Political Radicalization as a Communication Process

Based on data taken from 412 adult education students in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, this research attempts to show that attitudes toward French Canadian Separatism by the sample members can be accounted for by differentiaf communication processes. Results show that attitudes held by sample members are well explained (R2 = .64) by a weighted average of the information they received from interpersonal and media sources. The resultant attitude shows substantial effects on behaviors related to separatism for the same respondents.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67215/2/10.1177_009365027400100301.pd

Benthic microalgal production in the Arctic: Applied methods and status of the current database

The current database on benthic microalgal production in Arctic waters comprises 10 peer-reviewed and three unpublished studies. Here, we compile and discuss these datasets, along with the applied measurement approaches used. The latter is essential for robust comparative analysis and to clarify the often very confusing terminology in the existing literature. Our compilation demonstrates that i) benthic microalgae contribute significantly to coastal ecosystem production in the Arctic, and ii) benthic microalgal production on average exceeds pelagic productivity by a factor of 1.5 for water depths down to 30 m. We have established relationships between irradiance, water depth and benthic microalgal productivity that can be used to extrapolate results from quantitative experimental studies to the entire Arctic region. Two different approaches estimated that current benthic microalgal production in the Arctic is between 1.1 and 1.6×107 tons C year-1. Climate change is expected to increase the overall primary production and affect the balance between pelagic and benthic productivity in the Arctic. It is therefore imperative to get better quantitative understanding of the relationship between increased freshwater run-off, shrinking sea-ice cover, light availability and benthic primary production to assess future impact on the Arctic food web and trophic coupling. © 2009 by Walter de Gruyter

IN THIS ISSUE: What Are Characteristics of Significant Research?

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67303/2/10.1177_108056999505800214.pd

Microphytobenthos of Arctic Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway): biomass and potential primary production along the shore line

During summer 2007, Arctic microphytobenthic potential primary production was measured at several stations around the coastline of Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway) at ?5 m water depth and at two stations at five different water depths (5, 10, 15, 20, 30 m). Oxygen planar optode sensor spots were used ex situ to determine oxygen exchange in the overlying water of intact sediment cores under controlled light (ca. 100 ?mol photons m?2 s?1) and temperature (2–4°C) conditions. Patches of microalgae (mainly diatoms) covering sandy sediments at water depths down to 30 m showed high biomass of up to 317 mg chl a m?2. In spite of increasing water depth, no significant trend in “photoautotrophic active biomass” (chl a, ratio living/dead cells, cell sizes) and, thus, in primary production was measured at both stations. All sites from ?5 to 30 m water depth exhibited variable rates of net production from ?19 to +40 mg O2 m?2 h?1 (?168 to +360 mg C m?2 day?1) and gross production of about 2–62 mg O2 m?2 h?1 (17–554 mg C m?2 day?1), which is comparable to other polar as well as temperate regions. No relation between photoautotrophic biomass and gross/net production values was found. Microphytobenthos demonstrated significant rates of primary production that is comparable to pelagic production of Kongsfjorden and, hence, emphasised the importance as C source for the zoobenthos

The synaptic vesicle protein CSP alpha prevents presynaptic degeneration

Cysteine string protein α (CSPα)—an abundant synaptic vesicle protein that contains a DNA-J domain characteristic of Hsp40 chaperones—is thought to regulate Ca2+ channels and/or synaptic vesicle exocytosis. We now show that, in young mice, deletion of CSPα does not impair survival and causes no significant changes in presynaptic Ca2+ currents or synaptic vesicle exocytosis as measured in the Calyx of Held synapse. At 2–4 weeks of age, however, CSPα-deficient mice develop a progressive, fatal sensorimotor disorder. The neuromuscular junctions and Calyx synapses of CSPα-deficient mice exhibit increasing neurodegenerative changes, synaptic transmission becomes severely impaired, and the mutant mice die at ∼2 months of age. Our data suggest that CSPα is not essential for the normal operation of Ca2+ channels or exocytosis but acts as a presynaptic chaperone that maintains continued synaptic function, raising the possibility that enhanced CSPα function could attenuate neurodegenerative diseases