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Spectral analysis, based on the Fourier method, is a general tool in physics. Wavelets appeared as a natural generalization of classical spectral analysis to the case of complex nonstationary and spatially inhomogeneous systems, for which a comparison with an infinite sinusoid, which forms the basis of the Fourier method, has to be replaced by a comparison with a finite wave packet, which is known as a wavelet. In this review, the authors, based largely on their own experience of application wavelet analysis in astro- and geophysics, solar-terrestrial relations, as well as climatology, medical physics, and laboratory hydrodynamic experiments, demonstrate the possibilities and discuss the practical aspects of the application of the wavelet apparatus to the interpretation of signals and images of various physical natures.

Global biodiversity patterns in deep time can only be understood fully when the relative preservation potential of each clade is known. The relative preservation potential of marine arthropod clades, a diverse and ecologically important component of modern and past ecosystems, is poorly known. We tackled this issue by carrying out a 205-day long comprehensive, comparative, taphonomic experiment in a laboratory by scoring up to ten taphonomic characters for multiple specimens of seven crustacean and one chelicerate species (two true crabs, one shrimp, one lobster, one hermit crab, one stomatopod, one barnacle and one horseshoe crab). Although the results are preliminary because we used a single experimental setup and algal growth partially hampered observations, some parts of hermit crabs, stomatopods, swimming crabs and barnacles decayed slowly relative to other parts, implying differential preservation potentials within species, largely consistent with the fossil record of these groups. An inferred parasitic isopod, manifested by a bopyriform swelling within a hermit crab carapace, decayed relatively fast. We found limited variation in the decay rate between conspecifics, and we did not observe size-related trends in decay rate. Conversely, substantial differences in the decay rate between species were seen after c. 50 days, with shrimps and stomatopods decaying fastest, suggesting a relatively low preservation potential, whereas the lobster, calico crabs, horseshoe crabs and barnacles showed relatively slow decay rates, suggesting a higher preservation potential. These results are supported by two modern and fossil record-based preservation potential metrics that are significantly correlated to decay rate ranks. Furthermore, we speculate that stemward slippage may not be ubiquitous in marine arthropods. Our results imply that diversity studies of true crabs, lobsters, horseshoe crabs and barnacles are more likely to yield patterns that are closer to their true biodiversity patterns than those for stomatopods, shrimps and hermit crabs.

Capture–mark–recapture studies that fail to account for the frequency and dynamics of marker loss risk generating biased demographic estimates. In this study, we used permanent multilocus genotypes (i.e., “genetic tags”) and a new enhanced tag loss model to quantify the tag loss dynamics for both passive integrated transponder (PIT) and Inconel metal tags applied to loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting on Wassaw Island, GA USA. Our results indicate that tag loss is most likely to occur within the nesting season in which tags were applied and is maximal just after tagging (maximum likelihood estimates): 0.00098 PIT tags day−1 and 0.007 Inconel tags day−1. After that, PIT tag loss was negligible and Inconel tag loss remained low but constant at 0.00028 tags day−1, such that after 5 years, the probability of losing one PIT tag was 0.06 and losing at least one Inconel tag was 0.46. The use of genetic tags in this study makes these the first truly accurate estimates of PIT and Inconel tag loss for marine turtles, and the new model of tag loss described herein represents an important advancement in the analytical methods used to estimate and compare tag loss dynamics.

The structure of a convective flow of molten magnesium in a metallothermic titanium reduction apparatus has been studied numerically for various retort heating and cooling configurations. The mathematical model is based on the thermogravitational convection equations for a singlephase fluid in the Boussinesq approximation. A nonuniform computational grid with a total of 5 million grid points was used. The LES (Large Eddy Simulation) technique was applied to take into account the turbulence. The problem was considered in a three-dimensional nonstationary formulation, which allowed one to construct the instantaneous and average characteristics of the process and to analyze the velocity and temperature pulsation fields. It has been found that steady axisymmetric flows occur at moderate Grashof numbers (Gr ~ 107–108), while unsteady turbulent flows take place at Grashof numbers corresponding to the actual titanium reduction process (Gr ~ 1012). The influence of the degree of nonhomogeneity of the heat release due to the titanium reduction reaction that runs mainly on the magnesium surface has been studied. The computations have been performed for two configurations of the system for maintaining the apparatus heating regime: with furnace heaters operating at full power and with switched-off furnace heaters. Fundamental differences in convective flow structure for these two heating methods have been revealed. It has been established that the most intense velocity and temperature pulsations arise in the region adjacent to the interface between the cooled and heated parts of the retort side surface.

This publication deals with distributed NFV orchestration in a WMN-based disaster network. The NFV orchestrator defined by ETSI is designed as a central unit and therefore includes the possibility of a single point of failure. Due to the environment of a disaster, a WMN node hosting this centralized orchestrator might get destroyed at events such as aftershocks resulting in a breakdown of the NFV infrastructure as it cannot be maintained and orchestrated anymore. To eliminate this aspect, requirements for a distributed NFV orchestration are defined. The requirements are categorized into architectural and orchestration specific aspects and are derived from the characteristics of a WMN and the conditions of a disaster environment. A concept for realizing a distributed NFV orchestration in a WMN-based disaster network according to the defined requirements is presented. The architecture consists of five logical layers with each layer fulfilling a specific functionality.

This paper evaluates the performance of the routing protocols HWMP, Babel and B.A.T.M.A.N. advanced for disaster networks. The evaluation is performed using a virtual environment so that the obtained results are similar to the expectations of a real world testbed. According to the specific requirements in disaster situations, three different scenario categories are implemented. The focus of the scenarios defined in the first category is to evaluate the behavior of the protocols inside a static network. The focus in the second category is to test their performance after dynamic processes. The focus in the last category is to predict the behavior of the routing protocols inside a large network expected after a disaster. The obtained results can be interpreted as follows: in the first category, the results obtained by HWMP and B.A.T.M.A.N. advanced are similar. Both protocols take the variations in the link throughput into consideration for their routing operations. In the second category, the protocol HWMP shows the most promising results concerning dynamic processes inside the network. The results obtained in the last category show that none of the examined protocols is appropriate for large networks, with the exception of Babel, which can be modified to support a large number of clients and routers. Because none of the examined routing protocols can fulfil the requirements in disaster situation, a new network architecture is proposed, which combines the advantages of two routing protocols to address the existing routing challenges.

The potential of ketoconazole prophylaxis to antagonize the activity of amphotericin B against aspergilli was investigated in vitro and in neutropenic mice. Exposure of Aspergillus fumigatus (six strains) and of Aspergillus flavus or Aspergillus niger to ketoconazole resulted in a uniform increase of the minimal fungicidal activity of amphotericin B, from 0.15-0.63 mg/liter to greater than 2.5 mg/liter in a microwell assay. To test the relevance of this antagonism in vivo, we challenged neutropenic mice iv with a lethal dose of conidia from two strains of A. fumigatus and then treated the mice first with ketoconazole and then with amphotericin B or amphotericin B plus ketoconazole. Pretreatment with ketoconazole for 48 hr completely abolished the protective effect of a subsequent therapy with amphotericin B, whether ketoconazole therapy was stopped (P less than .001) or not (P less than .001). Ketoconazole given alone had no significant effect on survival. Our data show that ketoconazole not only antagonized the fungicidal activity of amphotericin B in vitro but also abolished in vivo the protective effect of the only drug shown to be useful in the therapy of aspergillosis. The clinical importance of this antagonism, which is not limited to Aspergilli in vitro, requires careful consideration before ketoconazole prophylaxis can be recommended for patients at high risk of developing invasive opportunistic fungal infections.

We examined the impact of muscle relaxation on surgical conditions and patients’ postoperative outcome during elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under balanced anaesthesia. After approval and consent, 57 anaesthetized patients were randomly assigned to group no neuromuscular blockade (No NMB) and deep neuromuscular blockade (Deep NMB), i.e. no twitch response to train-of-four nerve stimulation. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed using the 4-trocar technique with a CO2-pneumoperitoneum. Surgical conditions were assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale. Movement of diaphragm or abdominal muscles, inadequate visibility, or breathing and coughing against the ventilator were documented as events reflecting inadequate muscle relaxation. Independently, surgeons could request 0.3 mg/kg rocuronium to improve surgical conditions. Workflow variables were obtained as a surrogate of surgical conditions. Data are presented as mean (95 % confidence interval). The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00895778). While in 12 of 25 patients of group “No NMB” one or more adverse events impaired the surgical procedure (p

Diet items and habitat constitute some of the environmental resources that may be used differently by individuals within a population. Long-term fidelity by individuals to particular resources exemplifies individual specialization, a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly recognized across a wide range of species. Less is understood about the consequences of such specialization. Here, we investigate the effects of differential foraging ground use on reproductive output in 183 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting at Wassaw Island, Georgia (31.89°N, 80.97°W), between 2004 and 2011 with resulting possible fitness effects. Stable isotope analysis was used to assign the adult female loggerheads to one of three foraging areas in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Our data indicate that foraging area preference influences the size, fecundity, and breeding periodicity of adult female loggerhead turtles. We also found that the proportion of turtles originating from each foraging area varied significantly among the years examined. The change in the number of nesting females across the years of the study was not a result of uniform change from all foraging areas. We develop a novel approach to assess differential contributions of various foraging aggregations to changes in abundance of a sea turtle nesting aggregation using stable isotopes. Our approach can provide an improved understanding of the influences on the causes of increasing or decreasing population trends and allow more effective monitoring for these threatened species and other highly migratory species.

Barnacles in the genus Chelonibia are commensal with a variety of motile marine animals including sea turtles, crustaceans, and sirenians. We conducted a worldwide molecular phylogenetic survey of Chelonibia collected from nearly all known hosts to assess species relationships, host-fidelity, and phylogeographic structure. Using DNA sequences from a protein-coding mitochondrial gene (COI), a mitochondrial rRNA gene (12S), and one nuclear rRNA gene (28S), we found that of four species, three (C. testudinaria, C. patula, and C. manati) are genetically indistinguishable. In addition, we show each utilizes a rare androdioecious mode of reproduction involving complemental males. In contrast, the fourth species (C. caretta), which is hermaphroditic and specializes on turtles, is genetically distinct—leading to the conclusion that the three former taxa are morphotypes of the same species and should be synonymized under C. testudinaria. Phylogenetic analysis resulted in three geographic clades (Atlantic, Indian Ocean/western Pacific, and eastern Pacific) with haplotype parsimony networks revealing no shared haplotypes among geographic regions. Analysis of molecular variance detected significant differences among sequences by region (p

From 1998 to 2008, 68 adult female loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) were instrumented with platform transmitter terminals at nesting beaches in Georgia, North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC) on the East Coast of the United States of America (30°48′N, 81°28′W to 33°51′N, 77°59′W). The majority of post-nesting loggerheads (N = 42, 62 %) migrated to foraging habitats in the Mid-Atlantic Bight during May–October, with a subsequent migration occurring during November–March to foraging habitats south of Cape Hatteras, NC. Nine (13 %) loggerheads initially foraged in the near-shore, coastal areas of the South Atlantic Bight, but moved to offshore habitats—closer to the Gulf Stream—during November–March, while fourteen (21 %) loggerheads remained in foraging areas along the mid-continental shelf off of the eastern coast of Florida and/or continued southward to Florida Bay and the Bahamas. The present study delineates important, post-nesting foraging habitats and migration corridors where loggerheads may interact with commercial fisheries—providing managers opportunities to develop and implement optimally effective conservation actions for the recovery of this threatened species.

Barnacles of the superfamily Coronuloidea are obligate commensals of motile marine animals (Newman & Ross, 1976). Excepting the coronuloid genusChelonibiaLeach, the species included in this superfamily occur strictly upon marine vertebrates, particularly sea turtles and whales (Fricket al., 2011). Chelonophilic (turtle-associated) and cetophilic (whale-associated) coronuloids produce highly-ornamented shells with elaborations that enable these barnacles to grasp the skin of the host (Fricket al., 2010a). These same ornamentations are also useful characters for elucidating taxonomic affinities within the Coronuloidea (Darwin, 1854; Pilsbry, 1916; Ross & Frick, 2007).

We examined loggerhead nest temperatures and hatchling sex ratios in an effort to more accurately predict hatchling sex ratios produced from 2 barrier islands in the northern management unit (Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge and Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, United States) from 2000 to 2004. Temperature data loggers were placed into 169 nests to monitor incubation temperatures. Average critical period temperatures ranged from 26.3°C to 33.2°C (mean ± SE, 29.2° ± 0.1°C) and indicated seasonal variation in sex ratios. The sex of 669 hatchlings found dead in nests was histologically evaluated (n = 212 nests; 14–90 nests/yr). The sex ratios varied from 0% to 100% female per nest (n = 1–53 hatchlings/nest) and average sex ratio for all nests ranged from 55.5% female in 2003 to 85.4% female in 2002. In addition to monitoring nest temperature, 10 hatchlings per nest were euthanized to verify sex during 2003 on Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge (n = 10 nests) and 2004...

To assess retailer compliance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations on tobacco sales and advertising practices, including point-of-sale advertisements, in two distinct Columbus, Ohio neighborhood groups by income. Data were gathered from a random sample of 129 licensed tobacco retailers, which included data on both exterior and interior advertisements as well as sales practices. Descriptive analyses compared retail outlets by high and low income neighborhood locations. Compliance with FDA regulations was high in the random sample of urban tobacco retail outlets. None of the retail outlets sold loose cigarettes or offered free items with purchase. Less than 10% of the outlets surveyed offered self-service access to cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products. From all surveyed retail outlets 95% had cigarette, 57% had smokeless, and 57% had cigar advertisements at the point-of-sale. There were no significant differences in compliance by income, but the mean number of advertisements on the building and self-service access to cigars was significantly different by neighborhood income. There was a high degree of compliance with the new FDA regulation on tobacco marketing and sales practices in urban retail tobacco outlets in Columbus, Ohio. Tobacco advertising and marketing remain highly prevalent in retail outlets, with some significant differences between high and low income neighborhoods.

Chelonibia testudinaria (Sea Turtle Barnacle) and other closely related barnacle species of the genus Chelonibia are known to utilize a variety of organisms for their attachment substrate. These include the calcified exoskeleton of marine crustaceans and chelicerids, the epidermis of manatees, and the carapace regions of all extant sea turtle species. Here, we present the first records of an Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator; Alligatoridae) as a host for C. testudinaria.

Aim Although satellite tracking has yielded much information regarding the migrations and habitat use of threatened marine species, relatively little has been published about the environmental niche for loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta in north-west Atlantic waters. Location North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, USA. Methods We tracked 68 adult female turtles between 1998 and 2008, one of the largest sample sizes to date, for 372.2 ± 210.4 days (mean ± SD). Results We identified two strategies: (1) ‘seasonal’ migrations between summer and winter coastal areas (n = 47), although some turtles made oceanic excursions (n = 4) and (2) occupation of more southerly ‘year-round’ ranges (n = 18). Seasonal turtles occupied summer home ranges of 645.1 km2 (median, n = 42; using α-hulls) predominantly north of 35 ° latitude and winter home ranges of 339.0 km2 (n = 24) in a relatively small area on the narrow shelf off North Carolina. We tracked some of these turtles through successive summer (n = 8) and winter (n = 3) seasons, showing inter-annual home range repeatability to within 14.5 km of summer areas and 10.3 km of winter areas. For year-round turtles, home ranges were 1889.9 km2. Turtles should be tracked for at least 80 days to reliably estimate the home range size in seasonal habitats. The equivalent minimum duration for ‘year-round’ turtles is more complex to derive. We define an environmental envelope of the distribution of North American loggerhead turtles: warm waters (between 18.2 and 29.2 °C) on the coastal shelf (in depths of 3.0–89.0 m). Main conclusions Our findings show that adult female loggerhead turtles show predictable, repeatable home range behaviour and do not generally leave waters of the USA, nor the continental shelf (

We present the first record of Rapana venosa (Veined Rapa Whelk) as an epibiont of Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle) and the first observation of rapa whelks in the South Atlantic Bight, USA. Veined Rapa Whelks are invasive shellfish predators. The only known North American population of Veined Rapa Whelks is in the southern Chesapeake Bay. Collections of Veined Rapa Whelks as epibionts on Loggerhead Sea Turtles from Norfolk, VA and Wassaw Island, GA present a previously undescribed vector for whelk range expansion to widely separated coastal habitats. In October 2008, a live juvenile Loggerhead stranded near Norfolk, VA with a Veined Rapa Whelk attached to its carapace. Since May 2005, a total of eight Loggerheads with Veined Rapa Whelks as epibionts have been observed nesting on Wassaw Island, GA. The shell lengths of the two smallest Wassaw Island whelks (1.9 and 2.6 mm) indicate that the whelks settled from the plankton 24–48 hr immediately prior to collection in Georgia. This time fram...

Grapsoid crabs of the genera Planes and Plagusia are commonly referred to as “rafting crabs” due to their propensity to live on flotsam and pelagic marine animals. Planes minutus and Planes major (=Planes cyaneus) are epibionts of sea turtles. Occurrences of grapsoid crabs in the genera Planes and Plagusia were evaluated on a total of 27 olive ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea, from the eastern tropic Pacific (1998–2001) and the Hawaiian Islands (2002) captured in July–December each year. This is the first report of Planes marinus and Plagusia squamosa on sea turtles, and of P. major, P. marinus, and P. squamosa in sympatry on a confined substrate. Stomach content analyses showed P. major and P. marinus consumed a variety of neuston and marine vegetation, with the former consuming considerably more animal material. Epibiotic P. squamosa consumed mostly plant material. The three Planes species had distinctive differences in gastric mill tooth morphology. The versatile mouthparts of P. marinus are described and resemble those of their congeners. Most female P. major and P. marinus collected were ovigerous and present in all survey months.

We report new distribution and host records of the turtle barnacle Stephanolepas muricata Fischer. Ours is the first study to document this species' occurrence in Mexico and in the Atlantic Ocean (North Carolina, Georgia and Florida: USA). We also present the first record of S. muricata from olive ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz). We discuss the physical and ecological characteristics associated with the specimens collected and present evidence suggesting the likelihood of chemical mediation between embedding coronuloid barnacles like S. muricata and host turtles. We provide the first data on the diet and fecundity of S. muricata.

The southeastern United States supports one of two large loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting aggregations worldwide and is therefore critical to global conservation and recovery efforts for the species. Previous studies have established the presence of four demographically distinct nesting populations (management units) corresponding to beaches from (1) North Carolina through northeastern Florida, (2) peninsular Florida, (3) the Dry Tortugas, and (4) northwest Florida. Temporal and geographic genetic structure of the nesting aggregation was examined utilizing partial mitochondrial control region haplotype frequencies from 834 samples collected over the 2002 through 2008 nesting seasons from 19 beaches as well as previously published haplotype data. Most rookeries did not exhibit interannual genetic variation. However, the interannual variation detected did significantly impact the interpretation of spatial genetic structure in northeastern Florida. Based on pairwise F ST comparisons, exact tests of population differentiation, and analysis of molecular variance, the present study upholds the distinctiveness of the four currently recognized management units and further supports recognition of discrete central eastern, southern (southeastern and southwestern), and central western Florida management units. Further subdivision may be warranted, but more intensive genetic sampling is required. In addition, tools such as telemetry and mark-recapture are needed to complement genetic data and overcome limitations of genetic markers in resolving loggerhead turtle rookery connectivity in the southeastern USA.

During a survey of the commensal barnacles of nesting and foraging sea turtles from the coastal waters of Florida and Georgia, USA, an undescribed species of platylepadid coronuloid barnacle was encountered, embedded within the carapace and plastron regions of host turtles. This new genus and species is described herein as Calyptolepas bjorndalae gen. et sp. nov. and is compared with other members of the family Platylepadidae. While similar in some respects to members of currently recognized platylepadid subfamilies, particularly Cylindrolepas darwiniana Pilsbry (Cylindrolepadinae Ross and Frick) and Platylepas decorata Darwin (Platylepadidae Newman and Ross), this new species bears an amalgamation of characters from these two subfamilies that require it to be placed into a new subfamily, Calyptolepadinae subfam. nov., also described herein.

Tagging studies on nesting beaches are commonly used to estimate nesting frequency, remigration interval and nesting population size for marine turtle rookeries. Estimates of these demographic parameters from tagging projects may be biased because of the small scale of tagging efforts relative to female nest site fidelity and the logistical difficulty of intercepting all nesting females. Therefore, alternative and supplemental means of individual identification of nesting females are required. We demonstrate that maternal nuclear microsatellite DNA can be isolated from unincubated eggshells of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) through comparison of DNA extracted from 59 eggs collected within 15 h of oviposition and DNA derived from skin samples from respective nesting females. Scorable microsatellite genotypes were produced in 897 of 994 (90.2%) single-locus egg amplifications attempted. Among eggs from known females, 730 of 748 (97.6%) single-locus, egg-derived genotypes matched the respective skin-derived genotypes. Allelic dropout was the most common type of error, followed by the presence of nonmaternal, presumably paternal, alleles. Genotypes derived from unincubated eggshells permit individual assignment of nests and therefore demographic parameter estimates for loggerhead turtle nesting populations, despite genotyping errors that require further optimization. Although sampling unincubated eggs is destructive, this technique is noninvasive to nesting females and is applicable in marine turtle population genetics studies when individual resolution is required but direct interception of nesting females is undesirable or logistically infeasible.

An analysis of museum specimens reveals that reports of the chelonophilic barnacle Cylindrolepas darwiniana are misidentifications of the similar turtle barnacle Platylepas decorata. As a result, contemporary collections from loggerhead and hawksbill sea turtles represent the first report of this turtle barnacle since its description nearly a century ago. Novel morphological characters that clearly distinguish C. darwiniana from other turtle barnacles have been ascertained from the recent specimens and are reported.

The distribution of stable carbon isotopes was investigated in the organic matter, bitumoids, and bitumoid fractions from the rocks of the section of the En-Yakhinskaya superdeep parametric well (8250 m) drilled in northern West Siberia, within the world’s largest gas region. The formation of the isotopic composition of organic matter and bitumoids under the conditions of advanced catagenetic stages (up to AC3) was evaluated. A tendency was established of a decrease in the δ13C value of bitumoids and fractions of various polarity with increasing depth. A relation was reliably detected between the isotopic compositions of carbon from organic matter, bitumoids, and particular bitumoid fractions. The main factors affecting the distribution of carbon isotopes in the organic matter of deep-seated sequences were distinguished. The genesis of bitumoids below the oil window is related to the destruction of organic matter under the conditions of advanced catagenesis resulting in anomalous features in the distribution of carbon isotopes in bitumoids.

Objective: To investigate the effects of continuous pyridostigmine infusion on immobilization-induced muscle weakness. Critical illness often results in immobilization of limb and respiratory muscles, leading to muscle atrophy and up-regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Pyridostigmine reversibly blocks acetylcholinesterase and has the potential to improve neuromuscular transmission and decrease acetylcholine receptor number. Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled experiments) study. Setting. Animal laboratory, university hospital. Subjects: Male Sprague-Dawley rats. Interventions: A total of 40 rats were immobilized in one hind limb by pinning knee and ankle joints. Rats received either continuous pyridostigmine (15 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ) or saline subcutaneously via implanted osmotic pumps. Measurements and Main Results: After 7 days and 14 days of immobilization, neuromuscular function, atracurium pharmacodynamics, and expression of acetylcholine receptors were evaluated. At 7 days and 14 days after immobilization, muscle force decreased in all untreated groups, whereas effective doses for paralysis with atracurium and acetylcholine receptor number in the tibialis were significantly increased. Pyridostigmine-treated rats showed a significantly improved muscle force and muscle mass in the immobilized limb. This was associated with an attenuation of acetylcholine receptor up-regulation in the respective leg. At this time, the dose-response curve for atracurium on the immobilized side was shifted to the left in the pyridostigmine group. After 14 days, muscle tension was still less depressed with pyridostigmine infusion, and resistance to the effects of atracurium was still attenuated. However, there were no differences in acetylcholine receptor expression between the immobilized sides of both groups. Conclusions. Continuous pyridostigmine infusion improves muscle weakness after 7 days and 14 days of immobilization. The up-regulation of acetylcholine receptors and the concomitant resistance to atracurium is attenuated in animals treated with pyridostigmine after 7 days of immobilization.

We examined stomach contents (n = 12) and fecal samples (n = 4) in the first quantita- tive analysis of diet composition of oceanic-stage loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta from the North Atlantic Ocean. We found that loggerheads from the Azores are opportunistic carnivores that feed upon a variety of oceanic and pelagic organisms; our results also show that they exploited novel food resources, such as non-indigenous species. The diversity of prey species was positively correlated with loggerhead body size and volume of stomach contents. Because loggerhead body size was also positively correlated with stomach content volume, we were unable to determine whether increased prey diversity was a result of turtle foraging behavior or simply due to a larger sample volume from larger turtles. Ecological associations among prey species increase the diversity, and possibly the nutritional quality, of prey items, and periodic meteorological events can also increase the diversity of prey items available to loggerhead turtles. Aspects of the life history of some of these prey organ- isms, such as continued egg brooding, increase the nutritional value of prey items consumed by juve- nile turtles.

To determine whether loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting in southeastern USA exhibit polymorphic foraging strategies, we evaluated skin samples for stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) from 310 loggerheads from four locations on the east coast of Florida and epibionts from 48 loggerheads. We found a dichotomy between a depleted δ13C cluster and an enriched δ13C cluster. Epibionts from oceanic/pelagic or neritic/benthic habitats were largely consistent with this dichotomy. The bimodal distribution of δ13C could reflect a bimodal foraging strategy or—because of the potential for confounding among four gradients of δ13C in marine environments—a polymodal foraging strategy. We integrate our results with results from other stable isotope studies, satellite telemetry, and flipper tags to evaluate potential foraging strategies. Understanding foraging strategies is essential for development of management plans for this endangered species that has suffered a 43% population decline over the last decade.

Much of what is known about sea turtle biology is attributed to research conducted on nesting females, due to the accessibility of these animals when on the beach. Long-range tag-return data obtained from individual loggerheads are helpful when determining population estimates, nesting ranges, seasonal dispersal patterns, and possible foraging areas. The Caretta Research Project has run a saturation-tagging project on Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge, GA since 1973. Tag returns received from the east coast of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico provide evidence that while some female turtles demonstrate site fidelity, others utilize multiple beaches during a nesting season as well as throughout their reproductive lifetimes and travel extensively between nesting seasons.

Background Recent reports indicate increased incidence of Clostridium botulinum infections, particularly among drug abusers and tissue allograft recipients. Botulinum toxin also has potential application in biochemical warfare. The neurotoxin-induced paralysis often requires mechanical ventilation with and without muscle relaxants. The authors investigated the long-term effects of botulinum toxin on muscle function, expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and their interaction with muscle relaxant, atracurium. Methods Rats (n=30) were injected with varying doses (0.625, 2.5, and 10 U) of botulinum toxin into the tibialis muscle. Control animals (n=9) received an equivalent volume of saline. At 128 days after injection, neuromuscular function, pharmacodynamics of atracurium, and nAChRs were evaluated. Results Nerve-evoked tensions, including tetanic tension and muscle mass, were decreased on the toxin-injected side in a dose-dependent manner relative to saline-injected controls as well as the contralateral side. Specific muscle tension and specific tetanic muscle tension (tensions/muscle mass) were not reduced. The ED10 of atracurium was reduced, the ED50 was unchanged, and the ED90 was increased in the highest (10-U) dose of toxin group. The atracurium plasma concentration to maintain a steady state 50% paralysis was significantly reduced in the 10-U toxin group. The nAChR concentrations in the tibialis muscle were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner in all experimental groups. Conclusion Botulinum toxin causes dose-dependent long-term neuromuscular changes. The loss of tension generating capacity is almost exclusively related to muscle atrophy, because the specific tension did not change. The decreased ED10, unaltered ED50, and increased ED90 to atracurium suggest its interactions with different isoforms of receptors having varying sensitivity to atracurium. The absence of fade, despite the persistent botulinum toxin-induced denervation (increased nAChRs), suggests that the up-regulated nAChRs may have compensated for the prejunctional effects of botulinum toxin.

The ''landscape of fear'' model has been proposed as a unifying concept in ecology, describing, in part, how animals behave and move about in their environment. The basic model predicts that as an animal's landscape changes from low to high risk of predation, prey species will alter their behavior to risk avoidance. However, studies investigating and evaluating the landscape of fear model across large spatial scales (tens to hundreds of thousands of square kilometers) in dynamic, open, aquatic systems involving apex predators and highly mobile prey are lacking. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated predator- prey relationships between tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) and loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the North Atlantic Ocean. This included the use of satellite tracking to examine shark and turtle distributions as well as their surfacing behaviors under varying levels of home range overlap. Our findings revealed patterns that deviated from our a priori predictions based on the landscape of fear model. Specifically, turtles did not alter their surfacing behaviors to risk avoidance when overlap in shark-turtle core home range was high. However, in areas of high overlap with turtles, sharks exhibited modified surfacing behaviors that may enhance predation opportunity. We suggest that turtles may be an important factor in determining shark distribution, whereas for turtles, other life history trade-offs may play a larger role in defining their habitat use. We propose that these findings are a result of both biotic and physically driven factors that independently or synergistically affect predator-prey interac- tions in this system. These results have implications for evolutionary biology, community ecology, and wildlife conservation. Further, given the difficulty in studying highly migratory marine species, our approach and conclusions may be applied to the study of other predator- prey systems.

Loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta (Linnaeus) were sampled (n = 304) for epibionts while nesting in Georgia from 1998–2003. Twelve newly documented epibiont species were observed and represent the first records of a hermit crab and a sea star as sea turtle epibionts. We report some physical, behavioral and ecological characteristics of the newly documented epibionts, particularly because nothing is known of their life history in Georgia as sea turtle epibionts. We also discuss the role of epibiotic crabs as facultative associates of loggerhead turtles.

The digestive tract contents of 85 Columbus crabs, Planes minutus, are presented. Crabs were collected from oceanic-stage loggerhead turtles, Carettta caretta, and inanimate flotsam near the Azores. The numbers of eggs carried by ovigerous crabs (n = 28) are also presented. Numbers of eggs between turtle crabs and flotsam crabs were similar. Dietary analysis yielded 11 food types from P. minutus. Crabs from turtles contained a higher diversity of food items than crabs from inanimate flotsam. The diet of P. minutus was composed primarily of neustonic invertebrates and algae—similar to prey items found from oceanic-stage loggerhead turtles in past studies. The types of food consumed by P. minutus suggest that crabs may obtain food by consuming other epibionts, by hunting neuston from their substrate, or by capturing food particles expelled by host turtles.

The advantages that wavelet analysis (WA) provides for resolving the structures in experimental data are demonstrated. Due to good scaling properties of the wavelets, one can consider data with various resolutions, which allows the resonances to be separated from the background and from each other. The WA is much less sensitive to noise than any other analysis and allows the role of statistical errors to be substantially reduced. The WA is applied to the e+e− annihilation into hadron states with quantum numbers of ρ and ω mesons, and to p-wave ππ scattering. Distinguishing the resonance structures from an experimental noise and the background allows us to make more reliable conclusions about the ρ′ and ω′ states. The WA yields a useful set of starting conditions for analysis of ω′ states with the multiresonance Breit-Wigner method preserving unitarity in the case of overlapping resonances. We also apply the WA for the ratio \(R_{e^ + e^ - } \).

A simple model for a multiscaled MHD dynamo is suggested. The uppermost tier of the model controls the evolution of the large-scale magnetic field, while the lower tiers are responsible for the evolution of the small-scale velocity and magnetic fields. This approach makes it possible to reproduce, e.g., the evolution of the Galactic magnetic field for realistic magnetic Reynolds numbers, which cannot be done using direct, detailed simulations.

We demonstrate the advantages of the wavelet analysis (WA) for resolving the structures in experimental data on e + e - annihilation into hadron states with quantum numbers of $\omega$ meson. The WA yields a useful set of starting conditions for analysis of $\omega'$ states with multiresonance unitary Breit-Wigner method. We also apply the WA for the ratio R e+e- .

A train-of-four ratio (TOFR) >=0.9 measured by quantitative neuromuscular monitoring is accepted as an indication of sufficient neuromuscular recovery for extubation, even though many postsynaptic acetylcholine receptors may still be inhibited. We investigated whether antagonism with sugammadex after spontaneous recovery to TOFR>=0.9 further improves muscle function or subjective well-being.Following recovery to TOFR>=0.9 and emergence from anaesthesia, 300 patients randomly received either sugammadex 1.0 mg kg(-1) or placebo. Fine motor function (Purdue Pegboard Test) and maximal voluntary grip strength were measured before and after surgery (before and after test drug administration). At discharge from the postanaesthesia care unit, well-being was assessed with numerical analogue scales and the Quality-of-Recovery Score 40 (QoR-40).Patients' fine motor function [6 (sd 4) vs 15 (3) pegs (30 s)(-1), P0.05).Antagonizing rocuronium at TOF>=0.9 with sugammadex 1.0 mg kg(-) (1) did not improve patients' motor function or well-being when compared with placebo. Our data support the view that TOFR>=0.9 measured by electromyography signifies sufficient recovery of neuromuscular function.The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01101139).

Epithelial cells interact directly with bacteria in the environment and play a critical role in airway defense against microbial pathogens. In this study, we examined the response of respiratory epithelial cells to infection with nontypable Haemophilus influenzae. Using an in vitro cell culture model, we found that epithelial cell monolayers released significant quantities of IL-8 and expressed increased levels of ICAM-1 mRNA and surface protein in response to H. influenzae. In contrast, levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and MHC class I were not significantly affected, suggesting preferential activation of a specific subset of epithelial genes directed toward defense against bacteria. Induction of ICAM-1 required direct bacterial interaction with the epithelial cell surface and was not reproduced by purified H. influenzae lipooligosaccharide. Consistent with a functional role for this response, induction of ICAM-1 by H. influenzae mediated increased neutrophil adherence to the epithelial cell surface. Furthermore, in an in vivo murine model of airway infection with H. influenzae, increased epithelial cell ICAM-1 expression coincided with increased chemokine levels and neutrophil recruitment in the airway. These results indicate that ICAM-1 expression on human respiratory epithelial cells is induced by epithelial cell interaction with H. influenzae and suggest that an ICAM-1-dependent mechanism can mediate neutrophil adherence to these cells independent of inflammatory mediator release by other cell types. Direct induction of specific epithelial cell genes (such as ICAM-1 and IL-8) by bacterial infection may allow for rapid and efficient innate defense in the airway.

The action of adenoviral E1A oncoprotein on host immune-response genes has been attributed to interaction with p300/CBP-type transcriptional coactivators in competition with endogenous transcription factors such as signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. However, we show that mutant forms of E1A that no longer bind p300/CBP can still interact directly with Stat1 (via E1A N-terminal and Stat1 C-terminal residues) and block IFNγ-driven, Stat1-dependent gene activation and consequent function during early-phase infection in the natural host cell. The results provide a distinct and more specific mechanism for E1A-mediated immune suppression and an alternative model of IFNγ-driven enhanceosome formation that may allow for other adaptors (in addition to p300/CBP) to link Stat1 to the basal transcription complex.

The shell model of developed convective turbulence of an incompressible fluid is considered. Regimes developing at high Rayleigh numbers are investigated numerically for three- and two-dimensional motion. It is shown that in the three-dimensional turbulent convection model the inertial Obukhov-Bolgiano interval is developed on large scales, but this interval is unstable and gives way to the Kolmogorov regime in which the temperature behaves as a passive admixture. In the two-dimensional turbulent convection model a finite scale interval on which the buoyancy forces determine the nature of the fluctuations but the spectral laws established differ from those that follow from dimensional considerations for the Obukhov-Bolgiano interval is detected.