Studies on the Fluorescence of Saké

By spectrofluorophotometric investigation on various kinds of Saké it was found that they have at least two kinds of fluorescent colors, the one is blue, the other yellowish green. The former is always more dominant than the latter, but is unstable although the intensities of both color decrease remarkably by treatment of active charcoal. Ferulic acid and harman as the blue fluorescent components are isolated, the former from Saké in young, the latter from Saké kept for a long time under direct sun light.     

Henri-Léonard Bertin and the development of agriculture in the Age of Enlightenment

This meeting of the Committee on the History of Science and Epistemology takes place as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the creation of the world's first veterinary schools, a major event among all those that, in the wake of the Physiocrat movement initiated by Quesnay and DuPont de Nemours, shaped the modernisation of agriculture in France during the 18th century. Henri-Léonard Bertin (1720-1792) was the impetus to the restructuring process. He was well aware that farming should not remain an activity that solely provides a livelihood for the population, but that it needed to be modernised, i.e. it should produce more, and better. His view was that agriculture could become a great source of riches for France and therefore, a true economic and even political force. He used the various official positions he occupied during that period (Intendant of Lyon (1754-1757), Controller General of Finances (1759-1763), Minister-Secretary of State for Agriculture (1763-1780) to initiate a number of reforms that brought about the modernisation of the kingdom's agricultural world.     

Studies on the Chemical Components of the Tacca chanteraeri André

A steroidal saponin has been isolated from the roots of Taccachanteraeri Andre', a folk medicine in Yunnan, which identified as diosgenin 3β-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)- O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-( 1 → 3 )-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ( 1 ) with stigmasterol (2) and daucosterin (3). Our studies support I. H. Burkill and A. Takhtajan's idea according to which Taccaceae would be the closest to Dioscoreaceae and be included in Liliales.     

History of disease and the longue durée

This paper summarizes Grmek's theoretical contribution to history of disease and explores to what extent the longue durée could still be a useful concept in order to better understand past perceptions of, and reactions to, diseases. The case of the medical responses to epidemic disease in pre-industrial Europe is synthetically expounded in order to illustrate this issue.     

Population density of the Réunion Grey White-eye Zosterops borbonicus within the summit ecosystems of Réunion,Mascarene Islands

Assessing population density is crucial for studying the ecology and evolutionary biology of species as well as for conservation purposes. Here we used point count methods to infer population density in a single-island endemic passerine bird, the Réunion Grey White-eye Zosterops borbonicus, that displays striking evidence of differentiation at a small spatial scale. Population density was estimated at 5.17 birds ha^?1 (CL 4.85–5.50), a value somewhat higher than previously believed. This estimation provides the first detailed estimation of bird population density in the vulnerable summit ecosystems of Réunion and will possibly allow a better understanding of the evolutionary causes of this plumage colour variation.     

History and evolution of the arctic flora: in the footsteps of Eric Hultén

A major contribution to our initial understanding of the origin, history and biogeography of the present-day arctic flora was made by Eric Hultén in his landmark book Outline of the History of Arctic and Boreal Biota during the Quarternary Period, published in 1937. Here we review recent molecular and fossil evidence that has tested some of Hultén's proposals. There is now excellent fossil, molecular and phytogeographical evidence to support Hultén's proposal that Beringia was a major northern refugium for arctic plants throughout the Quaternary. In contrast, most molecular evidence fails to support his proposal that contemporary east and west Atlantic populations of circumarctic and amphi-Atlantic species have been separated throughout the Quaternary. In fact, populations of these species from opposite sides of the Atlantic are normally genetically very similar, thus the North Atlantic does not appear to have been a strong barrier to their dispersal during the Quaternary. Hultén made no detailed proposals on mechanisms of speciation in the Arctic; however, molecular studies have confirmed that many arctic plants are allopolyploid, and some of them most probably originated during the Holocene. Recurrent formation of polyploids from differentiated diploid or more low-ploid populations provides one explanation for the intriguing taxonomic complexity of the arctic flora, also noted by Hultén. In addition, population fragmentation during glacial periods may have lead to the formation of new sibling species at the diploid level. Despite the progress made since Hultén wrote his book, there remain large gaps in our knowledge of the history of the arctic flora, especially about the origins of the founding stocks of this flora which first appeared in the Arctic at the end of the Pliocene (approximately 3 Ma). Comprehensive analyses of the molecular phylogeography of arctic taxa and their relatives together with detailed fossil studies are required to fill these gaps.     

Chitinozoan zonation of the Late Ordovician and the Early Silurian of the island of Anticosti, Québec, Canada

A reappraisal of chitinozoan distribution across the Ordovician-Silurian boundary on the Island of Anticosti has led to the recognition of a new zone, the Ancyrochitina ellisbayensis biozone, in the uppermost part of the Ellis Bay Formation. This biozone lies between the well defined Upper Ordovician Spinachitina taugourdeaui biozone and the lowest Silurian (Rhuddanian) Plectochitina nodifera biozone of the Becscie Formation. The occurrence of such diagnostic species as P. nodifera, Belonechitina postrobusta, Conochitina electa and Ancyrochitina ramosaspina in the Lower Silurian of Anticosti points to a close similarity to faunas in Estonia and north Latvia and indicates an age ranging from the Parakidograptus acuminatus to the Coronograptus cyphus in terms of graptolite zones. The chitinozoan biozonation harmonizes with that based on conodonts and, to a lesser extent, with the known graptolite faunal succession. Five new species: Ancyrochitina ellisbayensis sp. nov., Clathrochitina postconcinna sp. nov., Conochitina gunriveris sp. nov., Clathrochitina perexilis sp. nov., Bursachitina basiconcava sp. nov. and three species in open nomenclature are described.     

Receptor cells in the pineal organ of the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula linné

Summary The pineal parenchyma of the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula contains sensory (receptor) cells and supporting cells. The ultrastructural characteristics of these cells are described. The sensory cell is a photoreceptor-like cell the outer segment of which is, however, often irregularly developed. Neuropil-like areas are present but no typical synapses have been observed. The classification of pineal receptor cells is discussed.Work done with the aid of a research scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bad Godesberg, Germany. — The electron microscope used in this study was placed at the disposal of Professor Oksche by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. — The animal material was provided by the Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, Italy.     

Contribution of the Community Health Volunteers in the Control of Buruli Ulcer in Bénin

Background

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Usually BU begins as a painless nodule, plaque or edema, ultimately developing into an ulcer. The high number of patients presenting with ulcers in an advanced stage is striking. Such late presentation will complicate treatment and have long-term disabilities as a consequence. The disease is mainly endemic in West Africa. The primary strategy for control of this disease is early detection using community village volunteers.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this retrospective, observational study, information regarding Buruli ulcer patients that reported to one of the four BU centers in Bénin between January 2008 and December 2010 was collected using the WHO/BU01 forms. Information used from these forms included general characteristics of the patient, the results of diagnostic tests, the presence of functional limitations at start of treatment, lesion size, patient delay and the referral system. The role of the different referral systems on the stage of disease at presentation in the hospital was analyzed by a logistic regression analysis. About a quarter of the patients (26.5%) were referred to the hospital by the community health volunteers. In our data set, patients referred to the hospital by community health volunteers appeared to be in an earlier stage of disease than patients referred by other methods, but after adjustment by the regression analysis for the health center, this effect could no longer be seen. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for IS2404 positivity rate among patients referred by the community health volunteers was not systematically lower than in patients referred by other systems.

Conclusions/Significance

This study clarifies the role played by community health volunteers in Bénin, and shows that they play an important role in the control of BU.     

Paleolimnology of the Petén Lake district,Guatemala

The long-term impact of Maya culture on a lowland tropical watershed is assessed, using data from a 9.2 m sediment core taken from deep water (28 m) in Lake Quexil. Human population growth, estimated by the 1980 archaeological survey, is associated with a shift in the composition of the sediment to a dominance by inorganic material, the Maya clay formation, beginning ca. 3500 B.P. Increasing settlement densities are correlated with accelerated influxes of phosphorus, carbonates, and siliceous sediment. However, chemical data do not track short-term population fluctuations closely. Because much of the sediment is delivered as colluvium, and not by running water, there is a lag between terrestrial disturbance and impact on the aquatic system. As an indication of this lag, contemporary high sedimentation rates are a residual of Maya activity that virtually ceased some 300–400 years B.P. Comparison of the deep-water core with a shallow-water (7 m) section, based on palynological correlation, reveals only minor differences in proximate chemical composition. Chemical influxes are much higher at the deep-water site, however, as a consequence of sediment focusing in this hyperconical basin. Chemical analyses of soil samples from 21 test pits in the Quexil basin support the principal conclusion that bulk soil movement was the mode of nutrient transfer to the lake, following forest clearance by the Maya.     

Spatial and seasonal distribution of the ichthyofauna of Lake Nokoué, Bénin,west Africa

The fish biodiversity of Lake Nokoué, a lagoon in Bénin, was monitored for one year from August 2000 to July 2001 by means of samples from the artisanal fishery collected once a month at three stations. A total of 5 933 fish weighing 95 322g (mean individual weight 16.0g) belonging to 51 species, 47 genera and 34 families were sampled. An abundance of juveniles was observed, confirming the importance of the lake as nursery grounds, rich in exploitable habitats like other tropical estuaries and lagoons. The fish fauna comprised three main components: i) an estuarine component (strict, freshwater and marine origins) which is the basis of the lagoon fauna community and which is stable in space and time; ii) a marine component containing fishes which appeared in the lagoon during the dry season where the salinity remains high (>20‰) and iii) a freshwater component with fishes coming into the lagoon from the river during the flood period. The magnitude of the spatial and seasonal fluctuations of the last two components varies depending on the area: marine (Zogbo), freshwater (Vêki) or intermediate (Ganvié). The global species richness and the relative abundances of fish vary between stations and from month to month. November, with 20 species on average, and January, with 6 species on average, are significantly different as regards species richness.     

Induction of parturition in the bitch with the progesterone-receptor blocker aglépristone

The triggering mechanism for parturition in the bitch remains unclear. Consequently, the development of drugs to successfully induce parturition in the dog has been difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the progesterone-receptor blocker aglépristone for the induction of parturition in beagle bitches. The course of parturition was therefore investigated in six parturitions induced by aglépristone and in six spontaneous parturitions. In addition, data were collected on pup survival and growth rates. Aglépristone was administered twice with a 9h interval on day 58 of pregnancy. If parturition did not proceed a standard intervention protocol was applied. Expulsion of the first pup occurred between 32 and 56 h after the first treatment with aglépristone, at which time the plasma progesterone concentration was still elevated. Accordingly, the gestation length of the bitches in the induced group (59.5+/-0.2 days) was significantly shorter than that of the spontaneously whelping bitches (62.2+/-0.5 days). The expulsion phase length, the inter-pup interval, the number of puppies born dead, and the number of clinical interventions needed during parturition did not significantly differ between the spontaneously whelping and the induced group. Pup survival and mean birth weights in the two groups did not differ significantly and aglépristone treatment had no significant influence on the growth rates. The results of this study show that aglépristone is an effective drug which can be used safely for the induction of parturition in the dog.     

Toroidal Alfvén Modes in the Plasma of the Globus-M Spherical Tokamak

Plasma Physics Reports - Results of experimental studies of toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) in the Globus-M spherical tokamak (R = 36 cm, a = 24 cm) are reported. The experiments were...     

Marine algal flora of the Late Viséan (Early Carboniferous) of the Moscow Basin

New data on the taxonomic composition of the algal flora of the Late Viséan of the Moscow Basin are discussed based on newly collected material. The algal assemblage comprises 24 taxa, 14 taxa identified to species, nine identified to genus, and one taxon not positively identified. Representatives of the genera Anthracoporella, Anthracoporellopsis, Asphaltina, Asphaltinella, Asteroaoujgalia, and Zidella are recorded for the first time from the Upper Viséan of the Moscow Basin. The large geographic ranges of these benthic calcareous algae suggest a relatively free exchange of the floral elements of the Late Viséan Moscow Basin with the remote basins of North America and the Paleotethys in the Aleksinian and Mikhailovian time. The new data fill an important gap in the current state of knowledge of Late Viséan marine algae.