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Relatively little is known about how resource conservation practices and institutions emerge. We examine the historical emergence of territoriality and conservation rules in Maine's lobstering industry, using a cultural evolutionary perspective. Cultural evolution suggests that cultural adaptations such as practices and institutions arise as a result of evolutionary selection pressure. The cultural multilevel selection framework of Waring et al. (Ecol Soc, 2015) further proposes that group cultural adaptations tend to emerge at a level of social organization corresponding to the underlying dilemma. Drawing on detailed history and ethnography, we conduct a retrospective assessment to determine which levels of social organization experienced selection pressures that might explain the emergence of lobstering territoriality and conservation practices we observe in history. The evidence strongly suggests that informal territoriality evolved by selection on harbor gang behavior, while some conservation practices spread via selection at other levels from individuals to regional lobstering zones. We identify two apparent historical shifts in the dominant level of selection for these practices over the history of the industry and discuss the implications of this trajectory for the evolution of lobster management in the Gulf of Maine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wintertime precipitation sample data from 55 Snowpack sites and 17 National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)/National Trends Network Wetfall sites in the Rocky Mountain region were examined to identify long-term trends in chemical concentration, deposition, and precipitation using Regional and Seasonal Kendall tests. The Natural Resources Conservation Service snow-telemetry (SNOTEL) network provided snow-water-equivalent data from 33 sites located near Snowpack- and NADP Wetfall-sampling sites for further comparisons. Concentration and deposition of ammonium, calcium, nitrate, and sulfate were tested for trends for the period 1993-2012. Precipitation trends were compared between the three monitoring networks for the winter seasons and downward trends were observed for both Snowpack and SNOTEL networks, but not for the NADP Wetfall network. The dry-deposition fraction of total atmospheric deposition, relative to wet deposition, was shown to be considerable in the region. Potential sources of regional airborne pollutant emissions were identified from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2011 National Emissions Inventory, and from long-term emissions data for the period 1996-2013. Changes in the emissions of ammonia, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide were reflected in significant trends in snowpack and wetfall chemistry. In general, ammonia emissions in the western USA showed a gradual increase over the past decade, while ammonium concentrations and deposition in snowpacks and wetfall showed upward trends. Emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide declined while regional trends in snowpack and wetfall concentrations and deposition of nitrate and sulfate were downward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most promising mechanisms to conserve fish stocks is co-management, a type of ICCA (Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Area), in which responsibilities are shared by resource users and the government. In Maine, the lobster co-management system, established in 1995, divides the coast into seven zones. It permits license holders in each zone to recommend rules on four issues to the commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources. This article describes the history of the Maine lobster co-management system, emphasising the role of factional politics in determining the development of policies and rules. In the Maine co-management system, political outcomes depend on the power of factions of fishermen and the coalitions of those factions with government units at higher scales. Cross-scale cooperation is necessary. In the cases where such a cross-scale coalition existed, rules were passed and policies went into effect. In those cases where no such coalition existed, gridlock reigned. If we wish to understand the production of rules for the lobster industry, we must focus not only on the actions of different industry factions, but also on the byzantine relationships between lower levels of management (i.e., the zone councils and the Lobster Advisory Council) and higher scale institutions (i.e., legislature, Maine Department of Marine Resources, etc.). In this paper, special attention is paid to the reasons that stricter trap limits have not been devised, despite the fact that such limits would solve a variety of serious problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes individual and group behavior in an experimental commons. Different factors that can help avoid the tragedy of the commons are studied in four experimental settings: separation of a larger commons into smaller commons (two harbors), knowledge/experience available to appropriators, communication within appropriator groups and the possibility of formal and informal sanctioning of group members. Subject populations include undergraduate students as well as professionals working in the Maine lobster and groundfish industries. This design enables a behavioral comparison between students and professionals, as well as a comparison between professionals in these two mutually exclusive fisheries. Results show that group size, communication, geographic separation and subjects' ability to solve the coordination game caused by this separation all contribute to appropriation efficiency on the commons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the world's marine fisheries are overexploited or endangered, including the Gulf of Maine groundfish fishery, once one of the world's most prolific. After 35 years of management, groundfish stock sizes and catches are lower than when management began. We argue that in New England, the groundfishing industry is caught in a prisoner's dilemma caused by a large number of interactive social, political, and economic variables. These factors have (1) motivated fishermen to oppose the rules promulgated by the government (which we call the “harvest game”) and (2) lowered the benefits of investing in rules to conserve fish stocks (which we call the “rule game”). In both games, fishermen are motivated to play their dominant strategy to the detriment of the industry, conservation, and fish stocks. We suggest that the dilemma will only be solved by a change in the culture of the industry that would lead to support for a conservation ethic. Unfortunately, the current institutional framework of management does not support the development of such an ethic. Rational-choice theory and concepts from evolutionary game theory add to our understanding of the dilemma facing those concerned with groundfish management in this region. Received March 3, 2010; accepted June 16, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the burgeoning literature on property rights, relatively little analysis has been done on the relation between property rights regimes (i.e. individual property, state property, clan property), and the types of goods that are produced. In Maine [USA], the decisions of landowners are strongly influenced by government regulation which creates a number of types of goods. In addition, some of the rights to that land are appropriated by the public who use this land for recreation. Although the right of the public to use private land is under attack, currently this forestland is both privately owned and a recreational commons. At the same time, new property institutions are coming into being. As a result, a single "privately owned" parcel of land produces private goods, public goods, common pool resources and toll goods all at the same time. The Maine case points out that the relationship between various kinds of property rights and goods is more complicated than has been assumed by many social scientists involved in the "commons" debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the burgeoning literature on property rights, relatively little analysis has been done on the relation between property rights regimes (i.e. individual property, state property, clan property), and the types of goods that are produced. In Maine [USA], the decisions of landowners are strongly influenced by government regulation which creates a number of types of goods. In addition, some of the rights to that land are appropriated by the public who use this land for recreation. Although the right of the public to use private land is under attack, currently this forestland is both privately owned and a recreational commons. At the same time, new property institutions are coming into being. As a result, a single "privately owned" parcel of land produces private goods, public goods, common pool resources and toll goods all at the same time. The Maine case points out that the relationship between various kinds of property rights and goods is more complicated than has been assumed by many social scientists involved in the "commons" debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the world’s forests are being destroyed at a rapid rate. This article analyzes the decisions of landowners in Maine, where forests have been heavily harvested and much land has been converted to non-forest use. Data on these landowners and their land were obtained from primary and secondary sources, satellite change detection analysis, and structured interviews. We found that there are several different landowner groups making different harvesting decisions in response to different incentives. In northern Maine, deforestation occurred at a rapid rate in the 1970s–1990s due to the activities of paper companies, which were harvesting heavily in the aftermath of a spruce budworm epidemic and which were doing liquidation harvesting preparatory to leaving Maine. In the southern area of the state, deforestation is due primarily to small landowners converting land for development and contractors doing “cut and run” forestry. The Maine case shows that even in a small area, there can be multiple causes for deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although territoriality of one kind or another is found in every society, our understanding of the way territorial systems come into being remains undeveloped. In this article, we use game theory to understand the evolution of institutional arrangements in the Maine lobster fishery. Nash equilibrium of models explains the three stages observed in the local-scale informal system of the past century. These stages are the result of decisions to invade or defend territorial lines that have changed over the course of time in response to a number of factors, including adoption of better technology, transportation costs, ecological changes, ability to organize defensive and offensive groups, and better law enforcement - all captured by crucial parameters of our model. We explore the broader implications of this industry study, especially the issues it raises for rational choice theory and the generation of institutions and norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Obese individuals tend to resist the weight-regulating effects of exogenously administered leptin. A genetically engineered recombinant human variant ciliary neurotrophic factor (rhvCNTF) that signals through leptinlike pathways in the hypothalamus has been shown to bypass leptin resistance in animal models of obesity. Objective: To identify a safe and well-tolerated dose of rhvCNTF that causes weight loss in obese adults. Design, Setting, and Patients: Twelve-week, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, dose-ranging, multicenter clinical trial conducted at 2 university obesity clinics and at 5 independent clinical research clinics from March 2000 to August 2001, and including 173 nondiabetic obese adults, 82.6% of whom were women, with a mean (SD) body mass index of 41.1 (4.1). Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to receive daily for 12 weeks subcutaneous injections of placebo (n = 32) or 0.3 µg/kg (n = 32), 1.0 µg/kg (n = 38), or 2.0 µg/kg (n = 33) of rhvCNTF. Another group received 1.0 µg/kg for 8 weeks and placebo for 4 weeks (n = 38), but they were not included in the primary analysis. All participants received instructions for a reduced-calorie diet (World Health Organization formula minus 500 kcal/d). Main Outcome Measures: Change in weight during the 12-week double-blind treatment period and proportion of patients who achieved a weight loss of at least 5%. Results: Of the 173 randomized patients, 123 (71%) completed the double-blind dosing period. Mean (SEM) changes in kilograms from baseline body weights were 0.1 (0.6) for placebo and -1.5 (0.6) for the 0.3, -4.1 (0.6) for the 1.0, and –3.4 (0.7) for the 2.0 µg/kg of rhvCNTF dosage groups (P<.001, test for trend). Two patients (8.7%) in the placebo and 2 (8.3%) in the 0.3-µg/kg, 8 (29.6%) in the 1.0-µg/kg, and 5 (26%) in the 2.0-µg/kg treatment groups achieved a weight loss of at least 5%. Recombinant human variant CNTF was generally... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the regulations developed for the Maine lobster industry which was the factor for its successful management. Periods in the past years wherein the regulations were developed; Results of lobbying activity by various factions in the industry.

Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) acts as a target-derived neurotrophic factor for large calibre sensory neurones and plays a role in the maintenance of the adult phenotype of proprioceptive and mechanoreceptive fibres. Large fibre sensory neuropathy is common in diabetes mellitus and the aim of this study was to determine whether endogenous NT-3-dependent neurotrophic support was sub-optimal in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat. NT-3 gene expression was analysed by Northern blotting and ELISA in hindlimb skeletal muscle and found to be decreased by up to 70 % ( p < 0.05) in rats with 4–6 weeks of diabetes compared to aged-matched controls. Treatment of other diabetic rats with insulin prevented development of deficits of both NT-3 protein and of its mRNA. The deficits in target tissue production of NT-3 were coincident with significant decreases in its anterograde and retrograde axonal transport in sciatic nerve at 6 weeks of diabetes. The mRNA expression in lumbar dorsal root ganglia of the specific receptor for NT-3, trkC, was also down-regulated at 12 weeks of diabetes by 50 % ( p < 0.05). The observed decreases in NT-3 target tissue production and related axonal transport suggest that large calibre sensory neurones expressing trkC may be receiving sub-optimal neurotrophic support in experimental diabetes. [Diabetologia (1998) 41: 300–306] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts on vascular medicine and research. "Effects of High Blood Pressure on Remodelling of Small Arteries in the Vascular Wall," by E. Heerkens, V. Ohanian, L. Shaw and A. M. Heagerty; "Control of Vascular Remodelling and Angiogenesis by Apoptosis," by Peter J. Polverini and Jacques E. Nör; "The Role of the Extracellular Matrix in Angiogenesis," by Ana M. Schor.

Abstract Similar to leptin, ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) suppresses appetite and selectively reduces body fat in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice. To assess the relative importance of specific regions of the hypothalamus in mediating these effects, we administered a CNTF analogue (CNTFAx15 ) or leptin to mice made obese by administration of gold thioglucose (GTG), which destroys a well-defined portion of the medial basal hypothalamus. CNTFAx15 treatment reduced appetite and body weight in obese GTG-lesioned C57BL/6 mice, whereas leptin failed to effect similar changes regardless of whether treatment was initiated before or after the lesioned mice had become obese. Because leptin does not reduce food intake or body weight in most forms of obesity (a condition termed ‘leptin resistance’), we also investigated the actions of leptin in GTG-lesioned leptin-deficient (ob/ob ) mice. By contrast to C57BL/6 mice, leptin treatment reduced food intake and body weight in GTG-lesioned ob/ob mice, although the effect was attenuated. To further compare the neural substrates mediating the anorectic actions of leptin and CNTF, we determined the patterns of neurone activation induced by these proteins in the hypothalamus of intact and GTG-lesioned mice by staining for phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3). CNTFAx15 stimulated robust pSTAT3 signalling in neurones of the medial arcuate nucleus in both intact and lesioned C57BL/6 and ob/ob mice. Leptin administration stimulated pSTAT3 signalling in only a few neurones of the medial arcuate nucleus in intact or lesioned C57BL/6 mice, but elicited a robust response in intact or lesioned ob/ob mice. By contrast to CNTFAx15 , leptin treatment also resulted in prominent activation of STAT3 in several areas of the hypothalamus outside the medial arcuate nucleus. This leptin-induced pSTAT3 signal was at least as prominent in intact and GTG-lesioned C57BL/6 mice as it was in ob/ob mice, and thus was not correlated with appetite suppression or weight loss. These results indicate that the medial arcuate nucleus is a key mediator of appetite suppression and weight loss produced by CNTF and leptin, whereas GTG-vulnerable regions play a role only in leptin-induced weight loss. Other regions of hypothalamus in which pSTAT3 signal is induced by leptin may regulate energy metabolism through mechanisms other than appetite reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]