Publicness of goods and violent conflict : evidence from Colombia

How the degree of publicness of goods affect violent conflict? Based on the theoretical model in Esteban and Ray (2001) we find that the effect of the degree of publicness depends on the group size. When the group is small (large), the degree of publicness increases (decreases) the likelihood of conflict. This opens an empirical question that we tackle using microdata from the Colombian conflict at the municipality level. We use three goods with different publicness degree to identify the sign of the effect of publicness on conflict. These goods are coca crops (private good), road density (public good subject to congestion) and average education quality (a purer public good). After dealing with endogeneity issues using an IV approach, we find that the degree of publicness reduces the likelihood of both paramilitary and guerrilla attacks. Moreover, coca production exacerbates conflict and the provision of both public goods mitigates conflict. These results are robust to size, geographical, and welfare controls. Policies that improve public goods provision will help to fight the onset of conflict.

Effects of body size and lifestyle on evolution of mammal life histories

It has recently been proposed that life-history evolution is subject to a fundamental size-dependent constraint. This constraint limits the rate at which biomass can be produced so that production per unit of body mass is inevitably slower in larger organisms than in smaller ones. Here we derive predictions for how changes in body size and production rates evolve in different lifestyles subject to this constraint. Predictions are tested by using data on the mass of neonate tissue produced per adult per year in 637 placental mammal species and are generally supported. Compared with terrestrial insectivores with generalized primitive traits, mammals that have evolved more specialized lifestyles have divergent massspecific production rates: (i) increased in groups that specialize on abundant and reliable foods: grazing and browsing herbivores (artiodactyls, lagomorphs, perissoclactyls, and folivorous rodents) and flesh-eating marine mammals (pinnipeds, cetaceans); and (ii) decreased in groups that have lifestyles with reduced death rates: bats, primates, arboreal, fossorial, and desert rodents, bears, elephants, and rhinos. Convergent evolution of groups with similar lifestyles is common, so patterns of productivity across mammalian taxa reflect both ecology and phylogeny. The overall result is that groups with different lifestyles have parallel but offset relationships between production rate and body size. These results shed light on the evolution of the fast-slow life-history continuum, suggesting that variation occurs along two axes corresponding to body size and lifestyle.

Conservation and sustainable use of wild species as sources of new ornamentals

While only about 1-200 species are used intensively in commercial floriculture (e.g. carnations, chrysanthemums, gerbera, narcissus, orchids, tulips, lilies, roses, pansies and violas, saintpaulias, etc.) and 4-500 as house plants, several thousand species of herbs, shrubs and trees are traded commercially by nurseries and garden centres as ornamentals or amenity species. Most of these have been introduced from the wild with little selection or breeding. In Europe alone, 12 000 species are found in cultivation in general garden collections (i.e. excluding specialist collections and botanic gardens). In addition, specialist collections (often very large) of many other species and/or cultivars of groups such as orchids, bromeliads, cacti and succulents, primulas, rhododendrons, conifers and cycads are maintained in several centres such as botanic gardens and specialist nurseries, as are 'national collections' of cultivated species and cultivars in some countries. Specialist growers, both professional and amateur, also maintain collections of plants for cultivation, including, increasingly, native plants. The trade in ornamental and amenity horticulture cannot be fully estimated but runs into many billions of dollars annually and there is considerable potential for further development and the introduction of many new species into the trade. Despite this, most of the collections are ad hoc and no co-ordinated efforts have been made to ensure that adequate germplasm samples of these species are maintained for conservation purposes and few of them are represented at all adequately in seed banks. Few countries have paid much attention to germplasm needs of ornamentals and the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center in conjunction with the USDA National Plant Germplasm System at The Ohio State University is an exception. Generally there is a serious gap in national and international germplasm strategies, which have tended to focus primarily on food plants and some forage and industrial crops. Adequate arrangements need to be put in place to ensure the long- and medium-term conservation of representative samples of the genetic diversity of ornamental species. The problems of achieving this will be discussed. In addition, a policy for the conservation of old cultivars or 'heritage' varieties of ornamentals needs to be formulated. The considerable potential for introduction of new ornamental species needs to be assessed. Consideration needs to be given to setting up a co-ordinating structure with overall responsibility for the conservation of germplasm of ornamental and amenity plants.

Functional petit-suisse cheese: measure of the prebiotic effect

Prebiotics and probiotics are increasingly being used to produce potentially synbiotic foods, particularly through dairy products as vehicles. It is well known that both ingredients may offer benefits to improve the host health. This research aimed to evaluate the prebiotic potential of novel petit-suisse cheeses using an in vitro fermentation model. Five petit-suisse cheese formulations combining candidate prebiotics (inulin. oligofructose. hone) and probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis) were tested in vitro using, sterile. stirred, batch culture fermentations with human faecal slurry. Measurement of prebiotic effect (MPE) values were generated comparing bacterial changes through determination of maximum growth rates of groups, rate of substrate assimilation and production of lactate and short chain fatty acids. Fastest fermentation and high lactic acid production, promoting increased growth rates of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. were achieved with addition of prebiotics to a probiotic cheese (made using starter + probiotics). Addition of probiotic strains to control cheese (made using just a starter culture) also resulted in high lactic acid production. Highest MPE values were obtained with addition of prebiotics to a probiotic cheese, followed by addition of prebiotics and/or probiotics to a control cheese. Under the in vitro conditions used, cheese made with the combination of different prebiotics and probiotics resulted in the most promising functional petit-suisse cheese. The study allowed comparison of potentially functional petit-suisse cheeses and screening of preferred synbiotic potential for future market use. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the environmental specificity of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of probe (PSE1284)-positive cells extracted from rhizosphere soil

We explicitly tested for the first time the ‘environmental specificity’ of traditional 16S rRNAtargeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) through comparison of the bacterial diversity actually targeted in the environment with the diversity that should be exactly targeted (i.e. without mismatches) according to in silico analysis. To do this, we exploited advances in modern Flow Cytometry that enabled improved detection and therefore sorting of sub-micron-sized particles and used probe PSE1284 (designed to target Pseudomonads) applied to Lolium perenne rhizosphere soil as our test system. The 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM)-PSE1284-hybridised population, defined as displaying enhanced green fluorescence in Flow Cytometry, represented 3.51±1.28% of the total detected population when corrected using a nonsense (NON-EUB338) probe control. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene libraries constructed from Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorted (FACS) -recovered fluorescent populations (n=3), revealed that 98.5% (Pseudomonas spp. comprised 68.7% and Burkholderia spp. 29.8%) of the total sorted population was specifically targeted as evidenced by the homology of the 16S rRNA sequences to the probe sequence. In silico evaluation of probe PSE1284 with the use of RDP-10 probeMatch justified the existence of Burkholderia spp. among the sorted cells. The lack of novelty in Pseudomonas spp. sequences uncovered was notable, probably reflecting the well-studied nature of this functionally important genus. To judge the diversity recorded within the FACS-sorted population, rarefaction and DGGE analysis were used to evaluate, respectively, the proportion of Pseudomonas diversity uncovered by the sequencing effort and the representativeness of the Nycodenz® method for the extraction of bacterial cells from soil.

The potential for community groups to promote sustainable living

In recent times there has been a growing recognition amongst policy-makers of the role for community-based action in contributing to the broader aims of energy policy and climate change. In this paper, we will examine the potential for existing community groups to use their influence and elements of internal cohesion to encourage more widespread understanding and adoption of sustainable lifestyle habits; both amongst their members and within the broader communities of which they are a part. Findings are presented from recent empirical work with a range of well-established community groups for whom environmental issues are not their main priority. A central aspect of the research was to explore both the current status and potential role of groups that may have the capacity to reach and influence a broader sphere of the public than energy/environment specific initiatives of recent times have been able to achieve. Representing a diversity of interests, age groups and functionality, the results suggest that the potential for more effective ‘bottom-up’ engagement on climate change and sustainable living might be given fresh impetus by these types of established community groups and their networks. An assessment of what motivates participation and membership in the groups highlights a series of factors common to all groups and a smaller number that are significant for particular groups individually. It is argued that an appreciation of motivating factors can be useful in understanding more clearly how such groups are able to survive and maintain cohesion over time. The findings also suggest that climate change action means different things for different groups, with the diversity of the groups bringing with it the challenge of making sustainable living relevant to a range of interests and different shared values.

The BioDICE Taverna plugin for clustering and visualization of biological data: a workflow for molecular compounds exploration

Background: In many experimental pipelines, clustering of multidimensional biological datasets is used to detect hidden structures in unlabelled input data. Taverna is a popular workflow management system that is used to design and execute scientific workflows and aid in silico experimentation. The availability of fast unsupervised methods for clustering and visualization in the Taverna platform is important to support a data-driven scientific discovery in complex and explorative bioinformatics applications. Results: This work presents a Taverna plugin, the Biological Data Interactive Clustering Explorer (BioDICE), that performs clustering of high-dimensional biological data and provides a nonlinear, topology preserving projection for the visualization of the input data and their similarities. The core algorithm in the BioDICE plugin is Fast Learning Self Organizing Map (FLSOM), which is an improved variant of the Self Organizing Map (SOM) algorithm. The plugin generates an interactive 2D map that allows the visual exploration of multidimensional data and the identification of groups of similar objects. The effectiveness of the plugin is demonstrated on a case study related to chemical compounds. Conclusions: The number and variety of available tools and its extensibility have made Taverna a popular choice for the development of scientific data workflows. This work presents a novel plugin, BioDICE, which adds a data-driven knowledge discovery component to Taverna. BioDICE provides an effective and powerful clustering tool, which can be adopted for the explorative analysis of biological datasets.

Tests of sunspot number sequences: 3. Effects of regression procedures on the calibration of historic sunspot data

We use sunspot group observations from the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO) to investigate the effects of intercalibrating data from observers with different visual acuities. The tests are made by counting the number of groups RB above a variable cut-off threshold of observed total whole-spot area (uncorrected for foreshortening) to simulate what a lower acuity observer would have seen. The synthesised annual means of RB are then re-scaled to the full observed RGO group number RA using a variety of regression techniques. It is found that a very high correlation between RA and RB (rAB > 0.98) does not prevent large errors in the intercalibration (for example sunspot maximum values can be over 30 % too large even for such levels of rAB). In generating the backbone sunspot number (RBB), Svalgaard and Schatten (2015, this issue) force regression fits to pass through the scatter plot origin which generates unreliable fits (the residuals do not form a normal distribution) and causes sunspot cycle amplitudes to be exaggerated in the intercalibrated data. It is demonstrated that the use of Quantile-Quantile (“Q  Q”) plots to test for a normal distribution is a useful indicator of erroneous and misleading regression fits. Ordinary least squares linear fits, not forced to pass through the origin, are sometimes reliable (although the optimum method used is shown to be different when matching peak and average sunspot group numbers). However, other fits are only reliable if non-linear regression is used. From these results it is entirely possible that the inflation of solar cycle amplitudes in the backbone group sunspot number as one goes back in time, relative to related solar-terrestrial parameters, is entirely caused by the use of inappropriate and non-robust regression techniques to calibrate the sunspot data.

Biofilm on the apical region of roots in primary teeth with vital and necrotic pulps with or without radiographically evident apical pathosis

Aim To evaluate, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the presence of biofilms on the external surfaces of the apical third of roots of human primary teeth with vital or necrotic pulps with and without radiographically evident periradicular pathosis. Methodology Eighteen teeth were selected: group I - normal pulp (n = 5), group II - pulp necrosis without radiographic evidence of periapical pathosis (n = 7) and group III - pulp necrosis with well-defined radiographic periapical pathosis (n = 6). After extraction, the teeth were washed with saline and immersed in 0.03 g mL(-1) trypsin solution for 20 min. The teeth were then washed in sodium cacodilate buffer and stored in receptacles containing modified Karnovsky solution. The teeth were sectioned, dehydrated in an ethanol series, critical-point dried with CO(2), sputter coated with gold and the external root surface in the apical third examined by SEM. Results In the teeth of groups I and II, the apical root surfaces were covered by collagen fibres, with no evidence of bacteria (100%). In the teeth of group III, the root apices had no collagen fibres but revealed resorptive areas containing microorganisms (cocci, bacilli, filaments and spirochetes) in all cases (100%). Conclusion Microorganisms organized as biofilms on the external root surface (extraradicular infection) were detected in primary teeth with pulp necrosis and radiographically visible periapical pathosis.

Perception of eating practices and stages of change among Brazilian adolescents

Objective. To evaluate the perception of eating practices and the stages of change among adolescents. Methods. Cross-sectional study involving a representative sample of 390 adolescents from 11 public schools in the city of Piracicaba, Brazil, in 2004. Food consumption was identified by a food frequency questionnaire and the perception of eating practices evaluation was conducted by comparing food consumption and individual classification of healthy aspects of the diet. The participants were classified within stages of change by means of a specific algorithm. A reclassification within new stages of change was proposed to identify adolescents with similar characteristics regarding food consumption and perception. Results. Low consumption of fruit and vegetables and high consumption of sweets and fats were identified. More than 44% of the adolescents had a mistaken perception of their diet. A significant relationship between the stages of change and food consumption was observed. The reclassification among stages of change, through including the pseudo-maintenance and non-reflective action stages was necessary, considering the high proportion of adolescents who erroneously classified their diets as healthy. Conclusion. Classification of the adolescents into stages of change, together with consumption and perception data, enabled identification of groups at risk, in accordance with their inadequate dietary habits and non-recognition of such habits. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-homologous sex chromosomes in two species of the genus Eigenmannia (Teleostei : Gymnotiformes)

The Neotropical genus Eigenmannia is a fish group with unknown species diversity where representatives possess a broad range of chromosomal sex determining systems namely XY/XX, X1X2Y/X1X1X2X2, ZZ/ZW as well as homomorphic sex chromosomes. To test the homology of two heteromorphic XY sex chromosome systems present in two sympatric populations, reciprocal cross-species FISH experiments were performed using probes derived by microdissection of X and Y chromosomes present in analyzed specimens of Eigenmannia virescens and Eigenmannia sp.2, respectively. While X and Y paint probes hybridized to species-specific sex chromosomes, in reciprocal cross-FISH both probes hybridized exclusively to autosomes. The result suggests multiple independent origins of the XY systems in the analyzed populations. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Advertisement call, vocal activity, and geographic distribution of Brachycephalus hermogenesi (Giaretta and Sawaya, 1998) (Anura, Brachycephalidae)

Brachycephalus hermogenesi is an endemic leaf litter inhabitant of the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil, whose original distribution included a restricted area near the boundaries of the States of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. We were surprised to find out, while conducting herpetofaunal surveys at Estacao Biologica de Boraceia (EBB), that the background forest insect-like sound we have been searching for corresponded to calling individuals of the species. Males call during the day at high densities, hidden under the leaf litter. Individuals do not answer playback, seem to move very infrequently, and seem to ignore nearby calling activity. We gathered data on annual and daily vocal activity of the species at EBB, observing a total of 1,549 calls given by 31 focal individuals in November 2003 and 2005. The call varies from short single note calls to calls composed of groups of two to seven similar notes emitted at regular intervals. We also extend the known distribution of the species southward to the State of Sao Paulo.

The Potential Of Kohonen Method For Classifying Rivers Focused On Regional Environmental Flow Determination With ELOHA

This article highlights the potential benefits that the Kohonen method has for the classification of rivers with similar characteristics by determining regional ecological flows using the ELOHA (Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration) methodology. Currently, there are many methodologies for the classification of rivers, however none of them include the characteristics found in Kohonen method such as (i) providing the number of groups that actually underlie the information presented, (ii) used to make variable importance analysis, (iii) which in any case can display two-dimensional classification process, and (iv) that regardless of the parameters used in the model the clustering structure remains. In order to evaluate the potential benefits of the Kohonen method, 174 flow stations distributed along the great river basin “Magdalena-Cauca” (Colombia) were analyzed. 73 variables were obtained for the classification process in each case. Six trials were done using different combinations of variables and the results were validated against reference classification obtained by Ingfocol in 2010, whose results were also framed using ELOHA guidelines. In the process of validation it was found that two of the tested models reproduced a level higher than 80% of the reference classification with the first trial, meaning that more than 80% of the flow stations analyzed in both models formed invariant groups of streams.

Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Pasteurella multocida isolated from chickens and japanese quails in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Intake of isoflavone-supplemented soy yogurt fermented with Enterococcus faecium lowers serum total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol of hypercholesterolemic rats

The aim of this study was to obtain an isoflavone-supplemented soy yogurt, fermented with Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Lactobacillus helveticus ssp jugurti, with suitable sensory properties and to assess the effects of the final product on blood lipids in hypercholesterolemic rats. Four isoflavone supplementation procedures were tested, in which the isoflavone was added at these stages: (1) before heat-treatment; (2) after heating and before fermentation; (3) after fermentation and (4) in the okara (by-product of soy milk) flour stirred into the fermented product when consumed. The products were subjected to a test of sensory acceptability. To assess their potential hypocholesterolemic properties in vivo, four groups of rats were used: control (C), hypercholesterolemic (H), hypercholesterolemic plus fermented product (HF) and hypercholesterolemic plus isoflavone-supplemented fermented product (HFI). Hypercholesterolemia was induced in rats of groups H, HF and HFI by feeding them on a commercial rat chow to which cholesterol and cholic acid had been added. Total, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in the blood of the rats. No significant sensorial differences were detected among the samples of soy yogurt supplemented with isoflavones at various processing stages. Rats fed a fermented soy product enriched with isoflavones (HFI group) had significantly (P < 0.05) less serum total cholesterol (15.5%) compared with rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet (H group). Non-HDL cholesterol was less (P < 0.05) in rats fed a fermented soy product enriched or not with isoflavones (27.4 and 23.2%) compared to H group. The HDL-C and triglyceride concentrations did not differ significantly among the groups. It was possible to obtain an isoflavone-supplemented soy yogurt with satisfactory sensory characteristics. The resulting supplemented soy yogurt was capable of producing a lipid-lowering effect in hypercholesterolemic rats, relative to the animals that did not consume this product.