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Steephead ravines are unusual geological features primarily occurring in Florida’s panhandle, a biodiversity hotspot. The unique habitats formed by steepheads are extremely valuable biodiversity resources within this larger area of great biodiversity. Eglin Air Force Base (EAFB) is essential for global conservation of steepheads because this vast area holds the greatest number under single ownership. Steepheads are significantly threatened by feral swine rooting damage. A decade-long investigation of EAFB’s steepheads assessed the following: (1) severity of swine damage to steepheads, (2) changing levels of swine control on swine population and damage, (3) changing climatic conditions on damage, (4) changing military land use on damage (5) bioeconomics of damage. Swine damage to 21 EAFB steepheads was assessed 5 times over 10 years. Swine populations were indexed 8 times. Damage and population estimates were related to control effort, military land use, and climate variables to assess influences on damage levels. Monetary values were applied to estimates of total damage across all steepheads. Full control staffing rapidly reduced feral swine abundance and steephead damage. Reduced control staffing and reduced access from increased military activities allowed population rebound and increased damage. Drought possibly increased susceptibility to damage because steepheads provide a steady water source despite climatic circumstance. Estimated damage values across EAFB’s steepheads (excluding other resources damaged) was 1.5–11.3 times more than annual control costs. Effective swine control greatly reduces steephead damage. Technological advances may overcome access issues from changing land use. Swine control is a cost-effective steephead conservation approach.

The Arabidopsis thaliana MYB5 gene is expressed in trichomes and seeds, including the seed coat. Constitutive expression of MYB5 resulted in the formation of more small trichomes and ectopic trichomes and a reduction in total leaf trichome numbers and branching. A myb5 mutant displayed minimal changes in trichome morphology, while a myb23 mutant produced increased numbers of small trichomes and two-branched trichomes. A myb5 myb23 double mutant developed more small rosette trichomes and two-branched trichomes than the single mutants. These results indicate that MYB5 and MYB23 regulate trichome extension and branching. The seed coat epidermal cells of myb5 and myb5 myb23 were irregular in shape, developed flattened columellae, and produced less mucilage than those of the wild type. Among the downregulated genes identified in the myb5 seeds using microarray analysis were ABE1 and ABE4 (α/β fold hydrolase/esterase genes), MYBL2, and GLABRA2. The same genes were also downregulated in transparent testa glabra1 (ttg1) seeds, suggesting that MYB5 collaborates with TTG1 in seed coat development. These genes were upregulated in leaves and roots by ectopically expressed MYB5. The MYBL2, ABE1, and ABE4 promoters were active in seeds, including seed coats, and the latter two also in trichomes. Models of the MYB5 regulatory networks involved in seed coat and trichome development are presented.

Arabidopsis chotto1 (cho1) mutants show resistance to (-)-R-ABA, an ABA analog, during germination and seedling growth. Here, we report cloning and characterization of the CHO1 gene. cho1 mutants showed only subtle resistance to (+)-S-ABA during germination. The cho1 mutation acts as a strong enhancer of the abi5 mutant, whereas the cho1 abi4 double mutant showed ABA resistance similar to the abi4 single mutant. This suggests that CHO1 and ABI4, but not ABI5, act in the same genetic pathway. Map-based cloning revealed that the CHO1 gene encodes a putative transcription factor containing double AP2 domains. The CHO1 gene was expressed predominantly in seed, with the strongest expression in imbibed seed. Induction of CHO1 expression was observed 4 h after seed imbibition and reached a maximum level at 24 h. Induction of CHO1 expression did not occur in the abi4 mutants, indicating that this is an ABI4-dependent process. Microarray experiments showed that a large number of genes involved in primary metabolism and the stress response were up-regulated in the cho1 mutant. Growth of abi4 and cho1 mutant seedlings was resistant to high concentrations of glucose. In addition, growth of cho1 mutant seedlings was partially resistant to excess nitrate (50 mM), as evident from their expanded green cotyledons. However, their growth was normal under moderate nitrate concentrations (< 10 mM). This nitrate response was specific to the cho1 mutants and was not observed in the abi4 mutants. Taken together, our results indicate that CHO1 regulates nutritional responses downstream of ABI4 during germination and seedling growth.

We analyzed global gene expression in Arabidopsis in response to various hormones and in related experiments as part of the AtGenExpress project. The experimental agents included seven basic phytohormones (auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, brassinosteroid, abscisic acid, jasmonate and ethylene) and their inhibitors. In addition, gene expression was investigated in hormone-related mutants and during seed germination and sulfate starvation. Hormone-inducible genes were identified from the hormone response data. The effects of each hormone and the relevance of the gene lists were verified by comparing expression profiles for the hormone treatments and related experiments using Pearson's correlation coefficient. This approach was also used to analyze the relationships among expression profiles for hormone responses and those included in the AtGenExpress stress-response data set. The expected correlations were observed, indicating that this approach is useful to monitor the hormonal status in the stress-related samples. Global interactions among hormones-inducible genes were analyzed in a pairwise fashion, and several known and novel hormone interactions were detected. Genome-wide transcriptional gene-to-gene correlations, analyzed by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), indicated that our data set is useful for identification of clusters of co-expressed genes, and to predict the functions of unknown genes, even if a gene's function is not directly related to the experiments included in AtGenExpress. Our data are available online from AtGenExpressJapan; the results of genome-wide HCA are available from PRIMe. The data set presented here will be a versatile resource for future hormone studies, and constitutes a reference for genome-wide gene expression in Arabidopsis.

Introduces the Food Advertising Unit (FAU), a coalition of multinational food companies, advertising agencies and the broadcast media which operates under the auspices of the Advertising Association as a centre for information and research on advertising for children; and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) which represents the UK food and soft drinks industry. Reports research on the effect of television advertising of food products on children which suggests that there is only a slight direct effect, but the November 2005 White Paper is prioritising new restrictions on food and soft drink advertising to children, and the industry accepts the need for advertising code changes and for a holistic approach to behavioural change through education. Describes the work of the Food and Soft Drink Advertising and Promotions Forum, led by the Department of Health. Outlines positive approaches under way by individual companies such as Turner Broadcasting as well as by public service broadcasting. Argues that there must be proportionality in new government restrictions, given that their positive effects on children’s health may be far smaller than their adverse effects on the industry.

AtMYB32 gene is a member of the R2R3 MYB gene family coding for transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana. Its expression pattern was analysed using Northern blotting, in situ hybridization and promoter-GUS fusions. AtMYB32 is expressed in many tissues, but most strongly in the anther tapetum, stigma papillae and lateral root primordia. AtMYB32-GUS was induced in leaves and stems following wounding, and in root primordia by auxin. T-DNA insertion populations were screened and two insertion mutants were identified, both of which were partially male sterile, more than 50% of the pollen grains being distorted in shape and lacking cytoplasm. AtMYB4 is closely related to AtMYB32 and represses the CINNAMATE 4-HYDROXYLASE gene. Distorted pollen grains were produced in both AtMYB4 insertion mutant and overexpression lines. In an AtMYB32 insertion mutant, the transcript levels of the DIHYDROFLAVONOL 4-REDUCTASE and ANTHOCYANIDIN SYNTHASE genes decreased while the level of the CAFFEIC ACID 0-METHYLTRANSFERASE transcript increased. Change in the levels of AtMYB32 and AtMYB4 expression may influence pollen development by changing the flux along the phenylpropanoid pathways, affecting the composition of the pollen wall.

A large number of pitchstone fragments and artefacts have recently been discovered at a Neolithic settlement site in Ballygalley, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. They consist predominantly of flakes and un-reworked lumps and cores, with only one complete tool being found. Since no sources of workable pitchstone exist in Ireland, the source must have been the abundant pitchstone volcanic rocks found on the Hebridean Islands of northwest Scotland. The composition of the glass from a number of artefacts is highly siliceous, indicating that they were derived from pitchstones on the Island of Arran; pitchstones from all other Scottish locations are less silica-rich. In addition, analysis of pyroxene and amphibole microcrystallites within the pitchstone suggests that the Corriegills area of Arran is the most likely source of the Ballygalley artefacts, although the precise outcrop has proved elusive. These finds, and others across Ireland, show that raw materials were being transported and probably traded over considerable distances despite there being suitable alternative sources of material for making tools (flint, etc.) available in the local area. This suggests that the pitchstone had a very specialist use. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A geochemical study of the heavy-mineral suite in Triassic strata from two wells in the Beryl Embayment was undertaken in order to identify changes in provenance through the Lewis Formation. Detailed provenance studies also allow the reconstruction of paleodrainage patterns and aid in predicting facies distributions. The heavy-mineral assemblage in the Lewis Formation is dominated by almandine-pyrope garnets, which are typically derived from pelitic metasediments, together with zircon, apatite, tourmaline, and rutile, some of which are rich in niobium (Nb). These latter phases could have been sourced either from metasediments or granitic protoliths, although Nb-rich rutiles have a more restricted paragenesis, being associated with alkaline plutonic rocks and granite pegmatites. In the uppermost members of the Lewis Formation influxes of more "exotic" provenance-specific heavy-minerals such as Cr-spinel, staurolite, and chloritoid become more common. The chemistry of the detrital Cr-spinel implies that it was derived from an ophiolitic source. Gross grain size, and facies changes in the Embayment suggest a NW to SE dispersal of detritus. Although hydraulic sorting of the heavy-mineral suite between relatively distal and proximal locations has resulted in subtle variations in whole-rock trace-element geochemical signatures, the complete overlap in the geochemical data from distal and proximal wells requires that the sediments were essentially derived from a single source area. The combination of mineralogical, sedimentological, and geochemical data implies that the dominant source for these sediments was the Devonian Old Red Sandstone (ORS), the Shetland ophiolite and the underlying Dalradian metasedimentary rocks of the Shetland Isles and the East Shetland Platform. Provenance studies such as this are central to the reconstruction of paleo-drainage patterns, which in turn lead to improved prediction of potential reservoir quality, distribution, and connectivity.

Cores from three wells in the Upper Palaeocene deep-marine reservoir interval of the Foinaven Field, West of Shetland have been analysed using trace element geochemistry and petrography. The 60 m thick turbidite-dominated succession is restricted to the T34 biozone and comprises a series of seismically defined channel and overbank deposits. Petrographic and trace element geochemical data indicate that wells 204/24a-3 and 204/25b-5 have strong similarities and that strata in the remaining well (204/24a-7) have distinctly different signatures. Of the two related wells, 204/25b-5 is dominated by a thick amalgamated sandstone succession, 204/24a-3 by more thinly bedded and finer grained sandstones considered to represent channel and associated overbank deposits respectively. Similarities in geochemical and petrographic data allow division of the biozone in the two related wells into four principal correlation zones with two additional sub-zones. The study has established a high resolution correlation scheme and constrained correlation lengths for reservoir and non-reservoir facies in a deep marine depositional system.

Early Cretaceous (146–115 Ma) magmatism in the region of Mt. Hermon, Northern Israel, is part of an extensive Mesozoic igneous province within the Levant associated with the evolution of the Neotethyan passive margin of Gondwana. The initial stages of activity were characterised by the emplacement of tholeiitic dykes (146–140 Ma) which were uplifted and eroded prior to the eruption of a sequence of alkali basalts, basanites and more differentiated alkaline lavas and pyroclastics from 127 to 120 Ma. The latest stages of activity (120–115 Ma) were highly explosive, resulting in the emplacement of diatreme breccias. Trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data for the most primitive Early Cretaceous mafic igneous rocks sampled suggest that they were derived by mixing of melts derived by variable degrees of partial melting of both garnet- and spinel-peridotite-facies mantle sources. Though isotopically heterogeneous, the source of the magmas has many similarities to that of HIMU oceanic island basalts. Earlier Liassic (200 Ma) transitional basalts and Neogene–Quaternary (15–0 Ma) alkali basalts erupted within northern Israel also have HIMU affinities. The petrogenesis of the Early Cretaceous and Cenozoic basalts is explained by partial melting of a lithospheric mantle protolith metasomatically enriched during the Liassic volcanic phase, which may be plume-related.

Correlating continental red-bed successions in the sub-surface is a common problem for the hydrocarbon industry. These successions are typically barren of fauna and often monotonous, leading to non-diagnostic wire-line log signatures. A high-resolution, high precision study of detrital garnet chemistry within Triassic reservoir sandstones from the Beryl Field of the North Sea failed to subdivide the sequence satisfactorily. However, the whole-rock concentrations of immobile trace elements such as Zr, Nb and Cr can be shown to be controlled primarily by the abundances of the heavy minerals zircon, rutile and chrome-spinel, respectively. The chemistry of detrital rutile and chrome spinel varies widely within any one sample, implying that the whole-rock concentrations of Nb and Cr are also a function of the chemistry of these heavy minerals. Having calibrated a type well with a detailed mineralogical and geochemical study, it was possible to correlate between wells using whole-rock geochemical cross-plots.

Seed imbibition is a prerequisite for subsequent dormancy and germination control. Here, we investigated imbibition responses of Arabidopsis seeds by transcriptomic and hormone profile analyses using dormant [Cape Verde Islands (Cvi)] and non-dormant [Columbia (Col)] accessions. Once imbibed, seeds of both accessions swelled most up to 3 h, reflecting water uptake. Microarray analysis showed that in both accessions, seeds imbibed for 15 min, 30 min and 1 h were less active in gene expression than at 3 h. More than 2,000 genes were either up-regulated or down-regulated in seeds imbibed for 3 h. Some genes up-regulated at 3 h were already induced in seeds imbibed for 1 h, suggestive of genome reprogramming early after the onset of imbibition. Imbibition-induced genes in seeds imbibed for 3 h included those up-regulated in both Col and Cvi (common) or unique to either accession (accession specific). Up-regulated genes that were both common and Cvi-specific were over-represented for sugar metabolism and the pentose phosphate pathway, whereas Col-specific genes were over-represented for ribosomal protein genes. Quantification of plant hormones showed that ABA and salicylic acid (SA) contents were higher, but gibberellin A(4) (GA(4)), N(6)-(Delta(2)-isopentenyl)adenine (iP), jasmonic acid (JA), JA-isoleucine (JA-Ile) and IAA were lower in imbibed seeds of Cvi compared with Col. In addition, changes in IAA and JA were initiated before 1 h, whereas ABA and JA-Ile declined 3 h after the onset of imbibition. An increase in GA(4) and iP appeared to be correlated temporally with the initiation of secondary water uptake, which marks the completion of germination.

AtMYB32 gene is a member of the R2R3 MYB gene family coding for transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana. Its expression pattern was analysed using Northern blotting, in situ hybridization and promoter-GUS fusions. AtMYB32 is expressed in many tissues, but most strongly in the anther tapetum, stigma papillae and lateral root primordia. AtMYB32-GUS was induced in leaves and stems following wounding, and in root primordia by auxin. T-DNA insertion populations were screened and two insertion mutants were identified, both of which were partially male sterile, more than 50% of the pollen grains being distorted in shape and lacking cytoplasm. AtMYB4 is closely related to AtMYB32 and represses the CINNAMATE 4-HYDROXYLASE gene. Distorted pollen grains were produced in both AtMYB4 insertion mutant and overexpression lines. In an AtMYB32 insertion mutant, the transcript levels of the DIHYDROFLAVONOL 4-REDUCTASE and ANTHOCYANIDIN SYNTHASE genes decreased while the level of the CAFFEIC ACID 0-METHYLTRANSFERASE transcript increased. Change in the levels of AtMYB32 and AtMYB4 expression may influence pollen development by changing the flux along the phenylpropanoid pathways, affecting the composition of the pollen wall.

For adults and children, food is often a cause of conflict. Children refuse to eat certain foods, and feel more in control. Meanwhile, parents and teachers dream up ingenious ways of persuading children to try new foods and to finish up their vegetables.

The Daggernose shark Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus (Müller & Henle, 1839), sole species in its genus, is endemic to northern South America, from Southern Maranhão State in Brazil to Trinidad and Tobago. Although the species is traditionally classified as estuarine, it occurs also in entirely marine environments. Such habitat shift is seasonal, related to the rain regimen. I. oxyrhynchus is easily recognized by the elongated snout, enlarged pectoral fins and reduced eyes, characteristics which account for its unique general aspect in the family Carcharhinidae. The anatomy of I. oxyrhynchus remains poorly known and its phylogenetic position is still controversial. In this study, we propose a contribution to the knowledge of I. oxyrhynchus, offering: 1. A description of the entire skeleton and dermal denticles, based on dissections, computerized tomography and Scanning Electron Microscopy; 2. A comparative anatomical study of I. oxyrhynchus with other representatives of Carcharhinidae, which is compared with results from a novel molecular analysis; 3. Review of fossil taxa assigned to Isogomphodon. The skeletal description revealed much new information for I. oxyrhynchus, including new information on complexes which were previously entirely unknown in the taxon, such as the appendicular skeleton, mandibular arch and clasper. The comparative and phylogenetic study is organized into 46 morphological characters, which qualitatively supports Carcharhinus porosus as sister-group of I. oxyrhynchus. Results also support the hypothesis of Isogomphodon as a modified member of the genus Carcharhinus. Lastly, a critical review of the fossil taxa assigned to Isogomphodon demonstrated that from the five species previously assigned to Isogomphodon, only two can be positively attributed to the genus. O cação-pato Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus (Müller & Henle, 1839), única espécie em seu gênero, é endêmica da porção norte da América Sul, do Sul do Maranhão ao arquipélago de Trinidad e Tobago. Embora tradicionalmente seja classificada como estuarina, sua área de ocorrência inclui localidades de água inteiramente salgada, sendo tal mudança de habitat um fenômeno sazonal correlacionado com o regime de chuvas. I. oxyrhynchus é facilmente reconhecido pelo alongamento do focinho, nadadeiras peitorais largas e olhos diminutos, características que lhe outorgam um aspecto geral único na família Carcharhinidae. A anatomia e posicionamento filogenético de I. oxyrhynchus ainda permanecem pouco conhecidos ou controversos. No presente trabalho, propomos uma contribuição ao conhecimento da espécie, oferecendo: 1. Descrição completa do esqueleto e dentículos dérmicos, realizada através de dissecções, tomografia computadorizada e Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura; 2. Estudo da anatomia comparada de I. oxyrhynchus com outros membros de Carcharhinidae, para obtenção de subsídios relevantes para o entendimento de seu posicionamento filogenético na família, sendo esta avaliada também de acordo com uma nova filogenia molecular; 3. Revisão crítica dos registros fósseis alocados em Isogomphodon. A descrição do esqueleto da espécie trouxe informações novas sobre todos os complexos esqueléticos, sendo que o esqueleto apendicular, arco mandibular e clásper são inteiramente inéditos. O estudo comparativo e filogenético propõe 46 caracteres morfológicos potencialmente informativos, indicando Carcharhinus porosus como o provável grupo irmão de I. oxyrhynchus. Os resultados também suportam a hipóteses de Isogomphodon como um membro modificado do gênero Carcharhinus. Por fim, a revisão dos registros fósseis demonstrou que das cinco espécies descritas como Isogomphodon, apenas duas podem positivamente ser atribuídas ao gênero.