Paleoecological and paleobiogeographic considerations of Ordovician graptolites from the Cordillera Oriental,Jujuy Province,Argentina

We analyse new paleoecological data from South American graptolite records to understand the patterns that influence the space-tempo distribution of the group. A cluster analysis including taxa from the Baltograptus cf. B. deflexus and Didymograptellus bifidus Zones is carried out to evaluate the paleogeographic relationships between north-western Argentina and the other regions in the world. Three different biofacies were recognised in the Acoite Formation. The first biofacies takes place in the lower part of the unit, corresponding to pelitic levels (Tetragraptus phyllograptoides and Tetragraptus akzharensis Zones), and it is represented by pandemic forms. The other two biofacies belong to the endemic or neritic shallow water environments, and develop in deposits corresponding to the middle part of the Acoite Formation (bottom of the Baltograptus cf. B. deflexus Zone) in the Sierra de Aguilar, and in the upper half of the unit exposed in the Los Colorados area (D. bifidus Zone), respectively. The statistical analysis highlight the paleobiogeographic relationship between north-western Argentina and south-western China during the middle-upper Floian (Baltograptus cf. B. deflexus and D. bifidus Zones), and it supports the hypothesis that during the Early Ordovician north-western Argentina was located in the middle to high latitudes, included in the cold water faunal realm.     

Turkish nationalism and the Kurdish question

This article addresses the ways in which Turkish nationalism has perceived the Kurdish question. It is shown that both Turkish nationalism and the Kurdish question have passed through some paradigmatic moments in the twentieth century. This, I argue, has shaped the way that the Kurdish question has been perceived by Turkish nationalism. While the Kurdish question had been seen by Turkish nationalism mostly in terms of a fatal rivalry between the backward, pre-modern and tribal past and the prosperous present in the first half of the century, it was perceived in terms of a tension between the peripheral economy and national market in the fifties and sixties. In the 1970s, the Kurdish unrest was believed to be a product of communist incitement. Despite this impurity in perception, one thing has remained nearly unchanged for Turkish nationalism: Kurds could become Turkish. In other words, Turkish nationalism of the republican era has principally perceived Kurds as future-Turks. However, the signs in circulation at present indicate that the confidence of Turkish nationalism as to Kurds’ potential of becoming Turkish is not as firm as it used to be. At present, Turkish nationalism seems to be getting prepared to abandon its contention that Kurds are future-Turks.     

Exclusive recognition: against reductionism and distortion

This article analyses two dominant discourses of racial politics in Hawai'i and the work they do naturalizing haole (white people or whiteness in Hawai'i) in the islands. The first is the well-worn discourse of racial harmony representing Hawai'i as an idyllic racial paradise with no conflict or inequality. Frequently contrasting the islands with the ‘racist mainland’, this discourse circulates among many communities and is widely referenced. There is also a competing discourse of discrimination against non-locals which contends that haoles and non-local people of colour are disrespected and treated unfairly in Hawai'i. As negative referents for each other, these discourses work to reinforce one another and are historically linked. I suggest that the question of racial politics be reframed towards consideration of the processes of racialization themselves – towards a new way of thinking about racial politics in Hawai'i that breaks free of the not racist/racist dyad.     

Galatella anatolica sp. nov. (Asteraceae: Astereae) from Osmaniye,Turkey

Galatella anatolica Hamzao?lu & Budak sp. nov. (Asteraceae), collected from Osmaniye (Turkey) is here described as a new species. It is similar to G. angustissima (Tausch) Novopokr. in general habit. Both have stems with few branches and 1‐veined middle leaves, but are distinguished by involucral features, series of phyllaries, and lengths of disc florets, achenes and pappus.     

Environmental Regulation of Mitochondria-Rich Cells in Chalcalburnus tarichi (Pallas, 1811) During Reproductive Migration

Chalcalburnus tarichi is an anadromous cyprinid fish that has adapted to extreme conditions (salinity 22 ‰, pH 9.8 and alkalinity 153 mEq × l^?1) in Lake Van in eastern Turkey. Changes in immunoreactivity of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase in gill tissue and osmolarity and ion levels in plasma were investigated in C. tarichi during reproductive migration. Physicochemical characteristics and ion levels in Lake Van were high compared freshwater. Plasma osmolality and plasma ion concentrations ([Na⁺], [K⁺] and [Cl^?]) increased after transfer from freshwater to Lake Van. The mitochondria-rich (MR) cells of the gill were stained in both filament and lamellar epithelia of C. tarichi by immunocytochemistry with a specific antiserum for Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase in river fish samples. Density and area of MR cells were decreased in lake-adapted fishes. These results indicated that freshwater acclimation capacity is correlated with the size and distribution of MR cells in C. tarichi, in contrast to many teleost fishes.     

Length–weight relationships of freshwater fishes from the western part of Anatolia,Turkey

Length–weight relationships were calculated for nine freshwater fish species belonging to two families using 1020 specimens from 15 water sources in the western part of Anatolia, Turkey. This study is the first reference on length–parameters for these species, eight of which are endemic, and with new maximum length records for three of the species.     

Life‐history traits of Aphanius danfordii (Boulenger, 1890) (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae), endemic to Kızılırmak Basin (Turkey)

The life‐history traits of Aphanius danfordii in Hirfanl? Reservoir were studied on the basis of 2252 specimens caught between April 2008 and April 2009. Maximum age was determined as five years for both sexes. The overall sex ratio of males to females was 1 : 1.21; however, this ratio varied by age and season. Mean total length at age data derived from scale readings were used to estimate growth. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were: L_∞ = 126.63 mm, K = ?0.09, t₀ = 2.35 for females; and L_∞ = 61.2 mm, K = ?0.19, t₀ = 2.76 for males. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) values indicated spawning to be from May to September. Absolute fecundity varied from a minimum of 143 eggs for age one to a maximum of 698 eggs for age five. Relationships between fecundity–length and fecundity–weight were described by the equations: F = 0.0002 TL^3.3222 and F = 36.032 W^1.0053, respectively. The equation of the relation between absolute fecundity and age was F = 25.372 t^1.2343.     

Changes in fatty acid composition,cholesterol and fat‐soluble vitamins during development of eggs and larvae in shabbout (Barbus grypus,Heckel 1843)

Changes in fatty acid composition, cholesterol and fat‐soluble vitamins were studied during development (fertilized eggs, yolk‐sac larvae, and after yolk resorption of shabbout, Barbus grypus). Significant differences were found in the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), PUFA/saturated fatty acids (SFA), ∑n‐3 and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ratios between eggs and larvae (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed in the C14:0, C16:1n‐7, C18:1n‐9, C18:3n‐6, C20:0, C20:4n‐6, C24:0, C24:1, C22:6n‐3 fatty acids between eggs and larvae after yolk‐sac resorption (P < 0.05). Vitamin α‐ Tocopherol and retinol content increased during embryogenesis, but changes were insignificant in retinol acetate, δ‐Tocopherol, K1, K2 and cholesterol content between eggs and larvae after yolk resorption (P > 0.05).     

Protective role of salicylic acid applied before cold stress on antioxidative system and protein patterns in barley apoplast

This study was carried out to better understand the role of salicylic acid (SA) applied before cold stress in the cold tolerance mechanism. Two barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivars, cold-sensitive (Akhisar) and cold-tolerant (Tokak), were used and 0.1 mM SA was applied to 7-d-old barley seedlings growing under control conditions (20/18 °C). The seedlings were transferred to cold chamber (7/5 °C) at the age 14, 21, and 28 d. After three days, the leaves were harvested to determine the activities of apoplastic antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POX) and ice nucleation activity and electrophoretic patterns of apoplastic proteins. Cold treatment decreased the activities of all enzymes in cold-sensitive cultivar, however, it increased CAT and POX activities in cold-tolerant cultivar. Exogenous SA increased enzyme activities in both cultivars. Ice nucleation activity increased by cold treatment, especially in 17-d-old seedlings in both cultivars. In addition, SA treatment increased ice nucleation activity in all examined samplings in both cultivars. SA treatment caused accumulation or de novo synthesis of some apoplastic proteins. The results of the present study show that exogenous SA can improve cold tolerance by regulating the activities of apoplastic antioxidative enzymes, ice nucleation activity, and the patterns of apoplastic proteins.     

Facile synthesis and characterization of novel pyrazole-sulfonamides and their inhibition effects on human carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes

In the current study, a series of pyrazole-sulfonamide derivatives (2–14) were synthesized, characterized, and the inhibition effects of the derivatives on human carbonic anhydrases (hCA I and hCA II) were investigated as in vitro. Structures of these sulfonamides were confirmed by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and LC–MS analysis. ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR revealed the tautomeric structures. hCA I and hCA II isozymes were purified from human erythrocytes and inhibitory effects of newly synthesized sulfonamides on esterase activities of these isoenzymes have been studied. The K_i values of compounds were 0.062–1.278 μM for hCA I and 0.012–0.379 μM for hCA II. The inhibition effects of 7 for hCA I and 4 for hCA II isozymes were almost in nanomolar concentration range.