Family organization and the wage labor transition in a Tamang community of Nepal

This paper explores familial contexts of transition to a wage labor economy using ethnographic and survey data from Tamang communities at the northern edge of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. Historically agro-pastoralist, the Tamang of this area have experienced social watersheds drawing them into ever closer relationships with Kathmandu. The earliest was their nineteenth century induction into corvée labor for national elites; more recent has been the accelerating monetization of the twentieth century. This analysis demonstrates trends and frames hypotheses about the social structuring of this latest process, testing them at the individual level with combined ethnographic and survey data from 1028 respondents. Multivariate analyses explore the effects of birth cohort, education, domestic group status, and settlement location on participation in non-family organized wage work. Substantive findings are related to the broader historical literature on household and family with special attention to varieties of subsistence to monetized transition.     

Habitat and population size of the coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae at Grand Comoro

Synopsis In 1987 and 1989 coelacanths were observed for the first time in their natural habitat with the help of submersibles. Coelacanths were found between 150–253 m depth, their preferential depth seems to be around 200 m; the water temperature ranged between 16.5–22.8° C. During the day coelacanths aggregate in small non-aggressive groups in sheltered lava-caves. Caves might be a limiting factor for distribution. At night they leave the caves for hunting by drifting singly along the steep lava slopes. They migrate between different caves located within a large home range covering more than 8 km coastline. Coelacanths are site-attached, some for a period of at least 2 years. Our own observations and earlier catch records show that only the west coast of Grand Comoro is a suitable coelacanth habitat with more structural complexity and prey fish abundance than other coastlines of the island. From our survey we estimated a total coelacanth population off Grand Comoro to be 150–210 individuals; a saturated population would be 370–510 individuals. This small relict population seems to be stable. International protection of coelacanths against commercial interests is needed     

Studies of FSH-P induced follicular growth in cows

Because cow ovaries do not contain a dominant follicle before Day 3 of the estrous cycle, we hypothesized that gonadotropin treatment early in the estrous cycle would induce growth of multiple follicles and could be used to induce superovulation. In Experiment 1, when 16 cows were treated with FSH-P beginning on Day 2 of the estrous cycle and were slaughtered on Day 5, all cows responded to gonadotropin treatment by exhibiting a large number ( approximately 19) of estrogenactive follicles >/= 6 mm. In Experiment 2, in response to FSH-P treatment from Day 2 to Day 7, and fenprostalene treatment on Day 6, 11 of 15 cows exhibited estrus and had a mean ovulation rate of 23.7 +/- 1.5. In Experiment 3, an FSH-P treatment regimen identical to that used in Experiment 2 was administered to cows beginning either on Day 2 (Day-2 cows; n=14) or Day 10 (Day-10 cows; n=11) of the estrous cycle. Twelve of 14 Day-2 cows and all Day-10 cows exhibited estrus after fenprostalene treatment. Day-2 cows exhibited 34.3 +/- 7.0 ovulations, which was less (P < 0.05) than that exhibited by Day-10 cows (48.3 +/- 4.4). However, the proportion of embryos recovered per corpus luteum was about 2-fold greater (P < 0.05) for Day-2 cows than for Day-10 cows (0.49 +/- 0.08 vs 0.27 +/- 0.06). These data indicate that beginning gonadotropin treatment early in the estrous cycle, when a dominant follicle is not present, provides an efficacious means to induce growth of multiple follicles and superovulation in cows. However, when FSH was administered for 6 d, beginning the treatment on Day 10 also resulted in a consistent and efficacious response.     

Cells of the Upper and Lower Epidermis of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Leaves Exhibit Distinct Patterns of Vacuolar Solutes

Vacuolar saps were extracted from individual, anatomically uniform cells of the upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) epidermis of the third leaf of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) using a modified pressure probe. Saps (volume 80-200 pL) were sampled at various times between 3 d before and 7 d after full-leaf expansion and were analyzed for their osmolality and their concentrations of NO3-, malate, CI-, K+, and Ca2+. The osmolalities of upper and lower epidermis both increased with time but were similar to each other. In young leaves, K+ and Ca2+ were evenly distributed between the two epidermal layers, but as the leaf aged, the upper epidermis accumulated high (40-100 mM) Ca2+, whereas cells of the lower epidermis accumulated K+ instead. Nitrate concentration was 100 to 150 mM higher in the upper than in the lower epidermis, whereas CI- was 50 to 120 mM higher in the lower epidermis. These differences did not depend on the leaf developmental stage. The uneven distribution of epidermal NO3- and CI- was maintainedover a wide range of epidermal sap concentrations of these ions and was not affected by NO3- or CI- starvation or by an increase in the light intensity from 120 to 400 [mu]mol m-2 s-1. However, the latter did cause a decrease in epidermal NO3- and the appearance and accumulation of epidermal malate, particularly in the upper epidermis. The physiological implications of the results for solute storage in leaves and for the pathways of ion distribution to the epidermis are discussed.     

Callionymus leucopoecilus,a new dragonet (Callionymidae) from the Yellow Sea

Callionymus leucopoecilus, a new species of dragonet from the Yellow Sea, is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by 4 spines in the first dorsal fin, 9 rays each in the second dorsal and anal fins, ii, 5, ii principal caudal fin rays, a preopercular spine formula of      

Variation of frequency spectrum of the erythrocyte flickering caused by aging,osmolarity, temperature and pathological changes

Frequency spectra of the surface undulations (flickering) of erythrocyte plasma membranes are measured by direct spectral analysis of the intensity fluctuations of the light passing the cells in a phase contrast microscope. Spectra are taken as a function (1) of the temperature (2) of the viscosity and osmolarity of the outer medium (3) of the aging of cells and (4) of pathological transformations. The spectra are approximately superpositions of two Lorentzian lines. At large frequencies,f, the spectra follow f^?2. This behaviour can be interpreted in terms of cell thickness fluctuations caused by thermally excited membrane undulations provided the range of wavelengths is small. The undulations are determined by the membrane curvature elasticity while the lateral tension is negligibly small for cells of discoid shape. The technique presented allows accurate measurements of relative curvature (bending) elastic constants. The spectra of freshly drawn cells are remarkably reproducible. Aging of the cells in the medium leads to an increase in the curvature elastic constant. A decrease in osmolarity causes a reduction in the intensity and line width of the spectra and the flickering vanishes if the cell approaches a spherical shape. The effect of temperature between 10 and 40°C is astonishingly small with the exception of a sudden increase in the amplitude with increasing temperature at 35°C. The flicker spectra of a large fraction of the cells from patients suffering from cronical alcoholism exhibit a reduced line width or an increase in the curvature elastic constant.     

Community structure,social organization and ecological requirements of coral reef fish (Pomacentridae)

In the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea), 25 species of damselfish (Pomacentridae) which form typical interspecific communities were studied. Several species are typical for different depth zones, others are ubiquitous. Damselfish are variously specialized in feeding (herbivore, omnivore, plankton-carnivore); habitat (bottom-dwelling, midwater); home-and-shelter site (selective or unselective). Environmental factors and social structures were found to be interlinked. Species with the same social structure are similarly specialized ecologically. A hypothetical flow diagram shows the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on group size, available food, and social structure. Damselfish are extremely flexible to environmental change, showing intraspecific modification of group structure, feeding habits, reproductive strategy etc. Experimental results suggest a strong selection against redundant males. This research is considered a pilot study for future field work, aimed at a prediction of environmental influences on behaviour.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bad Godesberg, and the Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, Seewiesen.