Long-term exposure to enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation in the sub-arctic does not cause oxidative stress in Vaccinium myrtillus

The aim of this work was to assess whether or not oxidative stress had developed in a dwarf shrub bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.) under long-term exposure to enhanced levels of ultraviolet-B (u.v.-B) radiation. The bilberry plants were exposed to increased u.v.-B representing a 15% stratospheric ozone depletion for seven full growing seasons (1991–1997) at Abisko, Swedish Lapland (68°N). The oxidative stress was assessed on leaves and stems by analysing ascorbate and glutathione concentrations, and activities of the closely related enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11) and glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2). The affects of autumnal leaf senescence and stem cold hardening on these variables were also considered. The results showed that the treatment caused scarcely any response in the studied variables, indicating that u.v.-B flux representing a 15% ozone depletion under clear sky conditions is not sufficient to cause oxidative stress in the bilberry. It is suggested that no strain was evoked since adaptation was possible under such u.v.-B increases. The studied variables did, however, respond significantly to leaf senescence and especially to stem cold hardening.     

The Changing Face of Natural Resources Students,Education, and the Profession

ABSTRACT There are many challenges facing natural resources programs in North American higher education today. Pressures exerted by a new generation of students, changing workplace requirements (including undergraduate core-knowledge requirements), and an increasingly specialized professoriate are great but not insurmountable. We discuss each of these issues and pose potential solutions to address each including adopting new pedagogical techniques for content delivery (e.g., adapting courses to be inclusive of new technologies), revising curriculum to meet the needs of a new suite of learners (e.g., developing curricula that allow structured flexibility of choices, designing a core curriculum that is a mix of single-discipline courses and courses that integrate across disciplines), and new strategies for faculty engagement in discipline-specific survey courses. By remaining deliberate and effective in our pursuit of quality higher education we have the opportunity to ensure we are delivering the best possible education to the future professionals of our disciplines.     

Ultrastructural studies of some chitinozoan vesicles

Four species of Ordovician Chitinozoa from Öland, Sweden, Cyathochitina stentor, Desmochitina minor, Lagenochitina esthonica , and Lagenochitina tumida , have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. There is very great variation in the vesicle wall ultrastructure of the specimens studied. The texture of the vesicle wall can be homogeneous or granular and can also contain denser zones. Ultrastructures such as pore canals and 'empty spaces' have been revealed. The systematic affinity of the Chitinozoa is discussed, and it is concluded that chitinozoans display typical metazoan structures represented in eggs and egg capsules of marine invertebrates and possibly also in fish.     

Population history and genetic structure of a circumpolar species: the arctic fox

The circumpolar arctic fox Alopex lagopus thrives in cold climates and has a high migration rate involving long-distance movements. Thus, it differs from many temperate taxa that were subjected to cyclical restriction in glacial refugia during the Ice Ages. We investigated population history and genetic structure through mitochondrial control region variation in 191 arctic foxes from throughout the arctic. Several haplotypes had a Holarctic distribution and no phylogeographical structure was found. Furthermore, there was no difference in haplotype diversity between populations inhabiting previously glaciated and unglaciated regions. This suggests current gene flow among the studied populations, with the exception of those in Iceland, which is surrounded by year-round open water. Arctic foxes have often been separated into two ecotypes: 'lemming' and 'coastal'. An analysis of molecular variance suggested particularly high gene flow among populations of the 'lemming' ecotype. This could be explained by their higher migration rate and reduced fitness in migrants between ecotypes. A mismatch analysis indicated a sudden expansion in population size around 118 000 BP, which coincides with the last interglacial. We propose that glacial cycles affected the arctic fox in a way opposite to their effect on temperate species, with interglacials leading to short-term isolation in northern refugia.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 84 , 79–89.     

Quantification of homozygosity in consanguineous individuals with autosomal recessive disease

Individuals born of consanguineous union have segments of their genomes that are homozygous as a result of inheriting identical ancestral genomic segments through both parents. One consequence of this is an increased incidence of recessive disease within these sibships. Theoretical calculations predict that 6% (1/16) of the genome of a child of first cousins will be homozygous and that the average homozygous segment will be 20 cM in size. We assessed whether these predictions held true in populations that have preferred consanguineous marriage for many generations. We found that in individuals with a recessive disease whose parents were first cousins, on average, 11% of their genomes were homozygous (n = 38; range 5%-20%), with each individual bearing 20 homozygous segments exceeding 3 cM (n = 38; range of number of homozygous segments 7-32), and that the size of the homozygous segment associated with recessive disease was 26 cM (n = 100; range 5-70 cM). These data imply that prolonged parental inbreeding has led to a background level of homozygosity increased approximately 5% over and above that predicted by simple models of consanguinity. This has important clinical and research implications.     

Fitness, developmental instability, and the ontogeny of fluctuating asymmetry in Daphnia magna

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is the most commonly used measure of developmental instability. The relation between FA and individual fitness remains controversial, partly due to limited knowledge on the mechanisms behind variation in FA. To address this, we investigated the associations between FA, growth and reproduction as well as the ontogeny of FA in a clonal population of Daphnia magna . FA was not correlated with growth and reproduction, either at the between- or the within-individual level, in a high ( N  = 48 individuals) or in a low ( N  = 52 individuals) food-quantity regime. There were therefore no indications of functional effects of FA or of phenotypic trade-offs between developmental stability, growth and reproduction. Individual asymmetries varied randomly in sign and magnitude between subsequent molts ( N  = 19 individuals, 9–11 instars), but the levels of FA were generally lowest at intermediate ages. No feedback between right and left sides was detected. This suggests that FA only reflects the most recent growth history, that developmental instability may increase in old age, and that FA depends on processes operating on each side of the body independently. The results also suggest that FA differences within and among individual Daphnia are largely random, with limited biological significance.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 88 , 179–192.     

Chemosymbiotic bivalves and stable carbon isotopes indicate hydrocarbon seepage at four unusual Cenozoic fossil localities

Four unusual Cenozoic fossil localities are identified here as ancient hydrocarbon seep sites using palaeontological, petrological, and stable carbon isotope data. Late Eocene carbonate-cemented sandstone bodies in the Wagonwheel Mountains in California were previously suspected to represent ancient hydrocarbon seep sites, but the relatively high δ¹³C_carbonate values (−12.2 to −5.0‰) suggest oil rather than methane seepage. The Oligocene fauna of the Elmira asphalt mine, Cuba, was previously interpreted as a mix of freshwater and marine taxa, but all species are here identified as belonging to marine groups, including the bivalve families Lucinidae and Vesicomyidae, whose extant members live largely in symbiosis with chemoautotrophic endosymbionts. A carbonate concretion from this site showed δ¹³C_carbonate values as low as −32.2‰, which most likely indicates methane seepage. A previously unpublished Oligocene fossil locality in Atlantico, northern Colombia, is dominated by large solemyid, mytilid, lucinid, and vesicomyid bivalves, which most likely lived with chemotrophic endosymbionts. Seepage of biogenic methane without a significant contribution of thermogenic methane is indicated by δ¹³C_carbonate values as low as −51.3‰. We confirm that the Pleurophopsis -dominated sites of the Heath Shale and Lomitos Chert in northern Peru are ancient seep sites, although the previous identification of Pleurophopsis peruviana as a vesicomyid is doubtful.     

Development and multiplex PCR amplification of novel microsatellite markers in the White‐tailed Sea Eagle,Haliaeetus albicilla (Aves: Falconiformes,Accipitridae)

We report the development of 14 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers cloned from the White‐tailed Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla, a formerly threatened raptor that has received much conservation attention throughout Eurasia. We also present a protocol for multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the loci. Among 40 unrelated H. albicilla individuals from southern Sweden, the markers produced two to eight alleles per locus, and average observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.463 and 0.468, respectively. We further present five microsatellite markers that appeared monomorphic in H. albicilla, but which may be of interest for use in other raptor species.     

Dentistry as a prospective career choice in india

Career choice is a complex decision in a student''s life. The opportunity to participate in dental education in many countries, especially in the developing ones, is limited to a small percentage of the community. There is a wide range of options for students to choose as a career in general family, gender, personal interest; outcome expectancies can affect the decision in choosing it. Many studies showed that many individuals find themselves in occupations not really knowing why they made that particular decision. The changing nature of the dental workforce and the need to retain the services of future members has made it important to understand why current dental students have chosen dentistry as their career. However, the choice of dentistry becomes forceful at times by peer pressure, cultural thrust or inability to procure medicine. It is of interest to evaluate dentistry as a prospective career choice in India. The participants answered a questionnaire based online survey and the results were collected and analysed statistically. Analyses of data from the survey shows that majority (36.72%) of students had chosen dentistry as a career choice having missed entry or selection into medicine.     

Enzymatic (R)-phenylacetylcarbinol production in benzaldehyde emulsions

(R)-Phenylacetylcarbinol [(R)-PAC)] is the chiral precursor for the production of the pharmaceuticals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Reaction conditions were improved to achieve increased (R)-PAC levels in a simple batch biotransformation of benzaldehyde emulsions and pyruvate, using partially purified pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) from the filamentous fungus Rhizopus javanicus NRRL 13161 as the catalyst. Lowering the temperature from 23 degrees C to 6 degrees C decreased initial rates but increased final (R)-PAC concentrations. Addition of ethanol, which increases benzaldehyde solubility, was not beneficial for (R)-PAC production. It was established that proton uptake during biotransformation increases the pH above 7 thereby limiting (R)-PAC production. For small-scale studies, biotransformations were buffered with 2-2.5 M MOPS (initial pH 6.5). High concentrations of MOPS as well as some alcohols and KCl stabilised PDC. A balance between PDC and substrate concentrations was determined with regards to ( R)-PAC production and yields on enzyme and substrates. R. javanicus PDC (7.4 U/ml) produced 50.6 g/l (337 mM) ( R)-PAC in 29 h at 6 degrees C with initial 400 mM benzaldehyde and 600 mM pyruvate. Molar yields on consumed benzaldehyde and pyruvate were 97% and 59%, respectively, with 17% pyruvate degraded and 24% converted into acetaldehyde and acetoin; 43% PDC activity remained, indicating reasonable enzyme stability at high substrate and product concentrations.