Relationships between biodiversity and the stability of marine ecosystems: comparisons at a European scale using meta-analysis.

The relationship between biodiversity and stability of marine benthic assemblages was investigated using existing data sets (n = 28) covering various spatial (m-km) and temporal (1973-2006) scales in different benthic habitats (emergent rock, rock pools and sedimentary habitats) through meta-analyses. Assemblage stability was estimated by measuring temporal variances of species richness, total abundance (density or % cover) and community species composition and abundance structure (using multivariate analyses). Positive relationships between temporal variability in species number and richness were generally observed at both quadrat (<1 m2) and site (100 m2) scales, while no relationships were observed by multivariate analyses. Positive relationships were also observed at the scale of site between temporal variability in species number and variability in community structure with evenness estimates. This implies that the relationship between species richness or evenness and species richness variability is slightly positive and depends on the scale of observation, suggesting that biodiversity per se is important for the stability of ecosystems. Changes within community assemblages in terms of structure are, however, generally independent of biodiversity, suggesting no effect of diversity, but the potential impact of individual species, and/or environmental factors. Except for sedimentary and rock pool habitats, no relationship was observed between temporal variation of the aggregated variable of total abundances and diversity at either scale. Overall our results emphasise that relationships depend on scale of measurements, type of habitats and the marine systems (North Atlantic and Mediterranean) considered.

Sign language in Spanish television. Study on reception

The present article analyses the preferences of the deaf who use sign language and are users of the TV interpretation service to sign language, as well as the characteristics with which TV channels provide that service in television in Spain. The objective is to establish whether the way in which the aforementioned accessibility service is provided matches the preferences of users or differ from them. The analysis presents the opinion on this service of the deaf that use the Spanish sign language as their first language for communication. A study has also been conducted on the programmes broadcast with sign language during week 10-16/03/2014. The main data collected reveal that the deaf are dissatisfied with broadcasting times. They ask for news programmes with sign language, they would rather have the interpretation carried out by deaf people who use sign language and they prefer that the interpreter is the main image on screen. Concerning the analysis of the programmes broadcast, the study shows that the majority of programmes with sign language are broadcast at night, they are entertainment programmes, the interpretation is carried out by hearing people who use sign language and that their image is displayed in a corner of the screen.

Amphibian skin peptides and their corresponding cDNAs from single lyophilized secretion samples: identification of novel brevinins from three species of Chinese frogs

Brevinins are peptides of 24 amino acid residues, originally isolated from the skin of the Oriental frog, Rana brevipoda porsa, by nature of their microbicidal activity against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and against strains of pathogenic fungi. cDNA libraries were constructed from lyophilized skin secretion of three, unstudied species of Chinese frog, Odorrana schmackeri, Odorrana versabilis and Pelophylax plancyi fukienensis, using our recently developed technique. In this report, we describe the “shotgun” cloning of novel brevinins by means of 3'-RACE, using a “universal” degenerate primer directed towards a highly conserved nucleic acid sequence domain within the 5'-untranslated region of previously characterized frog skin peptide cDNAs. Novel brevinins, deduced from cloned cDNA open-reading frames, were subsequently identified as mature peptides in the same samples of respective species skin secretions. Bioinformatic analysis of both prepro-brevinin nucleic acid sequences and translated open-reading frame amino acid sequences revealed a highly conserved signal peptide domain and a hypervariable anti-microbial peptide-encoding domain. The experimental approach described here can thus rapidly provide robust structural data on skin anti-microbial peptides without harming the donor amphibians.

Rinderpest and peste de petits ruminants viruses exhibit neurovirulence in mice

Members of the morbillivirus genus, canine distemper (CDV), phocine distemper virus (PDV), and the cetacean viruses of dolphins and porpoises exhibit high levels of CNS infection in their natural hosts. CNS complications are rare for measles virus (MV) and are not associated with rinderpest virus (RPV) and peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infection. However, it is possible that all morbilliviruses infect the CNS but in some hosts are rapidly cleared by the immune response. In this study, we assessed whether RPV and PPRV have the potential to be neurovirulent. We describe the outcome of infection, of selected mouse strains, with isolates of RPV, PPRV, PDV, porpoise morbillivirus (PMV), dolphin morbillivirus (DMV), and a wild-type strain of MV. In the case of RPV virus, strains with different passage histories have been examined. The results of experiments with these viruses were compared with those using neuroadapted and vaccine strains of MV, which acted as positive and negative controls respectively. Intracerebral inoculation with RPV (Saudi/81) and PPRV (Nigeria75/1) strains produced infection in Balb/C and Cd1, but not C57 suckling mice, whereas the CAM/RB rodent-adapted strain of MV infected all three strains of mice. Weanling mice were only infected by CAM/RB. Intranasal and intraperitoneal inoculation failed to produce infection with any virus strains. We have shown that, both RPV and PPRV, in common with other morbilliviruses are neurovirulent in a permissive system. Transient infection of the CNS of cattle and goats with RPV and PPRV, respectively, remains a possibility, which could provide relevant models for the initial stages of MV infection in humans.

An 8000-year history of landscape, climate and copper exploitation in the Middle East: the Wadi Faynan and the Wadi Dana National Reserve in southern Jordan

Investigations of geomorphology, geoarchaeology, pollen, palynofacies, and charcoal indicate the comparative scales and significance of palaeoenvironmental changes throughout the Holocene at the junction between the hyper-arid hot Wadi â??Arabah desert and the front of the Mediterranean-belt Mountains of Edom in southern Jordan through a series of climatic changes and episodes of intense mining and smelting of copper ores. Early Holocene alluviation followed the impact of Neolithic grazers but climate drove fluvial geomorphic change in the Late Holocene, with a major arid episode corresponding chronologically with the â??Little Ice Ageâ?? causing widespread alluviation. The harvesting of wood for charcoal may have been sufficiently intense and widespread to affect the capacity of intensively harvested tree species to respond to a period of greater precipitation deduced for the Roman-Byzantine period - a property that affects both taphonomic and biogeographical bases for the interpretation of palynological evidence from arid-lands with substantial industrial histories. Studies of palynofacies have provided a record of human and climatic causes of soil erosion, and the changing intensity of the use of fire over time. The patterns of vegetational, climatic change and geomorphic changes are set out for this area for the last 8000 years.

The general and specific effects of educational programmes aimed at promoting awareness of and respect for diversity among young children

This article reports the findings of a mixed-method evaluation of a pilot educational programme undertaken with 6-7 year olds in a sample of primary schools in England with the aim of increasing their awareness of and respect for diversity through theatre, workshops and related teacher-led classroom activities. The qualitative feedback from the teachers involved was extremely positive and encouraging and an analysis of the actual impact of the pilot programme on the children’s attitudes and awareness, using an experimental design, demonstrated some positive effects. In particular, the programme was found to increase the children’s general awareness of diversity and their ability to recognise instances of exclusion. While not a planned objective of the pilot programme, the evaluation also examined whether it had any effects on the children’s attitudes to specific differences, in this particular case racial differences. Interestingly, however, no evidence was found of any change in the children’s racial attitudes. With this in mind the article suggests that there is a need to distinguish between the general and specific effects of such educational programmes. The article considers the implications of this for future work in the area and also stresses the need to undertake more thorough and rigorous evaluations of such initiatives.

Competitive adsorption of reactive dyes from solution: equilibrium isotherm studies in single and multisolute systems

Experimental data of the adsorption of reactive dyestuffs onto Filtrasorb 400 activated carbon (FS400) were determined in an equilibrium isotherm study. As most industrial wastewater contains more than one pollutant, an investigation into the effect of multisolute systems (using the unhydrolysed form of the reactive dyes) on the adsorption capacity was undertaken. Equilibrium isotherm models were employed to describe the adsorption capacities of single, binary and ternary dye solutions. The results of these analyses showed that adsorption of reactive dyes from single and multisolute systems can be successfully described by Langmuir, and Redlich–Peterson equilibrium isotherm models. Experimental data indicated that competitive adsorption for active sites on the carbon surface results in a reduction in the overall uptake capacity of the reactive dyes investigated.

Unemployment Duration: Competing and Defective Risks

This paper examines the determinants of unemployment duration in a competing risks framework with two destination states: inactivity and employment. The innovation is the recognition of defective risks. A polynomial hazard function is used to differentiate between two possible sources of infinite durations. The first is produced by a random process of unlucky draws, the second by workers rejecting a destination state. The evidence favors the mover-stayer model over the search model. Refinement of the former approach, using a more flexible baseline hazard function, produces a robust and more convincing explanation for positive and zero transition rates out of unemployment.

Cavity-Enhanced Photoacoustic Detection Using Acoustic and Fiber-Optic Resonators

A wineglass has been used as an acoustic resonator to enhance the photoacoustic signal generated by laser excitation of absorbing dyes in solution. The amplitude of the acoustic signal was recorded using a fiber-optic transducer based on a Fabry-Pérot cavity attached to the rim of the wineglass. The optical and acoustic properties of the setup were characterized, and it was used to quantify the concentration of phosphomolybdenum blue and methyl red solutions. Detection limits of 1.2 ppm and 8 muM were obtained, respectively.

Mineralogy of selected geological deposits from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland as possible capping materials for low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities

Solid low-level radioactive waste (LLW) is currently being disposed at a number of facilities in the United Kingdom (UK). The safety of these facilities relies to some extent on the use of engineered barriers, such as a cap, to isolate the waste and protect the environment. Generally, the material used as the barrier layer within such a cap should be of low permeability and it should retain this property over long timescales (beyond a few decades normally required for facilities containing non-radioactive wastes). The objective of this research is to determine the mineralogy of selected geological deposits from the UK and Ireland as part of a larger project to examine their suitability as a capping material, particularly on LLW sites. Mineral transformations, as a result of future climate change, may impact on the long-term performance of the cap and even the disposal facility. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was carried-out on the sand, silt and clay fractions of the London Clay, Belfast Upper Boulder Clay, Irish Glacial Till, Belfast Sleech, and Ampthill Clay geological deposits. Minerals were present that could pose both positive and negative effects on the long-term performance of the cap. Smectite, which has a high shrink swell potential, may produce cracks in London Clay, Belfast Upper Boulder Clay and Ampthill Clay capping material during dry, hotter periods as a possible consequence of future climate change; thus, resulting in higher permeability. Ampthill Clay and Belfast Sleech had elevated amounts of organic matter (OM) at 5.93% and 5.88%, respectively, which may also contribute to cracking. Over time, this OM may decompose and result in increased permeability. Gypsum (CaSO4) in the silt and sand fractions of Ampthill Clay may reduce the impact of erosion during wetter periods if it is incorporated into the upper portion of the cap. There are potential negative effects from the acidity created by the weathering of pyrite (FeS2) present in the silt and sand fractions of Belfast Sleech and Ampthill Clay that could impede the growth of grasses used to stabilize the surface of the capping material if this material is used as part of the vegetative soil layer. Additionally, acidic waters generated from pyrite weathering could negatively impact the lower lying capping layers and the disposal facility in general. However, the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) present in the silt and sand fractions of these deposits, and dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) in Belfast Sleech, may counter act the acidity.

Assessment of Self-Compacting Concrete Immersed in Acidic Solutions

Ettringite and thaumasite can be found among the deterioration products of cementitious materials exposed to sulfate and hydrochloric attack. The results of a test program to investigate the acid resistance of self-compacting concrete (SCC) and conventional concrete (CC), immersed up to 18 weeks at 20°C in sulfuric and hydrochloric acid solutions, are described. The SCC was prepared with 47% carboniferous limestone powder, as a replacement for cement, and an ordinary portland cement. The CC was prepared with portland cement only. The water-binder ratios of the SCC and CC were 0.36 and 0.46, respectively. The parameter investigated was the time, in weeks, taken to cause 10% mass loss of fully immersed concrete specimens in a 1% solution of sulfuric acid and the same amount of loss in a 1% solution of hydrochloric acid. The investigation indicated that the SCC performed better than the CC in sulfuric solution but was slightly more vulnerable to hydrochloric acid attack compared to CC. The mode of attack between the two solutions was different.

Ionic liquid salt-induced inactivation and unfolding of cellulase from Trichoderma reesei

The potential for performing cellulase-catalyzed reactions on cellulose dissolved in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([bmim] Cl) has been investigated. We have carried out a systematic study on the irreversible solvent and ionic strength-induced inactivation and unfolding of cellulase from Trichoderma reesei ( E.C.#3.2.1.4). Experiments, varying both cellulase and IL solvent concentrations, have indicated that [bmim] Cl, and several other ILs, as well as dimethylacetamide-LiCl (a well-known solvent system for cellulose), inactivate cellulase under these conditions. Despite cellulase inactivity, results obtained from this study led to valuable insights into the requirements necessary for enzyme activity in IL systems. Enzyme stability was determined during urea, NaCl, and [bmim] Cl-induced denaturation observed through fluorescence spectroscopy. Protein stability of a PEG-supported cellulase in [bmim] Cl solution was investigated and increased stability/activity of the PEG-supported cellulase in both the [bmim] Cl and citrate buffer solutions were detected.

Surface plasmons in layered structures with semiconductor and metallic films

The complete spectrum of eigenwaves including surface plasmon polaritons (SPP), dynamic (bulk) and complex waves in the layered structures containing semiconductor and metallic films has been explored. The effects of loss, geometry and the parameters of dielectric layers on the eigenmode spectrum and, particularly, on the SPP modes have been analysed using both the asymptotic and rigorous numerical solutions of the full-wave dispersion equation. The field and Poynting vector distributions have been examined to identify the modes and elucidate their properties. It has been shown that losses and dispersion of permittivity qualitatively alter the spectral content and the eigenwave properties. The SPP counter-directional power fluxes in the film and surrounding dielectrics have been attributed to vortices of power flow, which are responsible for the distinctive features of SPP modes. It has been demonstrated for the first time that the maximal attainable slow-wave factor of the SPP modes guided by thin Au films at optical frequencies is capped not by losses but the frequency dispersion of the actual Au permittivity. © 2009 EDP Sciences.

Determinants of human rights attitudes and behavior: A comparison and integration of psychological perspectives

Following several political-psychological approaches, the present research analyzed whether orientations toward human rights are a function of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), social dominance orientation (SDO), basic human values in the sense of Schwartz (1992), and political ideology. Three dimensions of human rights attitudes (endorsement, restriction, and enforcement) were differentiated from human rights knowledge and behavior. In a time-lagged Internet survey (N = 479), using structural equation modeling, RWA, universalism and power values, and political ideology (measured at Time 1) differentially predicted dimensions of human rights attitudes (measured at Time 2 five months later). RWA and universalism values also predicted self-reported human rights behavior, with the effects mediated through human rights endorsement. Human rights knowledge also predicted behavior. The psychological roots of positive and negative orientations toward human rights, consequences for human rights education, and the particular role of military enforcement of human rights are discussed.

Risk factors for the introduction and within-herd transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection in 59 Irish dairy herds

Since 1994, Irish cattle have been exposed to greater risks of acquiring Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection as a consequence of the importation of over 70,000 animals from continental Europe. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reported clinical cases of paratuberculosis in Ireland. This study examines the prevalence of factors that promote the introduction and within-herd transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) on selected Irish dairy farms in the Cork region, and the association between these factors and the results of MAP screening tests on milk sock filter residue (MFR). A total of 59 dairy farms, selected using non-random methods but apparently free of endemic paratuberculosis, were enrolled into the study. A questionnaire was used to collect data about risk factors for MAP introduction and transmission. The MFR was assessed on six occasions over 24 months for the presence of MAP, using culture and immunomagnetic separation prior to polymerase chain reaction (IMS-PCR). Furthermore, blood samples from all entire male and female animals over one year of age in 20 herds were tested by ELISA. Eighteen (31%) farms had operated as closed herds since 1994, 28 (47%) had purchased from multiple sources and 14 (24%) had either direct or indirect (progeny) contact with imported animals. Milk and colostrum were mixed on 51% of farms, while 88% of farms fed pooled milk. Thirty (51%) herds tested negative to MFR culture and IMS-PCR, 12 (20%) were MFR culture positive, 26 (44%) were IMS-PCR positive and seven (12%) were both culture and IMS-PCR positive. The probability of a positive MFR culture was significantly associated with reduced attendance at calving, and with increased use of individual calf pens and increased (but not significantly) if multiple suckling was practised. There was poor agreement between MFR culture and MFR IMS-PCR results, but moderate agreement between MFR culture and ELISA test results. This study highlights a lack of awareness among Irish dairy farmers about the effect of inadequate biosecurity on MAP introduction. Furthermore, within-herd transmission will be facilitated by traditional calf rearing and waste management practices. The findings of viable MAP in the presence of known transmission factors in non-clinically affected herds could be a prelude to long-term problems for the Irish cattle and agri-business generally.