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This book contains sixteen compelling case studies that illustrate the power of future search to create lasting, whole system change. Future Search in School District Change: Connection, Community, and Results chronicles ways in which educational institutions have used broad-based stakeholder involvement to improve education. These experiences, by individual authors--many who are school superintendents, directors, and education professionals--will help those tasked with improving education by offering ideas that have proven successful. These cases document innovative initiatives in rural, suburban, and urban schools on such key issues including: (1) District mergers; (2) Healing racial divisions; (3) Curriculum reform; (4) Developing community partnerships; and (5) Creating district-wide strategic plans. This book also contains important educational themes such as: (1) Early childhood education; (2) Improving the performance of school boards; (3) improving student health; and (4) Improving achievement. This book is designed for superintendents, school board members, district administrators, and anyone else with an interest in high-involvement/ high-performing schools and districts. Following the Contributor's Foreword; Preface (Rita Schweitz, Kim Martens); Introduction: Future Search in Education (Marvin Weisbord, Sandra Janoff), this book is divided into five parts. Part 1, Demographic Variety, contains the following chapters: (1) Lawrence Public Schools: Institutionalized Goals (Nancy Aronson, Emily Axelrod, and Sandee Crowther); (2) Influencing Systemwide Change at the Toronto District School Board (Ray Gordezky, Kim Martens, and Sue Rowan). In Part 2, Leadership Perspectives and Tools, the chapters continue: (3) Converting Outsiders to Insiders: A Grassroots Approach Using Future Searches at Each School to Design the Districtwide Educational Strategy (Jim Parry); (4) Supporting the Merger of Two School Boards in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: The Ottawa-Carleton Community and Public Education to 2015 (Claudia Chowaniec, Ray Gordezky, and Jim Grieve); and (5) Perkiomen Valley School District: Creating a Collaborative Culture (Beverly Arsht, Nancy Aronson, and Sally Hilderbrand). Part 3, Growing Community Partnerships, continues with the next 4 chapters: (6) Activating Social Capital through Community Support and Interagency Cooperation: A Future Search Success Story in Education (Rita Schweitz, Ken Seeley, and James Merritt); (7) Building Community Capacity to Support Quality Education (Nancy Aronson, Emily Axelrod, and Mary Ann Bobosky); (8) Supporting Health and Mental Health So Students Can Learn in San Gabriel, California (Jean Katz and Vera Jashni); and (9) Creating a Community for Healthy Learner in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Catherine M. Perme and Sara E. Stoltzfus Mullett). Part 4, Including Student Voices, provides chapters: (10) Finding the Rainbow in a Coat of Many Colors: A Districtwide Strategic Planning Process (Shelley Sweet, Jean Katz); (11) Confronting Racism in the Novato Unified School District (Kenoli Oleari); and (12) Success and System Readiness: The Lester B. Pearson School Board and Its Commitment to Educational Excellence, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Pat Deans, Kim Martens, and Ray Gordezky); and Part 5: Beyond the District, contains the final chapters: (13) North Montgomery County Technical Career Center: Opening Up a System and Having Regional Impact (Nancy Aronson, Beverly Arsht, and Michael Erwin); (14) Community Collaboration: A 10-Year Journey for Young Children (Chris Kloth and Rebecca Love); (15) Transforming a School of Education: Building System Coherence (Nancy Aronson, Rosemarie Barbeau, and Karen Symms Gallagher); and (16) Kansas State Department of Education: Hope and a Sense of Possibility in a Time of Scarcity and Despair (Nancy Aronson, Rosemarie Barbeau, and Alexa Posny). Also included are: Epilogue: Engaging the System by Changing Conversations in School districts (Kim Martens, Nancy Aronson, and Rita Schweitz); References; Index; About the Authors; and Contributor Contact Information.

In an effort to determine external and internal reasons for program, course, enrollment, and instructional differences in the strength of the humanities curriculum at two-year colleges, 20 colleges representing a variety of sizes, geographic locations, means of control, and program emphases were selected for site visits. Interviews revealed that though patterns of interaction and control varied, state regulatory agencies and legislation affected the colleges' programs, especially through funding reviews, program and course approval, and requirements for data collection. Humanities requirements of transfer institutions constituted an additional external influence. Neither the socio-economic status nor ethnic make-up of the community had consistent effects on the humanities, nor did the needs of local high schools nor the potentially influential community-service programs. The most important internal influence was a strong president or board; others included program funding, incentives for faculty and curriculum development, humanities grants, and instructional resources. Effects on humanities enrollments varied; eleven institutions experienced increases attributed to new humanities requirements and nine experienced decreases attributed to growing vocational programs. Faculty, department chairpersons, and deans of instruction viewed the enrollment shifts differently, as they did the role and future of the humanities in the two-year college. (Recommendations and the interview form are included.) (AYC)

This book examines embedded support in course material. The focus is on self-study and associated concepts such as independent learning, distance education, and open education, and the general context is adult and higher education. The seven chapters cover: (1) general introductory material, including a description of the future, distance education and open learning, conventional education, the "Big Bang" in distance education, and challenges of distance education; (2) embedded support, including embedded support devices (ESDs), a theoretical model, and the impact of individual characteristics; (3) research methods, including methods for research in relation to ESDs, opting for a research approach, and a preview of experimental research on ESDs; (4) ESDs in printed learning environments, including research with interviews, research with questionnaires, effect research with different course versions, and eye movement registration; (5) ESDs in electronic learning environments, including research design and results of a collaborative study between the Open University of the Netherlands and the University of Gent (Belgium); (6) assessment and feedback of ESDs, including research design and results of a study of independent learning at the Open University of the Netherlands; and (7) conclusions, discussion, and implications of research findings. Summaries in English and Dutch are included. (Contains 424 references.) (AEF)

This book contains a comparative survey of efforts to organize female workers in trade unions in both developing and industrialized nations and 19 case studies of efforts to organize female workers in selected occupations. The following papers are included: "A Comparative Survey" (Swasti Mitter); "The Union of Women Domestic Employees, Recife, Brazil" (Marie Anderfuhren); "Unions and Domestic Workers in Mexico City" (Ruth Joffre Lazarini, Olivia Martinez); "The Namibia Domestic and Allied Workers' Union" (Magano Nangombe); "Migrant Women as Domestic Workers" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); "Conclusions to Part II" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); "Organizing Homeworkers in the Informal Sector" (Jane Tate); "Introduction to Part IV" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); "Workers' Education for Women Members of Rural Workers' Organizations in Africa" (Kathini Maloba-Caines); "Workers' Education for Women Members of Rural Workers' Organizations in Asia" (Neena Hari-Correa); "Workers' Education for Women Members of Rural Workers' Organizations in Central America and the Dominican Republic" (Maritza Delgado Gonzalez); "Experience in Organizing Women in the Informal Sector in India" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); "The Working Women's Forum: A Case Study of Leadership Development in India" (Claire L. Bangasser); "Trade Unions and Workers in the Informal Sector in Burkina Faso" (Mamounata Cisse); "Trade Unions and Women Workers in the Rural and Informal Sectors in Cote d'Ivoire: The Case of SYNAFSI [National Union of Informal Sector Women]" (Mahan Gahe Basile); "The Informal Sector in an Industrialized Country: Textile and Garment Workers in Northern Italy" (Vicky Franzinetti); "Introduction to Part VI" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); "Women in Trade Unions in the Mauritius Export Processing Zones" (Dev Luchmun); "Organizing Experiences in Export Processing Zones in Other Countries" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); "Conclusion to Part VI" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); "Lessons for Organizing the Unorganized" (Margaret Hosmer Martens); and "Final Remarks" (Swasti Mitter). (MN)

Four papers on ethics from the viewpoint of organized agencies are presented: (1) "Business, Ethics, and the Physical Activity Field" (R. Martens); (2) "On Old Wine and New Bottles: The Transformation of Ethical Emphasis in Higher Education" (C. Thomas); (3) a reaction to the first two papers; and (4) "American Academy of Physical Education Ethics Committee Report, 1992." (SM)

This book arose from a felt need for more Canadian (as distinct from U.S.) oriented content in the study of the organization of Canadian physical education. The resources for the book are heavily Canadian, and much of the data is based on the results of surveys conducted specifically for the book. In addition, a series of site visits to Canadian centers provided first-hand information for many aspects of the subject. A foreword to the book provides background information as well as an overview of the development of physical education in Canada. Chapter headings in the book are as follows: (1) "Theory and Practice of Organization, Management, and Leadership"; (2) "Scheduling Physical Education"; (3) "Class Management: Practices in Canadian Schools"; (4) "Organization and Duties Complementary to the Teaching Function"; (5) "School Programs"; (6) "Evaluation and Grading"; (7) "Intramural Athletics"; (8) "Interschool Athletics"; (9) "Facilities and Equipment"; (10) "Public Relations: Interpretation of the Program"; (11) "Legal Liability"; (12) "Financial Considerations"; (13) "Supervisors/Co-ordinators/Consultants"; and (14) "Organizations in Physical Education and Related Fields. Questions for exercises and discussion and a list of references are included. (JD)

The Po river plain (northern Italy) is delimited to two mountain ridges, the Alps and the Apennines. It hosts peculiar lowland man-modified springs, locally known as "fontanili", which originate from natural resurgences occurring along the alluvial fans of the main watercourses, namely in the transition zone from the higher to lower plain which is characterized by changes in slope profile and sediment granulometry. These habitats usually show low variation in hydrological, hydrochemical and thermal conditions throughout the year. Twenty-eight springs, located in the provinces of Lodi and Cremona (Lombardy) in the alpine sub-catchment of the Po river were sampled in summer and autumn of 2004. Twenty-three of them were typical alluvialfan springs, while the remaining five were terrace springs. The two groups of springs showed marked differences in their hydrochemical and hydrological characteristics. Sixteen ostracod species in three families (Candonidae, Ilyocyprididae, and Cyprididae) were identified. The most frequent species were Cypria ophtalmica (19 sites), Herpetocypris reptans (16), and Prionocypris zenkeri (13). Five species were found only once: Chlamydotheca incisa, Scottia pseudobrowniana, Pseudocandona compressa and Candona neglecta. Up to 6 taxa were recorded from a single site and the average number of taxa for each site was c. 3. The associations among ostracod taxa and their occurrence in relation to environmental factors were examined. Finally, the results of this survey were compared with a similar study previously conducted in 31 alluvial fan springs of the apennine sub-catchment of the Po river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-embryonic development of the appendages of the Cyprididae ostracod Heterocypris salina (Brady, 1868) are described in detail and compared with those of other podocope species documented in previous studies. Generally, the appearance of limbs during onotgeny of H. salina is similar to that of other species, but small differences in limb morphologies were identified between H. salina and other Cyprididae species, including other Heterocypris species. Some features appear either earlier or later in the development of H. salina compared with other species, even species of the same genus. These features may be useful characters for phylogenetic analyses at the genus and family levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Fabaeformiscandona and collections of Fabaeformiscandona japonica (Okubo, 1990. Bulletin Biogeography Society of Japan 45: 39-50) from Japan have provided an opportunity to study the copulatory behaviour and sexual morphology of these species. The male uses the large fifth limb palps to force open the female carapace for copulation. However, the female has an enlarged overlapping flap over the posterior of the carapace which appears to hinder the male from opening the carapace, thus the female retains some control over potential mates. During copulation, the males' fifth limbs, caudal ramus and m process of the hemipenes and the females' protrusion of the female reproductive organ play a crucial role in providing a secure interface between the sexual organs to allow for the transfer of the giant spermatozoa. Development of the sexual organs in both sexes begins during the A-2 instar, and the protrusion of the female genital lobe begins to form during the A-1 instar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asexual lineages lack the means to purge their genomes of (deleterious) mutations through recombination. Evolutionary theory thus predicts that such lineages will be prone to early extinction. In brooding animals, brood selection might provide a mechanism to counter the accumulation of mutations. Of the three putative ancient asexual animal groups, only the darwinulid ostracods are brooders. Here, we test the incidence of egg and juvenile abortion in a darwinulid species, Penthesilenula brasiliensis, under two temperature treatments. Part of the offspring is released without brooding (close to 30% in one treatment). The majority of these aborted eggs hatches and develops. As it is unlikely that females are such bad judges of offspring quality, either the surviving animals will present deficiencies later on in development (brood selection) or early egg release can be a (bet-hedging) strategy to increase fecundity in favourable conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In podocopid ostracods, the "hingement", with teeth/sockets or crenulations, is developed along the attached dorsal margin of the carapace. Dual calcified lamellae, called "duplicatures" are also developed along the free margin. However, the terminology of these marginal areas is often confused by many ostracodologists because of their differing interpretations and viewpoints. In this study, the marginal areas of the carapace were observed in detail, using the transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopes. Consequently, the terminology of the marginal areas has been revised. The homology between attached and free margins and the structural differences of duplicatures, for some taxa are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arrangement of hepatopancreas and associated cells was examined in freshwater cypridoidean ostracods in the context of comparative microanatomy and cytology using light (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A compact, short, subpyriform hepatopancreas located at the sides of the front part of the fore gut has been observed in the following species of the family Candonidae: Candona candida, C. neglecta, Cyclocypris ovum, Cypria ophtalmica, Fabaeformiscandona fabaeformis, Pseudocandona compressa. Within the families Cyprididae (in species Cypridopsis vidua, Herpetocypris reptans, Heterocypris incongruens, Potamocypris unicaudata and Psychrodromus olivaceus), Ilyocyprididae (Ilyocypris gibba) and Notodromadidae (Notodromas monacha, N. persica) a completely different arrangement of the hepatopancreas was observed. In these families the hepatopancreas is tubular and remarkably elongated. Hepatopancreatic cells (sometimes very large) are scattered within a more or less developed layer of other cell types. This organ is also connected to the fore gut. However, it stretches, in comparison with the candonids, much further in the rear part of the body cavity and in the interlamellar space. In transversal and longitudinal sections this organ forms typical lacunae. The lacunae are often longitudinally further subdivided forming a lacunary system. It means that there are often distinct constrictions in some parts of the tubular hepatopancreas. The hepatopancreas verges into multilayer cellular formations (MCFs) in caudal and more peripheral areas. The MCFs can occupy large spaces in the periphery of the body cavity, within the bases of appendages or in the interlamellar space. The morphology of the hepatopancreatic cells in the part close to the fore gut distinctly differs in appearance from the cells in the more caudal areas. The cells in the MCFs strongly resemble "Subdermalzellen" in earlier literature. The development of MCFs often reflects the amount of food in the both parts of the middle gut. The extent and spatial arrangement of the MCF is subject to a high variability. In TEM the hepatopancreatic cells resemble oenocytoid cells described for example in insects. The ultrastructure of some parts of the hepatopancreas viewed in TEM represents typical cecal cells forming a basal labyrinth and microvilli. These specialized cells most probably originate from the hepatopancreatic cells, which are also able to give rise to plasmatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The posterior end of body of the extant ostracods exhibits a pair of variously shaped appendages, commonly designated as furca(e), uropods or caudal rami, used for feeding and/or locomotion. It is here shown that the socalled furca of all extant ostracods has evolved from the (probably epipodal) vibratory plates of a pair of uropods. The transformation comprised the following steps: (a) complete reduction of the uropodal protopodite and endopodite; (b) sclerotisation of the lateral walls of the vibratory plates; (c) transformation of the branchial filaments into spines and/or claws; (d) re-orientation of the plates from posterodorsal to posteroventral. These modifications are suggested to have evolved in parallel with a change in function, from respiratory to locomotory and/or feeding. The most primitive condition, reminiscent of the ancestral state of character, is seen in the Platycopida: the ‘furca' still appears similar in shape to the vibratory plates of the pair of sixth limbs. In the Podocopida the uropodal plates have been modified into plate-like, more often into rod-shaped rami mainly used for locomotion. In both the Platycopida and Podocopida the anus has remained in its original place, posterior to the ‘furcal' plates or rami. In the Myodocopida and Halocyprida the uropodal vibratory plates are transformed into heavily developed lamellae bearing sturdy spines. They are activated by a complex apparatus of muscles and sclerites, the development of which necessitated the displacement of the anus from the end of the body towards its present place, anterior to the ‘furca'. The furca of the Ostracoda being not a ‘true' furca, a change in terminology is proposed: uropodal plates or lamellae in the Platycopida, Palaeocopida and Myodocopida/Halocyprida; uropodal rami in the Podocopida. The so-called furcae of the Ostracoda being homologous structures, it is concluded that all extant ostracods belong to a monophyletic lineage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution deals with evolutionary and taxonomic aspects of the stygobitic ostracod lineage Pseudocandona eremita (Ostracoda, Candonidae). It is based on a comparative study of the morphology of both the carapace and limbs of individuals belonging to eight populations from Romania (three reproducing bisexually, the others by parthenogenesis). Left valves display various outline shapes, classified in two morphotypes, the "dorsally rounded shape" and the "triangular shape". The intra- and interpopulation shape variability of these valves is described using geometric morphometrics and multivariate statistics. It is shown that the more flat carapace occurs frequently in populations living in gravel-sand habitats. Moreover, variability of 12 morphological limb characters taken on females is quantitatively evaluated by discriminant analysis. The character state of the m process of the male copulatory organ gives the most reliable information for the separation of the three bisexual populations in different species: P. serbani Danielopol, P. danubialis sp. nov. and P. transylvanica sp. nov. Short descriptions of the latter two species are presented. For the five parthenogenetic populations where no particular discriminant trait could be found, a solution of compromise is adopted, i.e. they are temporary assigned to Pseudocandona eremita (Vejdovský, 1882, Thierische Organismen der Brunnenwässer von Prag. Prag) sensu lato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to Middle Devonian ostracods from western Canada, special cases of palaeocopine extradomiciliar dimorphism are discussed, as in the opinion of many workers are unusual for younger hollinoideans and, in particular, primitiopsoideans. Although the general view that velar dimorphism is the main characteristic of Mid Palaeozoic Palaeocopina is basically not wrong, dimorphic histial structures, even though less conspicuous in aspect, have been recognised in some Mid-Devonian hollinoideans, specifically hollinids and ctenoloculinids. This is now also proven to be true of distinct hollinellids and, by the way, discrete primitiopsids, while distinguishing between narrow-based projections (ridges, flanges, spines) and broad-based protrusions (e.g. lobes). Whereas the former may occur in velar as well as histial situations, lobal features are especially found in the histial position. Special attention is paid to false primitiopsids, being (with some caution) grouped in the Hollinoidea (Family unknown). Essentially, three genera are new or redefined (former left under open nomenclature): Gen. aff. Abditoloculina: multilobate in aspect, lobal (histial) dimorphic; Gen. aff. Gravia: coalesced velar dimorphic; Bisphenella: histial dimorphic. With respect to the hold discussion about ostracod phylogeny, the updated standard classification scheme is given, as applied to Palaeozoic, non-myodocopine ostracods. Reduction of dimorphism in palaeocopines is considered to be an apomorphic character, lack of dimorphism assumed to indicate asexual reproduction. At the same time, a plea is made in favour of reviving Treatise revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the area of Lake Yeniçağa is a potential candidate for RAMSAR convention, several anthropogenic factors compromise its biological diversity. This is mostly due to nutrient- rich water released from both point and nonpoint sources. Thirteen ostracod taxa (Candona neglecta, C. candida, Ilyocypris bradyi, Darwinula stevensoni, Cypridopsis vidua, Physocypria kraepelini, Cypria ophtalmica, Prionocypris zenkeri, Eucypris virens, Herpetocypris reptans, Pseudocandona compressa, Fabaeformiscandona fabaeformis Potamocypris cf. fulva) were found during this study. Potamocypris cf. fulva is a new record for the Turkish freshwater ostracod fauna. The first nine of these species have broad geographic ranges, implying high tolerance levels to different environmental variables. Based on the estimated species optima and tolerance levels, two species exhibited higher effective number of occurrences (C. neglecta, and D. stevensoni, respectively) than the other species. Three species (C. neglecta, D. stevensoni, I. bradyi) did not show significant correlation with any environmental variable we used. Both Canonical correspondence (CCA) and Pearson correlation analyses showed that temperature was the most effective predictor of species occurrence, followed by electrical conductivity and redox potential. In contrast, pH and dissolved oxygen of water were the least effective predictors. Approximately 71% of the correlation between community composition and environmental variables was explained by the first axis of the CCA diagram, which had a relatively low (7.7%) cumulative variance of species. The lower (560 µg/l) and the upper (2030 µg/l) levels of ammonia (NH3) exceeded the limits during winter season. The concentrations of total coliform and Escherichia coli bacteria were measured up to 10 × 107 cfu/ml and 10 × 103 cfu/ml, respectively. Results of physicochemical measurements, microbiological counts, and species data indicate that water quality of Lake Yeniçağa has been rapidly deteriorated by anthropogenic factors that are the main threat for not only the lake's aquatic diversity but also human health around the lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ostracods have long been studied by scientists because their fossil remnants provide a valuable tool for the reconstruction of past environmental changes, including climate change and anthropogenic eutrophication. Relatively little is known about the physiology, behaviour and reproductive ecology of recent forms. We argue that filling this gap in knowledge requires stable cultures that can be used in laboratory studies. Here we provide quantitative information on the food preference of the common non-marine ostracod Eucypris virens. Using an experimental device allowing a free choice of eight food items, including both autoand heterotrophic organisms, observations were carried out on groups of animals from different populations. Our results indicate that E. virens highly prefers spinach and the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix tenuis to other food items. The latter also plays an important role in maintaining the quality of the culture medium and provides a convenient substrate for moulting and egg-laying. As such, we recommend Cyanobacteria like T. tenuis as a food source for long-standing cultures of E. virens, and other non-marine ostracod species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt has been made at a comprehensive study of the diversity and distribution of subterranean ostracods in the Pilbara region, northwestern Australia. The area is a "hot spot" for subterranean biodiversity, some of which is currently under threat from extensive mining operations. Both bore and well sites were targeted, totalling 445 sites, to obtain a thorough coverage of the 200,000 km2. In addition, physical and hydrochemical measurements were obtained for all of the samples (temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, Eh, turbidity, nutrients, major ions). Ostracods were retrieved from approximately 47% of the samples and 56% of the sites. Twenty-one genera and around 110 species of ostracods have been identified. Of these, 72 are new species and a further 10 are currently in open nomenclature, due to the lack of suitable material for formal taxonomic description. The Candoninae are particularly well represented with 12 genera; some, such as Areacandona and Deminutiocandona, with 25 and 10 species respectively. Most sites (80%) were dominated by only one or two species, with up to six species at some sites. Population density varied from 1-370 individuals/sample. The most abundant and diverse sites occur in fresh, bicarbonate-rich aquifers utilised for water extraction, such as Pannawonica (Robe River), Cane River and Millstream. There is a clear distinction between taxa at the genus level from coastal and low-lying alluvial sites, and upland sites (>300 m altitude). Beyond this, the majority of species are confined within a surface water catchment, or in many cases, a specific aquifer. There are, however, some morphological similarities of the carapaces between different species within similar hydrogeologic settings. Ornate and ridged-valved species are common in the Mg-HCO3 waters of the Newman and Marillana Creek areas, whereas smooth-shelled, tapered forms are prevalent in alluvial aquifers. The more saline, Na-Cl rich aquifers at the edge of Great Sandy Desert have a particularly distinctive fauna, including one almost triangular species. The distribution of the stygobitic ostracod species in relation to the hydrogeology and water chemistry is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial and temporal distribution, abundance and habitat preferences of ostracod assemblages were studied in various habitats of Lake Fehér in Hungary. Of the 20 species Fabaeformiscandona hyalina and Cypridopsis hartwigi are new to Hungary. Significant spatial differences were recorded in the composition and abundance of the Ostracoda assemblages in the different habitats. The most diverse and abundant assemblages were found in the reed-belt, however, the mean abundance of the species differed in the different macrophyte communities of the reed-belt. The species richness and abundance were considerably lower in disturbed sites than in the other habitats. Most of the 20 species showed distinct habitat preferences and ecological tolerances. Especially the presence and coverage of the vegetation and the dissolvedoxygencontent influenced the distribution and abundance of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population structures of the three dominant planktonic halocyprid Ostracoda species in Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula) were followed throughout the course of a year in zooplankton samples collected once every three weeks from February 1993 to January 1994. The sampling was conducted at two stations: A in the central part of Admiralty Bay (400-0 m) and B in the entrance to the Bay from the Bransfield Strait (400-0 m). The samples were taken using a WP-2 net (square mouth opening of 0.196 m2 and 200 µm mesh) hauled vertically from the bottom to the surface. Changes in the age structures of the populations of three species Alacia belgicae, Alacia hettacra and Metaconchoecia isocheira were tracked. Their population structures differed. The changes in A. belgicae suggested that it reproduces year-round, whereas both A. hettacra and M. isocheira probably complete their life cycles within a year. The cycle in A. hettacra probably starts earlier in the year than that of M. isocheira. Populations of A. belgicae and M. isocheira were more advanced in their development at station A, than at station B, but A. hettacra was more advanced at the latter. Advection appears to play a role in maintaining the populations in the shelf waters. Comparisons between populations in the shelf area (Admiralty Bay) and in open ocean waters (Croker Passage) show that the M. isocheira population is older in shelf water whereas the age structure of A. belgicae population is not influenced by the locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enrich the knowledge on ostracods in Serbia, field work was carried out in the central and southern part of the Banat district during 2002 and 2003. Samples from the collection of the Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology in Belgrade were also examined. Altogether, 133 samples were investigated. In this research, 23 ostracod species were found. Most of them have a Palaearctic distribution. Ilyocypris decipiens, Bradleycypris obliqua and Tanycypris pellucida are new to the faunas of Serbia and Montenegro, as is the subfamily Cypricercinae. Three species were found again after several decades, including a new and stabile population of Candona natronophila Petkovski, 1969. The most frequent species were Cypridopsis vidua and Physocypria kraepelini. Statistical analysis of ostracod communities and their relations to measured ecological variables is also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe Terrestricythere proboscidis sp. nov. from a littoral interstitial habitat at Orito Beach, Matsumae, southern Hokkaido, Japan, a site characterized by coarse sand with many pebbles. This is the fifth known species of the ostracod superfamily Terrestricytheroidea, the first interstitial species of the superfamily, and the first record of the superfamily from Japan. The new species is clearly distinguished from its four known congeners by its small carapace with a transversely flat ventral margin, and the seventh limb consisting of four podomeres; its hemipenis has a long, S-curved process. We also report here the habitat, microdistribution, and locomotory behavior of the new species. Quantitative sampling revealed that the species lives in an interstitial environment. T. proboscidis is euryhaline. Behavioral observations showed that T. proboscidis cannot swim, but uses its appendages to push itself among sediment grains. An analysis of variance showed temperature and grain size, as well as temperature-depth and temperature-grain size interactions, to be significant influences on variation in population density. Sediment moisture content is correlated with these variables and likely is a primary factor in this species' microdistribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planktonic ostracods are deep dwelling mesozooplankton that are diel migrators and detritus feeders. In the Humboldt Current region off Peru they are shown to be strongly influenced by El Niño conditions. Species composition and distribution were compared in day and night (vertically hauled 50-0 m Hensen Net) samples that were collected from three latitudinal zones (3°40′ S-6°S; 9°S-12°S and 15°S-18°S) during 1998 (El Niño year) and in 2001 (a year with usual upwelling regime). Unexpectedly, ostracods diversity and abundance were much higher during El Niño than during the upwelling regime. Tropical species that normally occurred north of 6°S, spread southwards and increased in abundance; Euconchoecia aculeata was often dominant, particularly in coastal waters, and the frequency of occurrence of others increased throughout the entire region (e.g. Porroecia porrecta, Archiconchoecia striata). Conversely, Conchoecetta giesbrechti, a species associated with subsurface oxygen minimum waters, was more frequently found and in higher abundance during the upwelling regime in 2001. Thus, El Niño conditions apparently favor the occupation of the epipelagic zone by many halocyprid species advected in from tropical waters, possibly because the higher oxygen content in the subsurface waters enables these diel migrating species to survive better. Additional factors may be a consequence of the switch to a picoplankton production cycle, which results in more detritus being retained in the upper waters, and the sharp reduction in planktivorous fishes such as the anchovy which may reduce the predation pressure they experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the earliest Triassic, the neritic environments were completely devastated and the recolonization of biotopes was very slow. Besides some small foraminifera and bivalves, ostracods are among the few neritic organisms that were able to survive and/or to thrive in the inhospitable environments after the disaster events. But the Permian-Triassic boundary marks also a great change in the ostracod assemblages. The Palaeozoic ostracods left room for the "modern" fauna. New data on the Early Triassic neritic fauna in South China (Sichuan and Guangxi Provinces) and bibliographic synthesis on other areas yield a first description of the timing of this turnover. First "typically modern" forms appear already in the Late Permian. The Early Triassic (Griesbachian to Spathian) ostracod faunas display a mixture of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic taxa. Completion of the Palaeozoic-Mesozoic turnover could be located in the Middle Triassic (Anisian). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen International Symposia on Ostracoda (ISO) have been organized between 1963 and 2005, each of them followed by one or more proceedings volumes. In the present study, 906 titles presented at the occasion of one of these fifteen symposia were evaluated regarding their prevailing and their secondary theme or method, thus obtaining a retrospective on the history of ostracod research between ISO1 and ISO15. This review may help in moving ostracodology into the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) provide the basis for the enormous regenerative capacity of the hematopoietic system. Despite the need for a lifelong production of blood cells, replicative exhaustion seems to affect the HSC pool. Erosion of telomeres, protective structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, limits the replicative life span of most somatic cells. The expression of telomerase, the enzyme synthesizing telomeres de novo, is restricted to highly proliferative cells like germ line cells and tumor cells. Adult stem cells such as HSCs still exhibit telomerase activity to a certain level. Here, the telomerase activity does not prevent telomere shortening, suggesting a restriction of the proliferative capacity of HSCs. In this review, we discuss the relevance of telomere maintenance, potential functions of telomerase, and possible clinical applications of telomere manipulation in the hematopoietic stem cell compartment. Furthermore, we discuss new insights affecting the aging of the hematopoietic stem cell pool besides replicative exhaustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New semiconductor technologies offer the possibility to realize complex mixed-signal electronic systems performing multiple tasks and operating at high frequencies. Whereas in digital design abstractions are easily made of various non-ideal physical effects, these phenomena do have a great influence on analog systems. As a result, designing analog circuits is a complicated and time-consuming task, even for analog systems containing only a fraction of the number of devices typically found in their digital counterparts. Automation and design re-use are heavily exploited in digital design, while analog design depends more on the experience of the designer. To close this productivity gap between digital design practice and the capabilities of the technology on one hand and the traditional analog design processes on the other hand, analog EDA tools are most welcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modeling strategy based on the development of generic behavioral models as described in the previous part allows to represent several systems of classes of architectures at different levels of abstraction. Interaction schemes derived from simulation approaches in both the time and frequency domain can be adopted as explained in the previous chapters. An efficient way to represent designs and to calculate their performance values is only one part of a design strategy. Indeed, question remains which architecture and parameter values to select during the specialization of the generic behavioral model. Therefore, the synthesis strategy presented in this chapter completes the design strategy based on generic behavior introduced in Chap. 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analog designer frequently characterizes the behavior of a system using frequency-domain properties. Therefore, representation and simulation of analog and mixed-signal systems directly in the frequency domain can naturally serve as base elements for building generic behavioral models. For efficient use in a design flow, such models should be suited both for time-efficient evaluation of the model via simulation, and for analysis to identify both intended and parasitic signal flows in an architecture. To be able to write frequency-domain generic functions according to these requirements, a mathematical framework is presented in this chapter. Together with a specific interaction scheme for a wide class of front-end architectures, frequency-domain generic behavioral models for efficient top-down design are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generic behavioral models describe the behavior of an entire class of analog or mixed-signal system instead of directly representing a particular architecture with specific non-idealities. This allows to widen the design space of architectures covered by the model while the common characteristics of the systems in the class can be exploited to yield time-efficient performance evaluation methods. To offer these properties, systems are described in an indirect way via generic functions and an interaction scheme. These elements are closely related to the evaluation method of the model via simulation: the interaction scheme expresses the dynamic relations between the generic functions. Time- and frequency-domain approaches are commonly used in analog design. Both can be adopted as intrinsic simulation scheme for the generic behavioral model. This chapter focuses on the time-domain techniques that are developed in this work whereas frequency-domain models are discussed in the next chapter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analog designer at the start of the 21st century has several design strategies at his or her disposal to synthesize a well-functioning electronic system. Which strategy to choose depends on issues like the complexity of the system with respect to size and performance requirements, the available computational power, and the technology used to produce the end product. Furthermore, different modeling and synthesis strategies can be selected during different stages of the design process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As electronic systems tend to offer more functionality and consume less power, the design complexity continuously increases. As a result, design automation is an indispensable aid to deliver first-time-right and optimized designs in a time-to-market as short as possible. Successful development of EDA tools starts with the definition of a systematic methodology. Whereas for digital systems systematic high-level synthesis is commonly employed, analog synthesis is more ad hoc, especially at higher abstraction levels. This chapter first describes the kind of analog and mixed-signal systems targeted in this work. Then, the fundamental properties of design flows for these systems are summarized. Finally, a general methodology for high-level analog and mixed-signal synthesis is presented which provides a framework for developing analog EDA tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the sixth century B.C., the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus discovered that rubbing amber leads to attraction of small objects, a phenomenon now known as static electricity. Today, more than 2,500 years later, electricity plays a vital role in modern society in various domains, like communication, energy, transportation, health services, domestic comfort, industrial processes and entertainment. As a result of this electrical revolution, the world consumed about 16 billion MWh electricity in 2006, more than twice the consumption of 25 years ago, and continuously increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere maintenance has been shown to be essential for unlimited growth potential of human cells and is regarded as one hallmark of cancer. Telomere repeats at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes are synthesized by the enzyme telomerase, which is active in most cancers and to some extend also in normal somatic cells. Therefore, targeting the telomerase/telomere complex offers great potential for the development of novel anticancer therapeutics. An example of such a strategy is the small molecule BIBR1532 that is a selective, non-nucleosidic inhibitor of the catalytic component hTERT. Treatment of cancer cells with this compound leads to progressive telomere shortening, consecutive telomere dysfunction, and finally growth arrest after a lag period that is largely dependent on initial telomere length. We have additionally shown that using this class of telomerase inhibitor at higher concentrations exerts a direct cytotoxic effect on malignant cells of the hematopoietic system but not on normal stem cells, which appears to derive from direct damage to the structure of individual telomeres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]