The question of ‘alternatives’ within food and drink markets and marketing: introduction to the special issue

The question of 'alternatives' within food and drink markets and marketing: introduction to the special issu

The Physical Characteristics of the Small-Scale Interstellar Structure towards Mu Crucis

We present HST/GHRS echelle observations of multiple interstellar lines of CI, MgI, CrII, and ZnII towards both stars in the mu Cru binary system. Despite large differences in the profiles of the neutral species, no significant variations between the stars are seen in the CrII and ZnII line profiles. In particular, the ZnII absorption observed at -8.6 km/sec towards mu Cru is constant despite greatly enhanced columns of the neutral species at this velocity towards mu^1 Cru. An analysis of the fine-structure excitation of CI in this cloud implies that the density is n_H < 250 cm^{-3}. From the lack of variation in the (optical) NaI D2 line profiles towards mu^1 and mu^2 Cru in spectra taken 21 months apart, we can place a lower limit to the size of the structures of ~10 AU. These results are discussed in the context of recent radio and optical studies of apparently pervasive high density small-scale interstellar structure.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the Astrophysical Journal (Letters

Pelagic Longline Fishing Gear: A Brief History and Review of Research Efforts to Improve Selectivity

Pelagic longline gear had several independent evolutions, but the most widespread form appears to have been originally developed by the Japanese as early as the mid-19th century. Technological developments such as polyamide monofilament line and modern fishing vessel construction have resulted in the evolution and expansion of this gear type as the primary worldwide method of commercially harvesting large pelagic fishes such as broadbill swordfish and tunas.Although the adaptability of the gear through changes in materials, lengths, and deployment strategies has resulted in generally high selectivity for many target species, the bycatch of protected species by pelagic longlines is considered a global problem in the conservation effort to sustain populations of sea turtles, sea birds, and some istiophorid billfishes (sailfishes; spearfishes; marlins). Recent research on the modification of pelagic longline fishing strategies uses this inherent adaptability of the gear to avoid or reduce the mortality of bycatch species. This is an alternative to the traditional management strategy of closed areas, which fishermen view as less effective and generally more restrictive (limiting) with respect to target catches. This work with academic partners and commercial fishermen has resulted in the development of bycatch reduction strategies which include safe handling and release gear and protocols, use of circle hooks in place of traditional J-style hooks, restrictions on gangion and mainline lengths, and corrodible hooks

Rac-1 and IQGAP are potential regulators of E-cadherin-catenin interactions during murine preimplantation development.

Adherens junction formation is fundamental for compaction and trophectoderm differentiation during mammalian preimplantation development. We recently isolated an IQGAP-2 cDNA from a differential display-polymerase chain reaction screen of bovine preimplantation developmental stages. IQGAP-1 and -2 proteins mediate E-cadherin-based cell-to-cell adhesion through interactions with beta-catenin and the Rho GTPases, rac1 and cdc42. Our study demonstrates IQGAP-1,-2, rac-1 and cdc42 mRNAs are present throughout murine preimplantation development. IQGAP-1 and rac-1 protein distribution changes from predominantly plasma membrane associated to predominantly cytoplasmic as the embryo progresses through cleavage divisions and compaction to the blastocyst stage

Restoring O’Brien Creek, Missoula, MT

O’Brien Creek, near Missoula, Montana, has been altered by tree harvest, road building, grazing and dewatering. These actions led to loss of streamside vegetation, increased streambank erosion and scouring, and decreased native fish and wildlife recruitment. The Forest Service recently closed and recontoured roads in the upper watershed while the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks regraded and revegetated the lower creek to return it to a more natural state. I monitored the efficacy of revegetation of the newly restructured streambanks within the first year and a half of planting. The survival rate of plantings after the first year was only 25%, due, most probably, to the small size of the plants, competition with exotic weeds, and the placement of the plants well above the mid-summer water table. I recommend larger plants, placed with their roots in the mid-summer water table, and an effort to control weeds near the plantings. The restoration of O’Brien creek was done in patchwork fashion, with 2 agencies working on separate projects in different areas of the watershed without much coordination. Greater coordination and cooperation between agencies will likely result in more efficient and successful restoration efforts. However, the agencies are to be commended for their efforts which are already producing increases in fish populations in the creek

The Neurotrophins and Their Role in Alzheimer’s Disease

Besides being essential for correct development of the vertebrate nervous system the neurotrophins also play a vital role in adult neuron survival, maintenance and regeneration. In addition they are implicated in the pathogenesis of certain neurodegenerative diseases, and may even provide a therapeutic solution for some. In particular there have been a number of studies on the involvement of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. This disease is of growing concern as longevity increases worldwide, with little treatment available at the moment to alleviate the condition. Memory loss is one of the earliest symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The brain regions first affected by pathology include the hippocampus, and also the entorhinal cortex and basal cholinergic nuclei which project to the hippocampus; importantly, all these areas are required for memory formation. Both NGF and BDNF are affected early in the disease and this is thought to initiate a cascade of events which exacerbates pathology and leads to the symptoms of dementia. This review briefly describes the pathology, symptoms and molecular processes associated with Alzheimer’s disease; it discusses the involvement of the neurotrophins, particularly NGF and BDNF, and their receptors, with changes in BDNF considered particularly in the light of its importance in synaptic plasticity. In addition, the possibilities of neurotrophin-based therapeutics are evaluated

Stratigraphic Overview of Palaeogene Tuffs in the Faroe-Shetland Basin, NE Atlantic Margin

Acknowledgements We are very grateful to PGS for generously donating seismic datasets. Seismic interpretation was carried out using IHS Kingdom software, and wells were downloaded from the UK Oil & Gas Common Data Access Welllog interpretation was conducted using Schlumberger Techlog software. D.W. would also like to thank C. Telford for insights regarding the identification of tuffs in ditch cuttings and Total (UK) for material concerning the Vaila Formation. Attendees of VMRC workshops from academia and industry provided important insights into the stratigraphy of the FSB. Finally,D.W.would like to acknowledge the late Robert Knox, without whom our knowledge of North Atlantic explosive volcanism would be considerably poorer. The reviews of P. Reynolds and J. Ólavsdóttir greatly improved the paper. Funding This work is part of D.W.’s PhD research, which is funded by a University of Aberdeen College of Physical Sciences Scholarship.Peer reviewedPostprin

Metabolomic profiling and stable isotope labelling of Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus reveal major differences in amino acid metabolism including the production of 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid, cystathionine and S-methylcysteine

Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus are pathogens that parasitise, respectively, human and bovine urogenital tracts causing disease. Using LC-MS, reference metabolomic profiles were obtained for both species and stable isotope labelling with D-[U-13C6] glucose was used to analyse central carbon metabolism. This facilitated a comparison of the metabolic pathways of T. vaginalis and T. foetus, extending earlier targeted biochemical studies. 43 metabolites, whose identities were confirmed by comparison of their retention times with authentic standards, occurred at more than 3-fold difference in peak intensity between T. vaginalis and T. foetus. 18 metabolites that were removed from or released into the medium during growth also showed more than 3-fold difference between the species. Major differences were observed in cysteine and methionine metabolism in which homocysteine, produced as a bi-product of trans-methylation, is catabolised by methionine γ-lyase in T. vaginalis but converted to cystathionine in T. foetus. Both species synthesise methylthioadenosine by an unusual mechanism, but it is not used as a substrate for methionine recycling. T. vaginalis also produces and exports high levels of S-methylcysteine, whereas only negligible levels were found in T. foetus which maintains significantly higher intracellular levels of cysteine. 13C-labeling confirmed that both cysteine and S-methylcysteine are synthesised by T. vaginalis; S-methylcysteine can be generated by recombinant T. vaginalis cysteine synthase using phosphoserine and methanethiol. T. foetus contained higher levels of ornithine and citrulline than T. vaginalis and exported increased levels of putrescine, suggesting greater flux through the arginine dihydrolase pathway. T. vaginalis produced and exported hydroxy acid derivatives of certain amino acids, particularly 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid derived from leucine, whereas negligible levels of these metabolites occurred in T. foetus

A merger in the dusty, z=7.5z=7.5 galaxy A1689-zD1?

The gravitationally-lensed galaxy A1689-zD1 is one of the most distant spectroscopically confirmed sources ($z=7.5$). It is the earliest known galaxy where the interstellar medium (ISM) has been detected; dust emission was detected with the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA). A1689-zD1 is also unusual among high-redshift dust emitters as it is a sub-L* galaxy and is therefore a good prospect for the detection of gaseous ISM in a more typical galaxy at this redshift. We observed A1689-zD1 with ALMA in bands 6 and 7 and with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in band $Q$. To study the structure of A1689-zD1, we map the mm thermal dust emission and find two spatial components with sizes about $0.4-1.7$\,kpc (lensing-corrected). The rough spatial morphology is similar to what is observed in the near-infrared with {\it HST} and points to a perturbed dynamical state, perhaps indicative of a major merger or a disc in early formation. The ALMA photometry is used to constrain the far-infrared spectral energy distribution, yielding a dust temperature ($T_{\rm dust} \sim 35$--$45$\,K for $\beta = 1.5-2$). We do not detect the CO(3-2) line in the GBT data with a 95\% upper limit of 0.3\,mJy observed. We find a slight excess emission in ALMA band~6 at 220.9\,GHz. If this excess is real, it is likely due to emission from the [CII] 158.8\,$\mu$m line at $z_{\rm [CII]} = 7.603$. The stringent upper limits on the [CII]/$L_{\rm FIR}$ luminosity ratio suggest a [CII] deficit similar to several bright quasars and massive starbursts.Comment: 9 pages, accepted to MNRAS, in pres