A Cu tolerant population of the earthworm Dendrodrilus rubidus (Savigny, 1862) at Coniston Copper Mines, Cumbria, UK

Dendrodrilus rubidus were sampled from a mine spoil soil at Coniston Copper Mine, an abandoned Cu mine in Cumbria, UK and a Cu-free control site. Earthworms were maintained for 14 d in both Kettering loam and a Moorland soil amended with Cu nitrate. Mortality, condition index, weight change and tissue concentration were determined. In both soils D. rubidus native to the mine site were able to tolerate significantly higher soil Cu concentrations (MWRT, p <= 0.001), and exhibited significantly less change in weight (t-test, p <= 0.001) and a lower loss in condition (t-test, p <= 0.001) than control earthworms. For a given soil Cu concentration tissue Cu concentrations were greater in the mine site earthworms. Low cocoon production and viability from the mine site population prevented the determination of toxicity parameters on the F1 generation and may be an indicator of the cost of tolerance to the population. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microgemma vivaresi n. sp (Microsporidia, Tetramicridae), infecting liver and skeletal muscle of sea scorpions, Taurulus bubalis (Euphrasen 1786) (Osteichthyes, Cottidae), an inshore, littoral fish

The ultrastructure of a new microsporidian species Microgemmia vivaresi n. sp. causing liver cell xenoma formation in sea scorpions, Taurulus bubalis, is described. Stages of merogony, sporogony, and sporogenesis are mixed in the central cytoplasm of developing xenomas. All stages have unpaired nuclei. Uninucleate and multinucleate meronts lie within vacuoles formed from host endoplasmic reticulum and divide by binary or multiple fission. Sporonts, no longer in vacuoles, deposit plaques of surface coat on the plasma membrane that cause the surface to pucker. Division occurs at the Puckered stage into sporoblast mother cells, on which plaques join up to complete the surface coat. A final binary fission gives rise to sporoblasts. A dense globule, thought to be involved in polar tube synthesis, is gradually dispersed during spore maturation. Spores are broadly ovoid, have a large posterior vacuole, and measure 3.6 mu m x 2.1 pint (fresh). The polar tube has a short wide anterior section that constricts abruptly, then runs posteriad to coil about eight times around the posterior vacuole with granular contents. The polaroplast has up to 40 membranes arranged in pairs mostly attached to the wide region of the polar tube and directed posteriorty around a cytoplasm of a coarsely granular appearance. The species is placed alongside the type species Microgemmia hepaticus Ralphs and Matthews 1986 within the family Tetramicridae, which is transferred from the class Dihaplophasea to the class Haplophasea, as there is no evidence for the occurrence of a diplokaryotic phase.

Assessment of the Wind Gust Estimate Method in mesoscale modelling of storm events over West Germany

A physically based gust parameterisation is added to the atmospheric mesoscale model FOOT3DK to estimate wind gusts associated with storms over West Germany. The gust parameterisation follows the Wind Gust Estimate (WGE) method and its functionality is verified in this study. The method assumes that gusts occurring at the surface are induced by turbulent eddies in the planetary boundary layer, deflecting air parcels from higher levels down to the surface under suitable conditions. Model simulations are performed with horizontal resolutions of 20 km and 5 km. Ten historical storm events of different characteristics and intensities are chosen in order to include a wide range of typical storms affecting Central Europe. All simulated storms occurred between 1990 and 1998. The accuracy of the method is assessed objectively by validating the simulated wind gusts against data from 16 synoptic stations by means of “quality parameters”. Concerning these parameters, the temporal and spatial evolution of the simulated gusts is well reproduced. Simulated values for low altitude stations agree particularly well with the measured gusts. For orographically exposed locations, the gust speeds are partly underestimated. The absolute maximum gusts lie in most cases within the bounding interval given by the WGE method. Focussing on individual storms, the performance of the method is better for intense and large storms than for weaker ones. Particularly for weaker storms, the gusts are typically overestimated. The results for the sample of ten storms document that the method is generally applicable with the mesoscale model FOOT3DK for mid-latitude winter storms, even in areas with complex orography.

Meta-analysis of the INSIG2 association with obesity including 74,345 individuals: does heterogeneity of estimates relate to study design?

The INSIG2 rs7566605 polymorphism was identified for obesity (BMI> or =30 kg/m(2)) in one of the first genome-wide association studies, but replications were inconsistent. We collected statistics from 34 studies (n = 74,345), including general population (GP) studies, population-based studies with subjects selected for conditions related to a better health status ('healthy population', HP), and obesity studies (OB). We tested five hypotheses to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. The meta-analysis of 27 studies on Caucasian adults (n = 66,213) combining the different study designs did not support overall association of the CC-genotype with obesity, yielding an odds ratio (OR) of 1.05 (p-value = 0.27). The I(2) measure of 41% (p-value = 0.015) indicated between-study heterogeneity. Restricting to GP studies resulted in a declined I(2) measure of 11% (p-value = 0.33) and an OR of 1.10 (p-value = 0.015). Regarding the five hypotheses, our data showed (a) some difference between GP and HP studies (p-value = 0.012) and (b) an association in extreme comparisons (BMI> or =32.5, 35.0, 37.5, 40.0 kg/m(2) versus BMI<25 kg/m(2)) yielding ORs of 1.16, 1.18, 1.22, or 1.27 (p-values 0.001 to 0.003), which was also underscored by significantly increased CC-genotype frequencies across BMI categories (10.4% to 12.5%, p-value for trend = 0.0002). We did not find evidence for differential ORs (c) among studies with higher than average obesity prevalence compared to lower, (d) among studies with BMI assessment after the year 2000 compared to those before, or (e) among studies from older populations compared to younger. Analysis of non-Caucasian adults (n = 4889) or children (n = 3243) yielded ORs of 1.01 (p-value = 0.94) or 1.15 (p-value = 0.22), respectively. There was no evidence for overall association of the rs7566605 polymorphism with obesity. Our data suggested an association with extreme degrees of obesity, and consequently heterogeneous effects from different study designs may mask an underlying association when unaccounted for. The importance of study design might be under-recognized in gene discovery and association replication so far.

Interaction of adult human neural crest-derived stem cells with a nanoporous titanium surface is sufficient to induce their osteogenic differentiation

Osteogenic differentiation of various adult stem cell populations such as neural crest-derived stem cells is of great interest in the context of bone regeneration. Ideally, exogenous differentiation should mimic an endogenous differentiation process, which is partly mediated by topological cues. To elucidate the osteoinductive potential of porous substrates with different pore diameters (30 nm, 100 nm), human neural crest-derived stem cells isolated from the inferior nasal turbinate were cultivated on the surface of nanoporous titanium covered membranes without additional chemical or biological osteoinductive cues. As controls, flat titanium without any topological features and osteogenic medium was used. Cultivation of human neural crest-derived stem cells on 30 nm pores resulted in osteogenic differentiation as demonstrated by alkaline phosphatase activity after seven days as well as by calcium deposition after 3 weeks of cultivation. In contrast, cultivation on flat titanium and on membranes equipped with 100 nm pores was not sufficient to induce osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, we demonstrate an increase of osteogenic transcripts including Osterix, Osteocalcin and up-regulation of Integrin β1 and α2 in the 30 nm pore approach only. Thus, transplantation of stem cells pre-cultivated on nanostructured implants might improve the clinical outcome by support of the graft adherence and acceleration of the regeneration process.

Christian Gottlob Heyne and the changing fortunes of the commentary in the age of Altertumswissenschaft

This chapter discusses the pedagogic and scholarly priorities that informed Heyne’s commentaries on Tibullus (1755), Virgil (1767-75) and Homer (1802), as well as their initial critical reception. Like those of his teachers, Gesner and Ernesti, Heyne’s works eschew detailed textual scholarship in favour of aesthetic and historicizing appreciation of literary works as wholes. Their formal innovations – most notably the relegation of advanced philological discussions to endnotes and the inclusion of excursuses on significant historical and cultural questions – are an attempt to tailor a traditional format to the demands of an Enlightened age and the cultural-historical interests of the new Altertumswissenschaft. The chapter discusses their contrasting critical receptions in order to raise questions about the viability of Heyne’s endeavours to make a traditional medium fit new concerns.

Winckelmann in the perspective of Altertumswissenschaft: Christian Gottlob Heyne and Friedrich August Wolf

Winckelmann's writings hold an interest for modern classical studies which is not restricted to the subfield of classical archaeology. Considered in terms of methodology, his writings dramatise problems and questions which attend any attempt to provide a comprehensive account of ancient culture and society. The Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums provided an influential model of what such a reconstruction might look like in a period when classical philology was undergoing a significant reconfiguration as „Alterthums-Wissenschaft" at the hands of scholars such as Christian Gottlob Heyne and Friedrich August Wolf. Investigation of their critical responses to Winckelmann’s works aims to contribute to understanding both of the early reception of his works and of questions which are still relevant today. Im Rahmen der modernen Altertumswissenschaften kommt den Werken Winckelmanns eine Bedeutung zu, die nicht auf den Bereich der Klassischen Archäologie beschränkt ist. Methodologisch betrachtet, dramatisieren seine Schriften Probleme und Fragen, die jedem Versuch einer umfassenden, erklärenden Rekonstruktion der antiken Kultur und Gesellschaft zugrunde liegen. Die Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums hat ein einflussreiches Modell dafür geliefert, was eine solche Rekonstruktion in einer Zeit leisten konnte, in der die klassische Philologie einer erheblichen Umstrukturierung als „Alterthums-Wissenschaft“ durch Gelehrte wie Christian Gottlob Heyne und Friedrich August Wolf unterzogen wurde. Die vorliegende Untersuchung ihrer kritischen Reaktionen auf Winckelmanns Schriften soll dazu beitragen, sowohl die frühe Rezeption seines Werkes als auch Fragestellungen, die heute noch aktuell sind, besser zu verstehen.

Students’ perception of privacy risks in using social networking sites for learning: a study of Uganda Christian University

Although social networking sites (SNSs) present a great deal of opportunities to support learning, the privacy risk is perceived by learners as a friction point that affects their full use for learning. Privacy risks in SNSs can be divided into risks that are posed by the SNS provider itself and risks that result from user’s social interactions. Using an online survey questionnaire, this study explored the students’ perception of the benefits in using social networking sites for learning purposes and their perceived privacy risks. A sample of 214 students from Uganda Christian University in Africa was studied. The results show that although 88 % of participants indicated the usefulness of SNSs for learning, they are also aware of the risks associated with these sites. Most of the participants are concerned with privacy risks such as identity theft, cyber bullying, and impersonation that might influence their online learning participation in SNSs.