The Politics of Egalitarianism: Theory and Practice

The Politics of Egalitarianism: Theory and Practice . Jacqueline Solway, ed. New York: Berghahn, 2006. 260 pp.     

Orobanche icterica (Orobanchaceae) revisited

Orobanche icterica Pau, frequently regarded as a synonym for O. elatior Sutton, is lectotypified on Pau's original material from the herbarium of the Real Jardín Botánico in Madrid (MA 115079!). Its morphology is described with special emphasis on those characters which distinguish it from O. elatior. O. icterica is mainly found in the east of the Iberian Peninsula and sporadically in the south and north-west. It is considered to be close to O. elatior but deserving recognition at specific level.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 148 , 117–124.     

Evolutionary morphology of the Tenrecoidea (Mammalia) carpal complex

The mammalian carpus can be difficult to interpret both phylogenetically and functionally. It is evolutionarily constrained in terms of functional morphology, yet there is considerable variation among many eutherian and metatherian lower and higher level taxa. The ecologically diverse Tenrecoidea (Mammalia) is a useful model for morphological interpretation of the interplay between function and phylogenetic constraint. Elements from the wrist and hand of 13 tenrecoid species, and one species each from Macroscelididae, Solenodontidae, and Erinaceidae, were compared to test form–function hypotheses of specific carpal, metacarpal, and phalangeal characters. Qualitative comparisons illustrate that several aspects of the tenrecoid carpus can be correlated with positional behaviour. Convergences within Tenrecoidea, and between tenrecoids and nontenrecoids with similar locomotor regimes, confirm a small number of carpal characters and a larger number of distal forearm, metacarpal, and phalangeal characters that reliably correspond with functional expectations. In addition, several features of the carpus appear to be phylogenetically constrained and indicate specific affinities within Tenrecoidea. Finally, there are a significant number of carpal features that vary among the studied taxa and remain ambiguous in terms of phylogenetic and/or functional significance.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 93 , 267–288.     

The pollen morphology of Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) section Choretropsis

The pollen grain morphology of the eight South American species of the genus Phyllanthus , subgenus Phyllanthus , section Choretropsis , endemic to Brazil, was investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy. The high homogeneity in pollen shape, as well as aperture number and configuration, allowed the definition of a basic pollen type for this section, viz. prolate spheroidal or subprolate, zonocolporate with 4–5 invaginated colpi, sexine reticulate. Two subtypes have been observed, based on pollen grain apertures and exine sculpture. The first subtype is characterized by straight and narrow colpi provided with costae, lalongate endoapertures and a reticulum of rectilineous muri as in P. choretroides and P. spartioides . The second subtype has wider colpi without costae, circular endoapertures and a reticulum with curvilineous muri as in P. flagelliformis , P. goianensis and P. scoparius , or curvilineous-rectilineous muri as in P. angustissimus , P. gladiatus and P. klotzschianus . It was demonstrated that the pollen shape and the number of colpi varied within and between some of the species. The results suggest that pollen grain morphology, in association with plant architecture and the presence of phylloclades, constitute additional evidence to delimit the species of the section Choretropsis and to further understand their evolutionary origin within the genus Phyllanthus.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 243–250.     

HIV risk behaviors among outpatients with severe mental illness in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

We conducted the first study to examine rates of sexual activity, sexual risk behaviors, sexual protective behaviors, injection drug use (IDU), needle sharing, and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among outpatients with severe mental illness (SMI) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Using a measure with demonstrated reliability, we found that 42% of 98 patients engaged in vaginal or anal sex within the past three months. Comorbid substance use disorder was significantly associated with sexual activity. Only 22% of sexually active patients used condoms consistently, despite having better HIV knowledge than those who were sexually abstinent. Overall, 45% of patients reported not engaging in any HIV protective behaviors. There were no reports of drug injection. Adults with SMI in Brazil are in need of efficacious HIV prevention programs and policies that can sustain these programs within mental health treatment settings.     

Ecophysiological effects of light quality and nitrate on seed germination in species from Western Australia

Germination occurs usually in response to multiple environmental cues. Seeds with the ecophysiological ability to simultaneously sense the previous presence of fire and appropriate levels of temperature, light and soil nitrate could restrict germination to postfire, winter and competition-free microhabitats, where the potential for seedling survival is enhanced. Germination responses of 16 species with a range of life forms, fire responses and seed weights were determined under controlled conditions of 15°C temperature, a 12 h light cycle, exposure to 1 g L^?1 nitrate solution, and six conditions of light quality (white, blue, yellow, red, far-red light and darkness). Germination in Oenothera stricta, a weedy naturalized ephemeral, and two small-seeded indigenous Asteraceae species of mulga woodlands, Leucochrysum fitzgibbonii and Craspedia sp., were enhanced by white, yellow or red light compared with germination achieved in the dark, or under far-red or blue light. In red light, KNO₃ further enhanced germination of these positively photoblastic species. The germination response of Trachyandra divaricata, a naturalized herb of sandy, seaside locations, and several native jarrah forest legumes (four Acacia species, Bossiaea aquifolium, Gompholobium marginatum and Sphaerolobium vimineum) proved to be negatively photoblastic. Of these seven negatively photoblastic herb and shrub species, exposure to KNO₃ overcame the inhibition of light only in the resprouter species, Acacia lateriticola. In the serotinous, negatively photoblastic tree species, Corymbia calophylla and Eucalyptus marginata, KNO₃ seemed to be required before the negative response to light exposure was recorded. A dose–curve experiment on two positively photoblastic and three negatively photoblastic species indicated that although KNO₃ exposure affected germination in all species, different concentrations of KNO₃ (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 g L^?1) produced different levels of response. Detailed studies with additions of KNO₃ (1 g L^?1) and the growth hormone, gibberellic acid (GA₃; 50 mg L^?1), showed that increased germination percentages of the positively photoblastic species, Oenothera stricta, occurred in the light, but blocking endogenous gibberellic synthesis with paclobutrazol, or adding exogenous GA₃ or KNO₃ had no effect on the light-induced germination levels. In the negatively photoblastic species Trachyandra divaricata, additions of KNO₃ and GA₃ had no influence on the germination inhibition induced by exposure to light nor did blocking endogenous GA synthesis. The 16 species growing naturally in Western Australia, Australia show a range of germination responses to environmental conditions, but depending on their natural habitat, the ecophysiology of each species appears to be optimized for subsequent seedling survival.     

Diurnal fluctuations of dissolved nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations and estimates of N2O emissions from a spring-fed river: implications for IPCC methodology

There is uncertainty in the estimates of indirect nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The uncertainty is due to the challenge and dearth of in situ measurements. Recent work in a subtropical stream system has shown the potential for diurnal variability to influence the downstream N transfer, N form, and estimates of in‐stream N₂O production. Studies in temperate stream systems have also shown diurnal changes in stream chemistry. The objectives of this study were to measure N₂O fluxes and dissolved N₂O concentrations from a spring‐fed temperate river to determine if diurnal cycles were occurring. The study was performed during a 72 h period, over a 180 m reach, using headspace chamber methodology. Significant diurnal cycles were observed in radiation, river temperature and chemistry including dissolved N₂O‐N concentrations. These data were used to further assess the IPCC methodology and experimental methodology used. River NO₃‐N and N₂O‐N concentrations averaged 3.0 mg L⁻¹ and 1.6 μg L⁻¹, respectively, with N₂O saturation reaching a maximum of 664%. The N₂O‐N fluxes, measured using chamber methodology, ranged from 52 to 140 μg m⁻² h⁻¹ while fluxes predicted using the dissolved N₂O concentration ranged from 13 to 25 μg m⁻² h⁻¹. The headspace chamber methodology may have enhanced the measured N₂O flux and this is discussed. Diurnal cycles in N₂O% saturation were not large enough to influence downstream N transfer or N form with variability in measured N₂O fluxes greater and more significant than diurnal variability in N₂O% saturation. The measured N₂O fluxes, extrapolated over the study reach area, represented only 6 × 10⁻⁴% of the NO₃‐N that passed through the study reach over a 72 h period. This is only 0.1% of the IPCC calculated flux.