Can Public Meetings Accurately Reflect Public Attitudes Toward Wildlife Management?

Abstract: State wildlife agencies often use input obtained through public meetings to develop management policies. Because public meetings can be dominated by single stakeholder groups, these policies may not reflect the attitudes of new wildlife stakeholders. In 2000 the Utah Wildlife Board, after a series of public meetings, adopted a statewide policy for winter-feeding mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). The policy was implemented by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources from 2001 to 2007 in Cache County of northern Utah, USA. In 2007, we surveyed Utah households representing metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, and Cache County residents (n = 1,800) to evaluate whether the winter-feeding policy reflected the attitudes of all wildlife stakeholders. Survey respondents, regardless of residence strata, believed winterfeeding programs were essential for managing mule deer in Utah (χ²₆ = 7.02, P = 0.32). However, most respondents were reluctant to support feeding programs at the expense of habitat restoration projects (χ²₆ = 11.64, P = 0.07). Our results suggest that the winter-feeding policy represented the attitudes of the Utah residents surveyed, though few had participated in its development. Respondents' strong utilitarian attitudes toward wildlife (e.g., strong support for hunting and feeding) influenced those respondents' perceptions of the policy. Given the effects of increased urbanization on utilitarian attitudes toward wildlife in many parts of the United States, coupled with decreasing numbers of traditional wildlife stakeholders, state wildlife agencies should continually reevaluate their public involvement processes to ensure new wildlife stakeholders' attitudes and concerns are represented.     

A case of Amblyomma testudinarium tick bite in a Korean woman

A case of tick bite was found in the inguinal region of a 74-year-old Korean woman. She was attacked by the tick while working in her vegetable garden in the vicinity of mountain located in Suncheon City, the southern coastal area of the Korean Peninsula. On admission she complained of mild discomfort and itching around the bite area. The causative tick was 23 mm long and had slender pedipalps. The scutum was quite ornate and had eyes at the edge. The genital aperture was located anterior to the level of the coxa II. The spiracular plate was comma-shaped and the anus was surrounded posteriorly by the anal groove. The coxa I had subequal 2 spurs; the external one slightly larger. The spur of coxa IV was slightly longer than those of coxae II and III. The tarsus IV had 2 distinct subapical ventral spurs. It was identified as the fully engorged adult female of Amblyomma testudinarium. This is the first human case of Amblyomma bite in Korea.     

A Holocene sequence of vegetation change at Lake Eteza, coastal KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Palynological and sedimentological data from a core extracted from Lake Eteza shed new light on the Holocene vegetation and climate history in KwaZulu-Natal and can be linked to regional and global climate change. A 2072 cm core with nineteen radiocarbon dates and chronological extrapolation to the bottom of the sequence suggests that sedimentation started ca. 10 200 cal yrs BP. Between ca. 10 200 and 6800 cal yrs BP pollen indicators point to a change from intermediately humid conditions to comparatively drier grassy environments. This is in good agreement with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) fluctuations from a core in the Mozambique Channel which influence precipitation in coastal KwaZulu-Natal, and the beginning of the Holocene Thermal Maximum ca. 10 500 cal yrs BP. The lower section of the core corresponds to gradually increasing Holocene sea levels along the coast and development of freshwater or estuarine conditions at Lake Eteza. The middle Holocene (ca. 6800-3600 cal yrs BP), when the sea level reached its highest stand and SST peak, indicate humid climatic conditions that favoured an increase of forest trees, e.g. Podocarpus, and undergrowth plants like Issoglossa. As a consequence of higher precipitation and increase of the water table, conditions were favourable for the spread of mangrove, swamp and possibly riverine forest. During the late Holocene after ca. 3600 cal yrs BP a decrease of Podocarpus and other trees as well as an increase of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, grasses and Phoenix coincide with a return to lower sea levels and drier conditions. The decrease of all trees including Phoenix at ca. 700 cal yrs BP, accompanied by rapid sedimentation rates, possibly reflect forest clearing and upland erosion induced by activities of Iron Age settlers. A dry period at the globally recognized onset of the Little Ice Age might have contributed to these changes. Late Iron Age settlers have probably already introduced Zea mays, which was detected in the profile since ca. 210 BP. The appearance of neophytes like Pinus, Casuarina and pollen of Ambrosia-type in the youngest sediments indicates increased disturbance of European settlements and land use since ca. 100 cal yrs BP.     

人类巨细胞病毒编码US28受体拮抗性多肽的筛选鉴定及体外活性研究

立足US28的广谱趋化因子结合活性,寻找拮抗剂多肽的先导物．通过预测US28的结合模拟位设计多肽序列,合成相关多肽,再利用自建的25种趋化因子随机构成的噬菌体12肽库筛选结合模拟位,竞争性ELISA方法验证,从而获得30个阳性克隆,测序并推导氨基酸序列,得到7种序列：GSESLNAHCALW、EIDGFNAHCALL、VIARLNAHCALR、ATECLNAHCALW、VIESLNAHCALW、DNGSINAHCALL及VKKTLNAHCALR．所有序列富含疏水氨基酸,其中8个克隆有LNAHCAL保守序列．采用趋化抑制实验检测多肽对生理性趋化因子引起的细胞迁移活性的影响,流式细胞仪检测细胞内钙离子浓度变化．结果表明,利用人源趋化因子序列构建肽库并筛选有效序列的方法取得成功,筛选出的阳性克隆保守序列LNAHCAL可以模拟Human MIP-1β与US28 N端的结合位,从而与合成多肽H22结合,多肽H22可以阻断受体结合生理性趋化因子形成的趋化作用,本身不引起趋化运动,不影响胞内信号转导和细胞自然活性,具有广谱趋化因子拮抗剂的可能性．     

基于多尺度遥感影像分割方法的湿地生态廊道设计

从生物多样性保护的角度,采用多尺度遥感影像分割方法中的人为干扰度模型,计算分割阈值确定湿地生态廊道的宽度,并结合聚类分析法分类的8种人为干扰类型,对建三江地区廊道结构设计进行了研究。结果表明,廊道分割阈值设为20%,非湿地背景噪声为9.43%,湿地生态廊道最佳宽度为1298m。8种人为干扰度中聚类c1、c2、c3和c4类型是受人为干扰较弱的区域,主要分布在浓江、乌苏里江、三江和洪河保护区原始生态环境区域,将其分别设定为核心区、实验区、边缘区、缓冲区4种类型。廊道核心区中的沼泽类型占75%,总体精度高达93.7%,实验区沼泽占72.2%,精度达到75.8%,边缘与缓冲区起到边缘护栏的作用,缓冲区宽度为945m,本研究为湿地生态廊道的建设与修复提供了可靠、科学的参考依据。     

Diptera of forensic importance in the Iberian Peninsula: larval identification key

A revision of the species and families of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae and Stratiomyidae) suitable for forensic purposes in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Morphological characteristics that allow the accurate identification of third instars of the species present in the Iberian Peninsula are described and presented in the form of a diagnostic key. For larval Calliphoridae, characteristics such as the spines of the body segments were useful for the genus Calliphora whereas features of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were useful for larvae of Lucilia. Identification of three Chrysominae species present in the Iberian Peninsula is included. For larval Sarcophagidae, characters such as the arrangement and shape of spiracular openings, structures of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were used for the first time. A new record of Sarcophaga cultellata Pandellé, from a human corpse, is also included as well as recent incursions into the European cadaveric entomofauna such as Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp) and Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus). This work provides useful new information that could be applied to forensic investigations in the Iberian Peninsula and in southern Europe.     

Recovery from handling stress in Gadus morhua

The time needed for juvenile cod Gadus morhua to recover from handling stress, and also whether observer presence or haemoglobin genotype influenced recovery time, were investigated. Time to recovery after handling was found to be 1·5 h based on opercular beat frequencies and behaviour. No effects of haemoglobin genotype or observer presence were found.     

Lactation affects expression of intermediate filaments in human breast epithelium

Abstract The human breast contains two epithelial lineages, luminal epithelial and myoepithelial. Specific patterns of expression of intermediate filaments have previously been demonstrated in the resting breast. To determine how terminal differentiation and lactation influenced expression of intermediate filaments in breast epithelial cells, we used Western blot analysis to measure the levels of vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, keratin 14, and keratin 18 in the resting and lactating breast. Confocal immunofluorescence was used to determine the subcellular site of localization of the intermediate filaments. Vimentin was localised to myoepithelial cells in both the resting and lactating gland. There was a four-fold increase in vimentin protein levels in lactating tissue relative to resting tissue, and this may be related to increased cellular activity of the myoepithelial cells which surround secretory alveoli. Alpha-smooth muscle actin and keratin 14 were detected in myoepithelial cells, and similar levels of expression were found in lactating and resting tissue. In the resting breast, keratin 18 and keratin 8 were detected in luminal epithelial cells in a filamentous form, whereas in lactating tissue it was present in a punctate form in luminal cells and also seen as granules in the lumen of alveoli. Our results indicate that intermediate filament expression patterns are altered in the lactating human breast, and this may reflect their role in the fully functional gland.     

Effects of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nigella sativa</Emphasis> and human parathyroid hormone on bone mass and strength in diabetic rats

Osteoporosis is a major complication in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), particularly in those with insulin dependency. Recently, many therapeutic effects ofNigella sativa L. (NS) extracts have been exhibited such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antidiabetic with clinical and experimental studies. Mechanical strength in the femur and vertebrae increases with human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) treatment. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that combined treatment with NS and hPTH is more effective than treatment with NS or hPTH alone in improving bone mass, connectivity, and biomechanical behavior using the finite element method (FEM) in insulin-dependent diabetic rats. In the mechanical analysis, five rat bones (control, diabetic diabetic NS treated, diabetic hPTH treated, and diabetic NS + hPTH treated) have been studied for bending analysis using the finite element analysis program ANSYS. Combined treatment of NS and hPTH was more effective on bone histomorphometry and mechanical strength than treatment with NS or hPTH alone for streptozotocin-induced diabetic osteopenia, which notably decreased bone volume.