROSHI , KIMURA RYO
Published: August 2009

Patchiness structure and mortality rates of Pacific sauryCololabis sairalarvae were estimated in the frontal area of the Kuroshio Extension in spring 2000 and 2001. Drogued GPS buoys, which were used as Lagrangian reference points, were deployed to mark dense patches of saury larvae and a series of samplings was conducted using a neuston net around the buoys during the night over a period of several days. A total of 225 tows were conducted and 11 690 specimens were sampled during four buoy tracking. Despite the occurrence of water diffusion, patchiness density, distance between adjacent patches and patch size estimated by geostatistical analysis did not drastically change during the buoy tracking and these parameters were robust for the difference of variogram models and the threshold larval density defining patchiness. Such a stability of the patchiness allowed the estimation of larval mortality from the decrease of larval density for different size classes with respect to individual growth based on the samples taken repeatedly during the buoy tracking. Although low or negative values were obtained for the larvae right after hatching, probably due to continuous hatching, the estimates of mortality then increased and became stable in the range of 23–37% day−1with a small standard deviation until their knob length reached to 36 mm.In situinformation on the patchiness structure and larval mortality provides crucial parameters for simulating the recruitment process of small pelagic fishes in high‐resolution hydrodynamic models.
Ecosystem effects of environmental flows: modelling and experimental floods in a dryland river
Authors: SHAFROTH PATRICK B. , WILCOX ANDREW C. , LYTLE DAVID A. , HICKEY JOHN T. , ANDERSEN DOUGLAS C. , BEAUCHAMP VANESSA B. , HAUTZINGER ANDREW , McMULLEN LAURA E. , WARNER ANDREW
Published: August 2009

1. Successful environmental flow prescriptions require an accurate understanding of the linkages among flow events, geomorphic processes and biotic responses. We describe models and results from experimental flow releases associated with an environmental flow program on the Bill Williams River (BWR), Arizona, in arid to semiarid western U.S.A.

2. Two general approaches for improving knowledge and predictions of ecological responses to environmental flows are: (1) coupling physical system models to ecological responses and (2) clarifying empirical relationships between flow and ecological responses through implementation and monitoring of experimental flow releases.

3. We modelled the BWR physical system using: (1) a reservoir operations model to simulate reservoir releases and reservoir water levels and estimate flow through the river system under a range of scenarios, (2) one‐ and two‐dimensional river hydraulics models to estimate stage–discharge relationships at the whole‐river and local scales, respectively, and (3) a groundwater model to estimate surface‐ and groundwater interactions in a large, alluvial valley on the BWR where surface flow is frequently absent.

4. An example of a coupled, hydrology‐ecology model is the Ecosystems Function Model, which we used to link a one‐dimensional hydraulic model with riparian tree seedling establishment requirements to produce spatially explicit predictions of seedling recruitment locations in a Geographic Information System. We also quantified the effects of small experimental floods on the differential mortality of native and exotic riparian trees, on beaver dam integrity and distribution, and on the dynamics of differentially flow‐adapted benthic macroinvertebrate groups.

5. Results of model applications and experimental flow releases are contributing to adaptive flow management on the BWR and to the development of regional environmental flow standards. General themes that emerged from our work include the importance of response thresholds, which are commonly driven by geomorphic thresholds or mediated by geomorphic processes, and the importance of spatial and temporal variation in the effects of flows on ecosystems, which can result from factors such as longitudinal complexity and ecohydrological feedbacks.
The assessment of shear stress and bed stability in stream ecology
Authors: SCHWENDEL ARVED C. , DEATH RUSSELL G. , FULLER IAN C.
Published: August 2009

1. Substratum stability and shear stress exerted by flowing water can have a strong influence on the structure of benthic communities. Bed stability can be characterised in a variety of ways, e.g. flow competence, threshold of particle entrainment, measures of erosion and deposition, particle transport distance, abrasion and bedload transport rate. This paper reviews methods for the quantification of bed stability and shear stress in streams and rivers that are relevant for the examination of the relationships between stream biota and bed stability.

2. The most suitable method for a research project depends mainly on the objectives. The targeted group of biota, spatial and temporal scale of investigation, as well as hydraulic conditions and substratum characteristics at the study site(s) determine the choice of a technique for the assessment of bed stability.

3. Indirect measurement of shear stress can be more accurate than calculations based on the DuBoys equation. However, the latter is preferred for reach‐wide applications within the limits imposed by hydraulic conditions. The entrainment of the substratum is most effectively assessed using a combination of shear stress and competence equations, but the latter require careful parameterisation. At the patch‐scale, direct measurement of entrainment force is a valid alternative.

4. Morphometric budgeting is the most comprehensive and least invasive technique for the assessment of rates of erosion and deposition. The transport of substratum particles is efficiently monitored with in situ marked or active tracer particles which allow for rapid and non‐invasive identification and high recovery rate. As the assessment of bedload transport rate by formulae can be inaccurate, direct measurement is preferred. However, bedload traps interfere with the substratum and continuity of measurement with samplers is limited. Thus developments in the sector of acoustic and piezoelectric devices offer a potential alternative.

5. The abrasive forces by suspended sediments on stream biota are effectively evaluated with artificial blocks that are fixed on the stream bed. Descriptive surveys that assess bed stability offer an alternative to direct measurement and calculations. They are straightforward and non‐invasive but can be observer‐biased. If single methods do not provide useful links with biological data this may be improved by the application of a multivariate approach.

6. Many of the methods assessed have not yet been applied in research on benthic communities, but these hydraulic and geomorphologic techniques offer considerable potential for the assessment of bed stability in stream ecology.
Prevalence of flea infestation in dogs and cats in Hungary combined with a survey of owner awareness
Authors: FARKAS R. , GYURKOVSZKY M. , SOLYMOSI N. , BEUGNET F.
Published: August 2009

A survey was conducted in order to gain current information on flea species (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) infesting dogs and cats living in urban and rural areas of Hungary, along with data on the factors that affect the presence, distribution and seasonality of infestation. In addition, owner awareness of flea infestation was evaluated. Practitioners in 13 veterinary clinics were asked to examine all dogs and cats attending the clinic and to collect fleas, when present, on 2 days in each month from December 2005 to November 2006. They also completed a questionnaire for each animal examined. A total of 319 dogs (14.1%) were found to be infested; the highest prevalence (27.1%) of infestation on dogs occurred in August and the lowest (5.4%) in May. Prevalence of fleas on cats was higher (22.9%); the highest (35.0%) and lowest (8.1%) prevalences occurred in July and April, respectively. Fleas were more prevalent in rural (387/1924 animals, 20.2%) than in urban (161/1343 animals, 12.0%) areas. Three species, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché), Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis) and Pulex irritans L., were found. On dogs, the prevalence of C. canis alone was 53.0%, whereas that of C. felis alone was 36.0%. Only 19 specimens of P. irritans were found on 14 dogs from rural habitats only. Prevalence of C. felis only on cats was 94.3%; the remaining cats were infested with either C. canis or with mixed infestations of C. felis and C. canis. More than half (51.4%) of the owners of infested dogs and cats had not used flea control products in the past year or more, and five times as many owners in rural than urban areas had not used flea control products in the same period. Very few owners reported having attempted to kill fleas in their animals' environment; instead, they believed that fleas were acquired from other cats or dogs.
Efficacy and safety of catnip (Nepeta cataria) as a novel filth fly repellent*
Authors: ZHU J. J. , ZENG X.‐P. , BERKEBILE D. , DU H.‐J. , TONG Y. , QIAN K.
Published: August 2009

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is known for its pseudo‐narcotic effects on cats. Recently, it has been reported as an effective mosquito repellent against severalAedesandCulexspecies, both topically and spatially. Our laboratory bioassays showed that catnip essential oil (at a dosage of 20 mg) resulted in average repellency rates of 96% against stable flies,Stomoxys calcitrans(L.) and 79% against houseflies,Musca domestica(L.), respectively. This finding suggested that the application of repellent could be used as part of filth fly management. Further evaluations of catnip oil toxicity were conducted to provide a broad‐spectrum safety profile of catnip oil use as a potential biting and nuisance insect repellent in urban settings. Acute oral, dermal, inhalation, primary dermal and eye irritation toxicity tests were performed. The acute oral LD50of catnip oil was found to be 3160 mg/kg body weight (BW) and 2710 mg/kg BW in female and male rats, respectively. The acute dermal LD50was > 5000 mg/kg BW. The acute inhalation LD50was observed to be > 10 000 mg/m3. Primary skin irritation tested on New Zealand white rabbits showed that catnip oil is a moderate irritant. Catnip oil was classified as practically non‐irritating to the eye. In comparison with other U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‐approved mosquito repellents (DEET, picaridin andp‐menthane‐3,8‐diol), catnip oil can be considered as a relatively safe repellent, which may cause minor skin irritation.
Risk indicators for the tick Ixodes ricinus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Sweden
Authors: JAENSON T. G. T. , EISEN L. , COMSTEDT P. , MEJLON H. A. , LINDGREN E. , BERGSTRÖM S. , OLSEN B.
Published: August 2009

The distributional area of the tick Ixodes ricinus (L.), the primary European vector to humans of Lyme borreliosis spirochaetes (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato) and tick‐borne encephalitis virus, appears to be increasing in Sweden. It is therefore important to determine which environmental factors are most useful to assess risk of human exposure to this tick and its associated pathogens. The geographical distribution of I. ricinus in Sweden was analysed with respect to vegetation zones and climate. The northern limit of I. ricinus and B. burgdorferi s.l. in Sweden corresponds roughly to the northern limit of the southern boreal vegetation zone, and is characterized climatically by snow cover for a mean duration of 150 days and a vegetation period averaging 170 days. The zoogeographical distribution of I. ricinus in Sweden can be classified as southerly–central, with the centre of the distribution south of the Limes Norrlandicus. Ixodes ricinus nymphs from 13 localities in different parts of Sweden were examined for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. and found to be infected with Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii. Tick sampling localities were characterized on the basis of the density of Borrelia‐infected I. ricinus nymphs, presence of specific mammals, dominant vegetation and climate. Densities of I. ricinus nymphs and Borrelia‐infected nymphs were significantly correlated, and nymphal density can thus serve as a general indicator of risk for exposure to Lyme borreliosis spirochaetes. Analysis of data from this and other studies suggests that high densities of Borrelia‐infected nymphs typically occur in coastal, broadleaf vegetation and in mixed deciduous/spruce vegetation in southern Sweden. Ixodes ricinus populations consistently infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. can occur in: (a) biotopes with shrews, rodents, hares and birds; (b) biotopes with shrews, rodents, hares, deer and birds, and (c) island locations where the varying hare (Lepus timidus) is the only mammalian tick host.
Increased nitrogen‐use efficiency in transgenic rice plants over‐expressing a nitrogen‐responsive early nodulin gene identified from rice expression profiling
Authors: BI YONG‐MEI , KANT SURYA , CLARK JOSEPH , GIDDA SATINDER , MING FENG , XU JIANYAO , ROCHON AMANDA , SHELP BARRY J. , HAO LIXIN , ZHAO RONG , MULLEN ROBERT T. , ZHU TONG , ROTHSTEIN STEVEN J.
Published: August 2009

Development of genetic varieties with improved nitrogen‐use efficiency (NUE) is essential for sustainable agriculture. In this study, we developed a growth system for rice wherein N was the growth‐limiting factor, and identified N‐responsive genes by a whole genome transcriptional profiling approach. Some genes were selected to test their functionality in NUE by a transgenic approach. One such example with positive effects on NUE is an early nodulin gene OsENOD93‐1. This OsENOD93‐1 gene responded significantly to both N induction and N reduction. Transgenic rice plants over‐expressing the OsENOD93‐1 gene had increased shoot dry biomass and seed yield. This OsENOD93‐1 gene was expressed at high levels in roots of wild‐type (WT) plants, and its protein product was localized in mitochondria. Transgenic plants accumulated higher concentrations of total amino acids and total N in roots. A higher concentration of amino acids in xylem sap was detected in transgenic plants, especially under N stress. In situ hybridization revealed that OsENOD93‐1 is expressed in vascular bundles, as well as in epidermis and endodermis. This work demonstrates that transcriptional profiling, coupled with a transgenic validation approach, is an effective strategy for gene discovery. The knowledge gained from this study could be applied to other important crops.
Potassium channels in barley: cloning, functional characterization and expression analyses in relation to leaf growth and development
Authors: BOSCARI ALEXANDRE , CLÉMENT MATHILDE , VOLKOV VADIM , GOLLDACK DORTJE , HYBIAK JOLANTA , MILLER ANTHONY J. , AMTMANN ANNA , FRICKE WIELAND
Published: August 2009

It is not known how the uptake and retention of the key osmolyte K+ in cells are mediated in growing leaf tissue. In the present study on the growing leaf 3 of barley, we have cloned the full‐length coding sequence of three genes which encode putative K+ channels (HvAKT1, HvAKT2, HvKCO1/HvTPK1), and of one gene which encodes a putative K+ transporter (HvHAK4). The functionality of the gene products of HvAKT1 and HvAKT2 was tested through expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Both are inward‐rectifying K+ channels which are inhibited by Cs+. Function of HvAKT1 in oocytes requires co‐expression of a calcineurin‐interacting protein kinase (AtCIPK23) and a calcineurin B‐like protein (AtCBL9) from Arabidopsis, showing cross‐species complementation of function. In planta, HvAKT1 is expressed primarily in roots, but is also expressed in leaf tissue. HvAKT2 is expressed particularly in leaf tissue, and HvHAK4 is expressed particularly in growing leaf tissue. Within leaves, HvAKT1 and HvAKT2 are expressed predominantly in mesophyll. Expression of genes changes little in response to low external K+ or salinity, despite major changes in K+ concentrations and osmolality of cells. Possible contributions of HvAKT1, HvAKT2, HvKCO1 and HvHAK4 to regulation of K+ relations of growing barley leaf cells are discussed.
Proteomics reveals the overlapping roles of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide in the acclimation of citrus plants to salinity
Authors: Tanou Georgia , Job Claudette , Rajjou Loïc , Arc Erwann , Belghazi Maya , Diamantidis Grigorios , Molassiotis Athannasios , Job Dominique
Published: August 2009

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (˙NO) are key reactive species in signal transduction pathways leading to activation of plant defense against biotic or abiotic stress. Here, we investigated the effect of pre‐treating citrus plants (Citrus aurantium L.) with either of these two molecules on plant acclimation to salinity and show that both pre‐treatments strongly reduced the detrimental phenotypical and physiological effects accompanying this stress. A proteomic analysis disclosed 85 leaf proteins that underwent significant quantitative variations in plants directly exposed to salt stress. A large part of these changes was not observed with salt‐stressed plants pre‐treated with either H2O2 or sodium nitroprusside (SNP; a ˙NO‐releasing chemical). We also identified several proteins undergoing changes either in their oxidation (carbonylation; 40 proteins) and/or S‐nitrosylation (49 proteins) status in response to salinity stress. Both H2O2 and SNP pre‐treatments before salinity stress alleviated salinity‐induced protein carbonylation and shifted the accumulation levels of leaf S‐nitrosylated proteins to those of unstressed control plants. Altogether, the results indicate an overlap between H2O2‐ and ˙NO‐signaling pathways in acclimation to salinity and suggest that the oxidation and S‐nitrosylation patterns of leaf proteins are specific molecular signatures of citrus plant vigour under stressful conditions.