Recognizing the importance of scale in the ecology and management of riverine fish

Processes affecting fish populations range in scale from local to global. Fish response is also scale‐dependent, with some activities varying locally while others depend on large‐scale connectivity within or between watersheds. These issues are still only partly recognized, with large‐scale research often affected by non‐independent sampling, weak inference, poor model testing or model over‐extrapolation. Available multi‐scale studies can reach different conclusions about factors affecting fishes from local studies, but results vary between examples. Potential explanations are (i) effects on fishes are context‐dependent; (ii) different species or life‐stages are limited in different ways; (iii) multi‐scale studies are too few for generalization. We advocate improved use of geostatistical tools to guide sampling or interpret the spatial extent of management problems, and we illustrate this using brown trout in Welsh streams. Our strongest recommendation is that fish ecologists recognize the importance of interactions across scales in quantifying effects on fishes so that management decisions can be better based on evidence rather than judgement or extrapolation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ability of Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria to Ferment a Pearl Millet–Soybean Slurry to Produce Gruels for Complementary Foods for Young Children

Abstract: To assess the ability of lactic acid bacteria to improve some nutritional characteristics of the pearl millet–soybean slurry to prepare complementary foods for young children in African countries, inoculation was performed using strains previously selected for their ability to hydrolyse starch, phytate, or α-galactooligosaccharides (α-GOS). For the sake of comparison with the action of a natural microflora, fermentation was also performed by back slopping inoculation, that is, with a sample obtained from spontaneously fermented traditional pearl millet slurry obtained from a small scale processing unit in Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou). Starter cultures thrived on the slurry as shown by counts on MRS agar, TTGE fingerprints, and fermentation patterns. The fermentation of precooked slurries inoculated by back slopping or with mixed cultures containing the amylolytic strain Lb. plantarum A6 enabled partial starch hydrolysis. Corresponding gruels had a suitable consistency for young child feeding at high dry matter content, and a high energy density: 88.7 ± 4.2 and 75.8 ± 5.1 kcal/100 g of sweetened gruel, for the gruels inoculated by back slopping or with Lb. plantarum A6, respectively. Unexpectedly, no decrease in phytates was observed in any of the experiments, suggesting the presence of one or more inhibitory compounds in soybean. Furthermore, preprocessing conditions before fermentation affect the carbohydrate composition of slurry and have a more profound effect than fermentation on the reduction of the α-GOS content. Practical Application: This research aims to investigate the capacity of selected lactic acid bacteria to produce in a bioprocess high energy density and nutritious gruels for complementary feeding of young children from an African cereal (pearl millet) mixed with soybean.     

L2F anemometry measurements of the inter-row flow field within a transonic axial compressor provided with curved windows

INTRODUCTIONMultibladerowcalculationscanbeperformedusingsteady3DNScodesprovidedthatassumptionsaremadeforthecouplingofbladerows.Thesocalledmixing--planeapproachneedsthetangentialaveragesofflowquantitiesattheinterfaceplanebetweenadjacentbladerows.Butth...     

The analytical separation of phosphate from natural water by ion exchange

An ion exchange method has been developed for separating inorganic orthophosphate from natural water samples. The technique makes it possible to determine orthophosphate by the molybdophosphate blue procedure without interference from phosphate esters or certain other forms of bound phosphorus. Experiments to examine the conditions under which phosphate is found in natural waters suggest that adsorption by high molecular weight organic substances such as lignins may account for a large fraction of the soluble phosphorus.     

Driving under the influence of cannabis: Links with dangerous driving, psychological predictors, and accident involvement

Driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) has become a growing concern. Studies investigating the impact of DUIC on traffic safety have shown evidence that, during the acute period of cannabis intoxication, cannabis diminishes driving faculties and is associated with an elevated risk of collision. However, DUIC drivers seem to exhibit a general reckless driving style that may contribute to an over-estimation of DUIC-related collisions among this group. In this study, we investigated DUIC drivers with respect to self-reported dangerous driving habits (e.g., risky driving, aggressive driving and negative emotional driving), behaviours observed in a driving simulator, psychological predictors and crash involvement. Results suggest that DUIC is associated with self-reported and observed risky driving and negative emotional driving. We also found that sensation seeking and impulsivity are independent psychological predictors of DUIC. Finally, a trend suggests that self-reported DUIC is associated with an increased risk of being involved in a car accident, after controlling for dangerous driving and demographic variables. Implications for interventions are discussed.     

A review of Znln2S4-based photocatalysts for producing hydrogen by water splitting under visible light: Fundamentals and recent advancements

Hydrogen (H₂) is a clean energy carrier widely used in oil refineries, fertilizers, chemicals, and steel manufacturing. Presently, the majority of H₂ is produced from either steam methane reforming of natural gas or coal gasification; however, these technologies result in a massive amount of CO₂ emission. Alternatively, the use of photocatalysts for producing H₂ via water splitting is an eco-friendly and sustainable approach, among which the selection of highly efficient, stable, and cheap photocatalysts is the key. In this review, Znln₂S₄-based photocatalysts are thoroughly described in terms of the fundamentals and thermodynamics of water splitting, fabrication methods, and different heterostructure photocatalytic systems. After this, recent developments in the large-scale implementation of photocatalytic reactors are discussed. Finally, a summary of future research directions and major conclusions is provided. With proper modification, such as heterojunction systems and the selection of proper fabrication methods, Znln₂S₄-based photocatalysts could be superior materials for water splitting. In short, this review article could offer meaningful and useful insights and guidance for the development of Znln₂S₄-based photocatalysts in water splitting for producing H₂ under visible light.     

Membrane Signaling Induced by High Doses of Ionizing Radiation in the Endothelial Compartment. Relevance in Radiation Toxicity

Tumor areas can now be very precisely delimited thanks to technical progress in imaging and ballistics. This has also led to the development of novel radiotherapy protocols, delivering higher doses of ionizing radiation directly to cancer cells. Despite this, radiation toxicity in healthy tissue remains a major issue, particularly with dose-escalation in these new protocols. Acute and late tissue damage following irradiation have both been linked to the endothelium irrigating normal tissues. The molecular mechanisms involved in the endothelial response to high doses of radiation are associated with signaling from the plasma membrane, mainly via the acid sphingomyelinase/ceramide pathway. This review describes this signaling pathway and discusses the relevance of targeting endothelial signaling to protect healthy tissues from the deleterious effects of high doses of radiation.     

Relevance of the skewness index in DTI exploration of multiple sclerosis

Object  To this day, no parameter can really monitor the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, an index the skewness (S) derived from parameters calculated in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been tested on MS patients for its ability to monitor the disease course. Materials and methods  Eighteen patients underwent two examinations within 3 months consisting of a clinical evaluation (EDSS) and DTI acquisitions on a 1.5 T imager. Tensor was calculated thanks to“home-made” software. Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) histograms were described for normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and gray matter (GM) of patients with S and also with usually indices peak position (pp) and peak height (ph) for the whole group of patients and for two separate groups according to their clinical status (EDSS  ≤  3 and EDSS  > 3 at month 0). Results  Although no significant clinical evolution is observed over 3 months, S in GM showed a significant shift for both MD/FA histograms towards abnormal values for the whole group of patients (p = 0.02/p = 0.04) and for the group with EDSS  ≤  3 (p = 0.04/p = 0.007), while ph and pp do not. Conclusion  S in GM could be an alternative marker to monitor the disease course before the repercussion on the clinical score.     

Plant Chemical Defense Induced by a Seed-Eating Pollinator Mutualist

Plant-seed parasite pollination mutualisms involve a specific pollinator whose larvae develop by consuming a fraction of the host plant seeds. These mutualisms are stable only if the plant can control seed destruction by the larvae. Here, we studied the chemical response of the European globeflower Trollius europaeus to infestation by an increasing number of Chiastocheta fly larvae. We used liquid chromatographic analysis to compare the content of phenolic compounds in unparasitized and parasitized fruits collected in two natural populations of the French Alps, and mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance to elucidate the structure of adonivernith, a C-glycosyl-flavone. This compound is present in many of the organs of T. europaeus, but not found in other Trollius species. Furthermore, it is overproduced in the carpel walls of parasitized fruits, and this induced response to infestation by fly larvae is density-dependent (increases with larval number), and site-dependent (more pronounced in the high-altitude site). Mechanical damage did not induce adonivernith production. This tissue-specific and density-dependent response of T. europaeus to infestation by Chiastocheta larvae might be an efficient regulation mechanism of seed-predator mutualist population growth if it decreases survival or growth of the larvae.