A Study in Neo‐conservative Populism: Richard Trudgen's Why Warriors Lie Down and Die

First appearing in 2000, and with 20,000 copies sold as it entered its sixth printing in 2004, Richard Trudgen's Why Warriors Lie down and Die is a minor publishing phenomenon. Although scholarly forums have generally ignored the book, Christian media outlets, the popular press and neo‐conservative political activists have enthusiastically received and promoted it. An examination of the merits of Why Warriors Lie down and Die suggests that its popularity is only partly explained by original observations or insights on the part of the author. The most important explanation, and implication, of the book's remarkable take‐up lies in the opportune way in which it corresponds with now ascendant neo‐conservative political perspectives on indigenous policy.     

Anteversion versus torsion of the femoral neck.

The usual term 'torsion angle of the femur' denotes the 'anteversion' of the neck of the femur as a whole, caused by the twist in the shaft of the femur rather than the twist in the neck. This has been differentiated from the twist in the neck of the femur around its own axis, termed 'torsion neck' and the values of both have been measured. To differentiate these two different phenomena, the term 'anteversion' is used to denote the usual angel described, while 'torsion neck' is sued to denote the twist in the neck around its own axis measured in this work. 1,000 femora from 21 cites in different parts of the country have been measured and the average anteversion angle calculated. The Indian average works out to be 12 degrees with a significantly (double) high value for females. The incidence of negative angle is 7% in the normal femora. All fractured femora invariably show a negative angle. The above information should be of great significance on orthopaedic surgery of the neck of the femur in these bones. The 'torsion neck' has been measured by tracing and its average reported as 30 degrees.     

Community succession of the grapevine fungal microbiome in the annual growth cycle

Microbial ecology and activity in wine production influences grapevine health and productivity, conversion of sugar to ethanol during fermentation, wine aroma, wine quality and distinctiveness. Fungi in the vineyard ecosystem are not well described. Here, we characterized the spatial and temporal dynamics of fungal communities associated with the grapevine (grapes, flowers, leaves, and roots) and soils over an annual growth cycle in two vineyards to investigate the influences of grape habitat, plant developmental stage (flowering, fruit set, veraison, and harvest), vineyards, and climatic conditions. Fungi were influenced by both the grapevine habitat and plant development stage. The core microbiome was prioritized over space and time, and the identified core members drove seasonal community succession. The developmental stage of veraison, where the grapes undergo a dramatic change in metabolism and start accumulating sugar, coincided with a distinct shift in fungal communities. Co-occurrence networks showed strong correlations between the plant microbiome, the soil microbiome, and weather indices. Our study describes the complex ecological dynamics that occur in microbial assemblages over a growing season and highlight succession of the core community in vineyards.     

The Redox Biochemistry of Protein Sulfenylation and Sulfinylation

Controlled generation of reactive oxygen species orchestrates numerous physiological signaling events (Finkel, T. (2011) Signal transduction by reactive oxygen species. J. Cell Biol. 194, 7–15). A major cellular target of reactive oxygen species is the thiol side chain (RSH) of Cys, which may assume a wide range of oxidation states (i.e. −2 to +4). Within this context, Cys sulfenic (Cys-SOH) and sulfinic (Cys-SO₂H) acids have emerged as important mechanisms for regulation of protein function. Although this area has been under investigation for over a decade, the scope and biological role of sulfenic/sulfinic acid modifications have been recently expanded with the introduction of new tools for monitoring cysteine oxidation in vitro and directly in cells. This minireview discusses selected recent examples of protein sulfenylation and sulfinylation from the literature, highlighting the role of these post-translational modifications in cell signaling.     

Latitudinal variation in blue tit and great tit nest characteristics indicates environmental adjustment

Aim The laying of eggs and the building of a nest structure to accommodate them are two of the defining characteristics of members of the class Aves. Nest structures vary considerably across avian taxa and for many species the structure of the completed nest can have important consequences both for parents and their offspring. While nest characteristics are expected to vary adaptively in response to environmental conditions, large‐scale spatial variation in nest characteristics has been largely overlooked. Here, we examine the effects of latitudinal variation in spring temperatures on nest characteristics, including insulatory properties, and reproductive success of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, and great tits, Parus major. Location Great Britain. Methods Nests and reproductive data were collected from seven study sites, spread over 5° of latitude. The nest insulatory properties were then determined before the nests were separated into nest base material and cup lining material. Results As spring temperatures increased with decreasing latitude, the mass of the nest base material did not vary in either species, while the mass of the cup lining material and nest insulatory properties decreased in both species. This suggests that in response to increasing temperatures the breeding female reduces the mass of the cup lining material, thereby maintaining an appropriate microclimate for incubating and brooding. The mean first egg date of both species advanced with decreasing latitude and increasing spring temperatures, although clutch size and brood size at hatching and fledging did not vary. Main conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate that the nest‐construction behaviour of birds varies in response to large‐scale spatial variation in ambient temperatures. Therefore, nest composition reliably indicates environmental conditions and we suggest that studies of nest structure may be sentinels for the early signs of rapid climate change.