Adaptation and Convergent Evolution within the Jamesonia-Eriosorus Complex in High-Elevation Biodiverse Andean Hotspots

The recent uplift of the tropical Andes (since the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene) provided extensive ecological opportunity for evolutionary radiations. We test for phylogenetic and morphological evidence of adaptive radiation and convergent evolution to novel habitats (exposed, high-altitude páramo habitats) in the Andean fern genera Jamesonia and Eriosorus. We construct time-calibrated phylogenies for the Jamesonia-Eriosorus clade. We then use recent phylogenetic comparative methods to test for evolutionary transitions among habitats, associations between habitat and leaf morphology, and ecologically driven variation in the rate of morphological evolution. Páramo species (Jamesonia) display morphological adaptations consistent with convergent evolution in response to the demands of a highly exposed environment but these adaptations are associated with microhabitat use rather than the páramo per se. Species that are associated with exposed microhabitats (including Jamesonia and Eriorsorus) are characterized by many but short pinnae per frond whereas species occupying sheltered microhabitats (primarily Eriosorus) have few but long pinnae per frond. Pinnae length declines more rapidly with altitude in sheltered species. Rates of speciation are significantly higher among páramo than non-páramo lineages supporting the hypothesis of adaptation and divergence in the unique Páramo biodiversity hotspot

Preventing the diversion of Turkish opium

Turkey was once one of the world’s largest sources of illicit opium; the majority diverted from sparsely regulated licit production. Since 1972, however, it has contributed almost no opium to the global black market. As such, Turkey is one of a small number of states to have eradicated, or severally reduced, the national supply of illicit opium. This article reconsiders post-1974 Turkish controls from a situational crime prevention perspective. It is suggested that Turkish success was founded upon reducing opportunities for diversion from regulated production by hardening targets, increasing formal and informal surveillance, assisting compliance through fair procurement practices and increasing the risk of non-compliance

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

Do people comply with the law because they fear getting caught?

Do people comply with the law because they fear the consequences? Guided by the theoretical framework of Situational Action Theory we argue that most people abide by the law not because they fear the consequences but because they do not perceive crime as an ‘action alternative’. We propose that the potential influence of threats of punishment on people’s law abidance is specific to those who regularly are motivated and consider committing acts of crime. Using data from the Peterborough Adolescent and Young Adult Development Study (PADS+) we empirically explore the relationships between crime propensity, deterrence perceptions and crime involvement for four specific types of crime: shoplifting, theft from cars, vandalism and assault. The findings support the notion that the influence of deterrence perceptions on an individual’s crime involvement is dependent on his or her crime propensity. Moreover, and crucially, results suggest that deterrence perceptions are largely irrelevant for those who lack a propensity to commit acts of crime (or specific acts of crime). </jats:p

Risk factors of aggression in preadolescence: risk domains, cumulative risk, and gender differences. Results from a prospective longitudinal study in a multiethnic urban sample

This article reviews a range of risk factors for aggression at age 11 derived from a prospective longitudinal study on the social development of children in a large multi-ethnic sample in Switzerland. The study uses a multi-informant approach that permits reliance on combined measures of social behaviour and covers factors derived from a wide range of risk domains. Besides analysing the effects of individual risk factors, the study also investigates the effect size of cumulative risk within and across risk domains. It further analyses gender differences in risk vulnerability. Results suggest that proximal behavioural and psychological risk factors most strongly predict later aggression, whereas more distal external factors related to the family, to school and to peer relationships are less predictive. The most distal factors (perinatal risks and sociodemographic factors) are only marginally associated with later aggression. Analysis of cumulative risk suggests a strong relationship between the number of risk factors and later aggression. Finally, results support the notion of a higher risk vulnerability of boys compared with girls. Results are discussed in the context of extant research