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Hooks
Kinds of Hooks Terms modified by Hooks Selected AbstractsWater-column concentrations and partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the New York/New Jersey Harbor, USAENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2008Archil Zarnadze Abstract Despite the emerging concern regarding polybrominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), very few measurements of BDE concentrations in ambient water have been published. In the present study, BDEs were measured in water samples from the New York/New Jersey Harbor (USA). Samples were taken in Raritan Bay west of Sandy Hook during four intensive sampling campaigns in 2000 and 2001. Congeners 17, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183, and 209 were detected. Total BDE (,BDE) concentrations (average ± standard deviation) were 175 ± 75 ng/g in the particle phase and 110 ± 72 pg/L in the apparent dissolved phase. The deca-congener, BDE 209, constituted 85 and 9% of ,BDEs in the particle and apparent dissolved phases, respectively. The ,BDE levels are significantly higher than those measured in Lake Ontario, USA, and in The Netherlands, but they are similar to concentrations measured in Lake Michigan and San Francisco Bay (both USA). Calculated values of the organic carbon-water partition coefficient (KOC) were strongly correlated with literature values of the octanol-water partition coefficient (KOW). The data suggest that sorption of BDEs to colloids is important in this system, although quantifying the extent of colloid sorption is difficult. [source] A Glass Hook Allows Fishing of Hexa- peri -hexabenzocoronene Graphitic Nanotubes: Fabrication of a Macroscopic Fiber with Anisotropic Electrical Conduction,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 10 2006Y. Yamamoto Fishing of graphitic nanotubes with a macroscopic glass hook: A ,30,mm long fiber (see figure and cover) is readily processed from a suspension of self-assembled nanotubes with one-handed helical chirality, formed from the (R)- or (S)-enantiomer of chiral amphiphile 2. The majority of the nanotubes in the fiber are unidirectionally oriented along the fiber axis. Upon doping with I2, the fiber displays an anisotropic electrical conduction along the fiber axis more than an order of magnitude greater than that across the fiber axis. [source] Acute toxicity of water extract of Tephrosia vogelii Hook to species relevant in aquaculture ponds: rotifers, Cyclops, mosquito larvae and fishJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 6 2004A. Agbon Summary Rotenone is used to clear ponds of unwanted organisms and trash fish which may predate on fish when the ponds are stocked. Toxicity tests using water extract of the leaves of Tephrosia vogelii Hook, which contains rotenone, were conducted on rotifers (Brachionus species), Cyclops, mosquito larvae (Culex species) and fish (Aphyosemion gardneri nigerianum) in static bioassays. The 48-h LC50s were derived from probit curves using the probit-analysis method, while chi-square was used to test for significant differences between observed mean mortalities and predicted mean mortality values. These showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). The variance ratio of the replicates in each treatment also showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). The 48-h LC50s were found to be 2.89, 1.04, 4.48 and 0.24 mg L,1 for rotifers, Cyclops, mosquito larvae and fish, respectively. The probit mortalities were positively correlated with the log-concentration, except for the rotifers bioassay, which was negative. The fish, A. gardneri nigerianum, was the most sensitive; the mosquito larvae were the least sensitive. [source] Utilization of protein concentrates from ungerminated and germinated fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook) seeds in cookie formulationsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 14 2004SY Giami Abstract Cookies (soft type biscuits) were produced from blends of wheat flour containing graded levels (0,25%) of protein concentrates prepared from ungerminated and germinated fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook) seeds and evaluated for nutritional, baking and sensory properties. Protein quality was investigated using weanling albino rats fed diets that were formulated to supply 10% protein using cookie samples, with casein as a control. Cookies produced from blends containing protein concentrates from germinated seeds had higher contents of crude protein and lower levels of polyphenol and phytic acid, compared with cookies supplemented with concentrates from ungerminated seeds. The use of up to 15% concentrate from ungerminated seeds in the blends produced cookies with spread ratio, hardness, colour and flavour similar to the 100% wheat flour (control) cookies. Cookies supplemented with concentrates from germinated seeds at 15,25% levels were nutritionally comparable to diets based on casein, but at the expense of acceptability. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Azorellane diterpenoids from Laretia acaulis inhibit nuclear factor-kappa B activityPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2007Jorge Borquez Abstract Transcription factor NF- ,B plays a key role in the inducible expression of genes mediating proinflammatory effects, and is thus an important target for the development of antiinflammatory drugs. Laretia acaulis (Cav.) Gill et Hook (Apiaceae) is a medicinal plant used in the high Andes mountains for different ailments such as diabetes, inflammation and for general pain. In addition to the known azorellanol (2) and 7-deacetylazorellanol (4), 13-epiazorellanol (1) was also isolated from the aerial part of this plant. Its structure was based on spectroscopic comparison with azorellanol (2) and by chemical characterization. While compounds 2 and 4 showed potent anti-NF- ,B activity by targeting the activity of the I,B, kinase, compound 1 was completely inactive highlighting the importance of position 13 in the biological activities of this class of tetracyclic diterpenoids. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT)ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Issue 2 2010Fleur Watson Abstract The output of FJMT varies greatly in scale and location. The practice has completed community schemes in Sydney's suburbs as well as accommodation for prestigious institutions in the city centre. It has adapted existing structures on heritage sites as well as producing high-tech newbuilds. As Fleur Watson and Martyn Hook explain, what FJMT's projects have in common is an unwavering commitment to the enhancement of the public realm. The firm embraces the full responsibility of building in the sensitive urban and topographic context of this harbour city with its ridges and coastal inlets. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Antibacterial Diterpenoids from Jatropha podagrica Hook.CHEMINFORM, Issue 6 2008Olapeju O. Aiyelaagbe Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] The child protection investigator's companion, edited by Kevin Smith, The New Police Bookshop, Hook, 2001.CHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 1 2003120 pp. No abstract is available for this article. [source] Examining changes in participation in recreational fisheries in England and WalesFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2010M. W. APRAHAMIAN Abstract, Inland fisheries in England and Wales have high economic and social values. Managing participation to maximise fishery performance is key to maintaining this status. The capital value of fishing rights for migratory salmonid fisheries is ,165 million. Coarse fisheries contribute ,1030 million to the economy. The central tenet to increasing participation in recreational salmonid fisheries is that an increase in stock size will result in more anglers accessing the fishery. This was examined for salmon on the rivers Usk and Lune where exploitation restrictions increased the number of salmon available to anglers. On the River Lune, the number of salmon available post-intervention increased by 66%. There was no significant increase in catch while the number of anglers decreased by 16.3%. On the River Usk, the closure of the net fishery potentially resulted in an additional ,1200 salmon being available. Following closure, there was no significant change in rod catch or in the number of anglers. Increased participation is dependent less upon stock manipulation for coarse fisheries and more upon facilitating the activity. In recent years, urban fishery development programmes have provided improved access to local fishing opportunity. Also, new anglers have been targeted through campaigns such as Get Hooked on Fishing and the Scout Angler Badge. [source] Hooks and Hands, Interests and Enemies: Political Thinking as Political ActionPOLITICAL STUDIES, Issue 2 2000Rodney Barker First page of article [source] Effect of type of bait on pelagic longline fishery,loggerhead turtle interactions in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia)AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 5 2010Khaled Echwikhi Abstract 1.Sea turtles may migrate vast distances from their feeding areas to home rookeries where they nest. During these migrations sea turtles are subject to many threats, among which are interactions with pelagic longlines. 2.This gear is used frequently in the summer period in the Gulf of Gabes targeting mainly the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus). Hooks are baited with mackerel (Scomber scombrus) or pieces of stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca). 3.Twenty-one fishing trips (48 sets with a total of 35,950 hooks deployed) were conducted using onboard observers in the south of the Gulf of Gabes during the months of July, August and September in 2007 and 2008. Stingray and mackerel bait were used in 19 and 29 sets, respectively. 4.In total, 29 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) were captured; the majority of them were juvenile and active. Turtles were caught at a statistically greater frequency on sets with hooks baited with mackerel than on sets with hooks baited with pieces of stingray. 5.The type of bait also affected the catch of the target species by increasing the efficiency when pieces of stingrays were used. 6.These results encourage further research into new baits to mitigate turtle catch by longline fisheries without affecting the catch of target species. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Measurement of the force and torque produced in the calcium response of reactivated rat sperm flagellaCYTOSKELETON, Issue 1 2001Mark J. Moritz Abstract Rat sperm that are demembranated with Triton X-100 and reactivated with Mg-ATP show a strong mechanical response to the presence of free calcium ion. At pCa < 4, the midpiece region of the flagellum develops a strong and sustained curvature that gives the cell the overall appearance of a fishhook [Lindemann and Goltz, 1988: Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 10:420,431]. In the present study, the force and torque that maintain the calcium-induced hook have been examined quantitatively. In addition, full-length and shortened flagella were manipulated to evaluate the plasticity of the hooks and determined the critical length necessary for maintaining the curvature. The hooks were found to be highly resilient, returning to their original configuration (>95%) after being straightened and released. The results from manipulating the shortened flagella suggest that the force holding the hook in the curved configuration is generated in the basal 60 ,m of the flagellum. The force required to straighten the calcium-induced hooks was measured with force-calibrated glass microprobes, and the bending torque was calculated from the measured force. The force and torque required to straighten the flagellum were found to be proportional to the change in curvature of the hooked region of the flagellum, suggesting an elastic-like behavior. The average torque to open the hooks to a straight position was 2.6 (±1.4) × 10 -7 dyne × cm (2.6 × 10 -14 N × m) and the apparent stiffness was 4.3 (±1.3) × 10 -10 dyne × cm2 (4.3 × 10 -19 N × m2). The stiffness of the hook was determined to be approximately one quarter the rigor stiffness of a rat sperm flagellum measured under comparable conditions. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 49:33,40, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The spermatozoon of the Old Endemic Australo-Papuan and Philippine rodents , its morphological diversity and evolutionACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 3 2010William G. Breed Abstract Breed, W.G. and Leigh, C.M. 2010. The spermatozoon of the Old Endemic Australo-Papuan and Philippine rodents , its morphological diversity and evolution.,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 279,294 The spermatozoon of most murine rodents contains a head in which there is a characteristic apical hook, whereas most old endemic Australian murines, which are part of a broader group of species that also occur in New Guinea and the Philippines, have a far more complex sperm form with two additional ventral processes. Here we ask the question: what is the sperm morphology of the New Guinea and Philippines species and what are the trends in evolutionary changes of sperm form within this group? The results show that, within New Guinea, most species have a highly complex sperm morphology like the Australian rodents, but within the Pogonomys Division some species have a simpler sperm morphology with no ventral processes. Amongst the Philippines species, many have a sperm head with a single apical hook, but in three Apomys species the sperm head contains two additional small ventral processes, with two others having cockle-shaped sperm heads. When these findings are plotted on a molecular phylogeny, the results suggest that independent and convergent evolution of highly complex sperm heads containing two ventral processes has evolved in several separate lineages. These accessory structures may support the sperm head apical hook during egg coat penetration. [source] Early Socio-political and Environmental Consequences of the Prestige Oil Spill in GaliciaDISASTERS, Issue 3 2003J.D. García Pérez The controversial form in which the oil industry is run has once more caused a huge disaster , this one affecting the Galician coastal environment and economy. Oil-spill clean-up operations have been managed in Europe with some success but with considerable economic, environmental and social costs. The oil industry often avoids fully or even partially compensating those affected. The lack of both political will and political power has let the culprit (the oil industry) off the hook. This paper considers the spill of the Prestige to assess whether the balance of power between affected people and the oil industry can be changed. The paper examines the growing awareness of environmental issues among ordinary people in Spain, through the massive involvement of volunteers concerned with the damage done to the environment and to the livelihoods of fishing communities in Galicia. To understand these growing public concerns and the strength of opinion, the paper examines the details of the decisions taken by the central Spanish and local governments and the way these have informed the clean-up operations, the character of the oil companies involved and the feeling of impotence in the face of such disasters. The conclusion here is that the operations of the oil industry should be tightly regulated through EU legislation, and that this can come about as a result of organised political pressure from those affected by the oil spill, from the mass of volunteers, as well as from public opinion at large. [source] The archaeal flagellum: a different kind of prokaryotic motility structureFEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS, Issue 2 2001Nikhil A Thomas Abstract The archaeal flagellum is a unique motility apparatus distinct in composition and likely in assembly from the bacterial flagellum. Gene families comprised of multiple flagellin genes co-transcribed with a number of conserved, archaeal-specific accessory genes have been identified in several archaea. However, no homologues of any bacterial genes involved in flagella structure have yet been identified in any archaeon, including those archaea in which the complete genome sequence has been published. Archaeal flagellins possess a highly conserved hydrophobic N-terminal sequence that is similar to that of type IV pilins and clearly unlike that of bacterial flagellins. Also unlike bacterial flagellins but similar to type IV pilins, archaeal flagellins are initially synthesized with a short leader peptide that is cleaved by a membrane-located peptidase. With recent advances in genetic transfer systems in archaea, knockouts have been reported in several genes involved in flagellation in different archaea. In addition, techniques to isolate flagella with attached hook and anchoring structures have been developed. Analysis of these preparations is under way to identify minor structural components of archaeal flagella. This and the continued isolation and characterization of flagella mutants should lead to significant advances in our knowledge of the composition and assembly of archaeal flagella. [source] Can circle hook use benefit billfishes?FISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 2 2009Joseph E Serafy Abstract We performed a quantitative review to evaluate circle hook use in recreational and commercial hook-and-line fisheries that interact with billfishes (Family: Istiophoridae). Specifically, we scrutinized the findings of 11 recent empirical studies that reported, on a species-specific basis, side-by-side measures of circle vs. J-hook fishing performance: catch, mortality, deep-hooking and bleeding rates. Of the 30 total comparisons extracted from the literature that satisfied our inclusion criteria, 13 indicated significant differences between hook types for the specific metric compared. No study reported significant billfish catch rate differences between hook types. However, when significant differences between hook types were found, higher mortality rates and higher rates of deep-hooking and bleeding were associated with J-hooks relative to circle hooks. We conclude that empirical evidence is sufficient to promote circle hook use in almost all hook-and-line fishery sectors that typically interact with istiophorids. However, billfish conservation benefits will only be realized if fishers use unmodified circle hooks, commit to releasing live fish and take other appropriate measures which maximize post-release survival. While there may be fishing modes where circle hook effects are negative, for billfish conservation, we recommend managers grant exceptions to circle hook use only when experimental results support such a practice. [source] Principles and approaches to abate seabird by-catch in longline fisheriesFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 1 2005Eric Gilman Abstract Mortality in longline fisheries is a critical global threat to most albatross and large petrel species. Here we identify key principles and approaches to identify and achieve broad use of effective seabird by-catch avoidance methods. Despite the availability of highly effective and cost-saving seabird avoidance methods, few longline fleets employ them. Given the political context and capacity of management authorities of the majority of longline fisheries, it is critical to identify seabird avoidance strategies that are not only highly effective, but are also economically viable and commercially practical. Adoption of an international performance standard for longline baited hook,sink rate, and prescribing minimum gear weighting designs that meet this standard that are achievable by all longline fisheries, would be an important step forward towards resolving low use of seabird avoidance methods by vessels, including those in illegal, unregulated and unreported fisheries. Due to differences between fleets, no single seabird avoidance measure is likely to be effective and practical in all longline fisheries. Therefore, testing of seabird avoidance methods in individual fleets is needed to determine efficacy and economic viability. Longline fishers should directly participate in these trials as they have a large repository of knowledge and skills to effectively develop and improve seabird by-catch avoidance techniques, and this provides industry with a sense of ownership for uptake of effective by-catch reduction methods. Establishing protected areas containing seabird colonies and adjacent waters within a nation's EEZ can be an expedient method to address seabird by-catch. However, establishing high seas marine protected areas to restrict longline fishing in seabird foraging areas, which would require extensive and dynamic boundaries and large buffer zones, may not be a viable short-term solution because of the extensive time anticipated to resolve legal complications with international treaties, to achieve international consensus and political will, and to acquire requisite extensive resources for surveillance and enforcement. Analysis of results of research on seabird avoidance methods reveals that the most reliable comparisons of the efficacy of alternative strategies are from comparing the effectiveness of methods tested in a single experiment. Benefits from standardizing the reporting of seabird by-catch rates to account for seabird abundance are described. To provide the most precise inputs for seabird population models, estimates of seabird mortality in longline fisheries should account for seabird falloff from hooks before hauling, delayed mortality of seabirds caught but freed from gear, and mortality caused by hooks discarded in offal. [source] Circle hooks, ,J' hooks and drop-back time: a hook performance study of the south Florida recreational live-bait fishery for sailfish, Istiophorus platypterusFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2007E. D. PRINCE Abstract, This study evaluates the performance of two types of non-offset circle hooks (traditional and non-traditional) and a similar-sized ,J' hook commonly used in the south Florida recreational live-bait fishery for Atlantic sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw). A total of 766 sailfish were caught off south Florida (Jupiter to Key West, FL, USA) to assess hook performance and drop-back time, which is the interval between the fish's initial strike and exertion of pressure by the fisher to engage the hook. Four drop-back intervals were examined (0,5, 6,10, 11,15 and >15 s), and hook performance was assessed in terms of proportions of successful catch, undesirable hook locations, bleeding events and undesirable release condition associated with physical hook damage and trauma. In terms of hook performance, the traditionally-shaped circle hook had the greatest conservation benefit for survival after release. In addition, this was the only hook type tested that performed well during each drop-back interval for all performance metrics. Conversely, ,J' hooks resulted in higher proportions of undesirable hook locations (as much as twofold), bleeding and fish released in undesirable condition, particularly during long drop-back intervals. Non-traditional circle hooks had performance results intermediate to the other hook types, but also had the worst performance relative to undesirable release condition during the first two drop-back intervals. Choice of hook type and drop-back interval can significantly change hook wounding, and different models of non-offset circle hooks should not be assumed to perform equivalently. [source] Can fishermen allocate their fishing effort in space and time on the basis of their catch rates?FISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2001An example from Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia, SW Sulawesi Spatial and temporal patterns in catch rates and in allocation of fishing effort were analysed for the coastal fishery in Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia, to assess whether fishermen can optimise their strategy from catch information, or whether they fish under great uncertainty and merely minimise risks. On average 517 fishing units operated in the 2800 km2 area, catching 21 t fish day,1. Major gear categories were hook and line (59% of total effort and 5% of total catch), and lift nets (16% of total effort and 70% of total catch). The size of individual resource spaces varied with gear type and was smaller in unfavourable weather conditions. Although spatial patterns in catch rates at the scale of the whole archipelago were evident, fishermen could not differentiate between locations, as catch variance within their individual resource spaces was high relative to the contrasts in spatial patterns. The aggregated distribution of fishing effort in Spermonde must be explained by factors such as the small scale of operations, rather than fish abundance. [source] A low-order, hexahedral finite element for modelling shells,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 7 2004Samuel W. Key Abstract A thin, eight-node, tri-linear displacement, hexahedral finite element is the starting point for the derivation of a constant membrane stress resultant, constant bending stress resultant shell finite element. The derivation begins by introducing a Taylor series expansion for the stress distribution in the isoparametric co-ordinates of the element. The effect of the Taylor series expansion for the stress distribution is to explicitly identify those strain modes of the element that are conjugate to the mean or average stress and the linear variation in stress. The constant membrane stress resultants are identified with the mean stress components, and the constant bending stress resultants are identified with the linear variation in stress through the thickness along with in-plane linear variations of selected components of the transverse shear stress. Further, a plane-stress constitutive assumption is introduced, and an explicit treatment of the finite element's thickness is introduced. A number of elastic simulations show the useful results that can be obtained (tip-loaded twisted beam, point-loaded hemisphere, point-loaded sphere, tip-loaded Raasch hook, and a beam bent into a ring). All of the gradient/divergence operators are evaluated in closed form providing unequivocal evaluations of membrane and bending strain rates along with the appropriate divergence calculations involving the membrane stress and bending stress resultants. The fact that a hexahedral shell finite element has two distinct surfaces aids sliding interface algorithms when a shell folds back on itself when subjected to large deformations. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Glass Hook Allows Fishing of Hexa- peri -hexabenzocoronene Graphitic Nanotubes: Fabrication of a Macroscopic Fiber with Anisotropic Electrical Conduction,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 10 2006Y. Yamamoto Fishing of graphitic nanotubes with a macroscopic glass hook: A ,30,mm long fiber (see figure and cover) is readily processed from a suspension of self-assembled nanotubes with one-handed helical chirality, formed from the (R)- or (S)-enantiomer of chiral amphiphile 2. The majority of the nanotubes in the fiber are unidirectionally oriented along the fiber axis. Upon doping with I2, the fiber displays an anisotropic electrical conduction along the fiber axis more than an order of magnitude greater than that across the fiber axis. [source] Hands-free hook for endourological proceduresINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 10 2003YOSHIHIRO ONO Abstract We present here a hook that can be used to free both hands from holding the endoscope during endourological procedures. We made the hook from a wire hanger, and thus, it is a convenient, cheap and easy tool to make using this everyday item. As this hook makes the insertion of the endoscope into the urethra easier, it allows urologists to perform endourological procedures, which require the handling of biopsy forceps, a basket wire and lithotripsy probes, unassisted. [source] Seasonal changes in the lower jaw skeleton in male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.): remodelling and regression of the kype after spawningJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 5 2003P. Eckhard Witten Abstract The return of Atlantic salmon (Salmon salar) to their home river for spawning coincides with drastic skeletal alterations in both sexes. Most prominent is the development of a kype (hook) at the tip of the lower jaw in males. Salmon that survive spawning have to cope with the kype throughout their life, unless it disappears after spawning, as was suggested in the early literature. To understand the fate of the kype skeleton, we compared morphological and histological features of kypes from pre-spawned mature anadromous males (grilse) with post-spawned males (kelts). The kype of male grilse is supported by fast-growing skeletal needles that differ from regular dentary bone. In kelts, growth of the kype skeleton has stopped and skeletal needles are resorbed apically by osteoclasts. Simultaneously, and despite the critical physiological condition of the animals, proximal parts of the kype skeleton are remodelled and converted into regular dentary bone. Apical resorption of the skeleton explains reports of a decrease of the kype in kelts. The conversion of basal kype skeleton into regular dentary bone contributes to the elongation of the dentary and probably also to the development of a larger kype in repetitive spawning males. [source] Distinguishing Between Damage to Clothing as a Result of Normal Wear and Tear or as a Result of Deliberate Damage: A Sexual Assault Case StudyJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 2 2009Dyan J. Daly Ph.D. Abstract:, This paper focuses on bra damage, specifically damage observed in hook and eye fasteners that are generally located at the backstraps of bras. We describe bra design including the method by which hook and eye fasteners are generally constructed. We assess bra damage in two situations where the damage observed was unexpected given the case scenarios. These were: (i) the complainant of an alleged rape attributed damage to her bra hooks to force during a struggle and (ii) the complainant had earlier manipulated her bra hooks in an incident not related to her complaint. Steriomicroscopy and reconstruction experimentation were necessarily used to assess the bra damage. A systematic approach to damage analysis was employed by the forensic practitioners to correctly identify damage as being a result of mechanical manipulation and therefore as falsified. This paper suggests that more examples of falsified damage should be documented. [source] Evolution of the spermatozoon in muroid rodentsJOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 3 2005William G. Breed Abstract In the rodent superfamily Muroidea, a model for the evolution of sperm form has been proposed in which it is suggested that a hook-shaped sperm head and long tail evolved from a more simple, nonhooked head and short tail in several different subfamilies. To test this model the shape of the sperm head, with particular emphasis on its apical region, and length of sperm tail were matched to a recent phylogeny based on the nucleotide sequence of several protein-coding nuclear genes from 3 families and 10 subfamilies of muroid rodents. Data from the two other myomorph superfamilies, the Dipodoidea and kangaroo rats in the Geomyoidea, were used for an outgroup comparison. In most species in all 10 muroid subfamilies, apart from in the Murinae, the sperm head has a long rostral hook largely composed of acrosomal material, although its length and cross-sectional shape vary across the various subfamilies. Nevertheless, in a few species of various lineages a very different sperm morphology occurs in which an apical hook is lacking. In the outgroups the three species of dipodid rodents have a sperm head that lacks a hook, whereas in the heteromyids an acrosome-containing apical hook is present. It is concluded that, as the hook-shaped sperm head and long sperm tail occur across the muroid subfamilies, as well as in the heteromyid rodents, it is likely to be the ancestral condition within each of the subfamilies with the various forms of nonhooked sperm heads, that are sometimes associated with short tails, being highly derived states. These findings thus argue against a repeated evolution in various muroid lineages of a complex, hook-shaped sperm head and long sperm tail from a more simple, nonhooked sperm head and short tail. An alternative proposal for the evolution of sperm form within the Muroidea is presented in the light of these data. J. Morphol. © 2005 Wiley- Liss, Inc. [source] C-ring requirement in flagellar type III secretion is bypassed by FlhDC upregulationMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Marc Erhardt Summary The cytoplasmic C-ring of the flagellum consists of FliG, FliM and FliN and acts as an affinity cup to localize secretion substrates for protein translocation via the flagellar-specific type III secretion system. Random T-POP transposon mutagenesis was employed to screen for insertion mutants that allowed flagellar type III secretion in the absence of the C-ring using the flagellar type III secretion system-specific hook,,-lactamase reporter (Lee and Hughes, 2006). Any condition resulting in at least a twofold increase in flhDC expression was sufficient to overcome the requirement for the C-ring and the ATPase complex FliHIJ in flagellar type III secretion. Insertions in known and unknown flagellar regulatory loci were isolated as well as chromosomal duplications of the flhDC region. The twofold increased flhDC mRNA level coincided in a twofold increase in the number of hook-basal bodies per cell as analysed by fluorescent microscopy. These results indicate that the C-ring functions as a nonessential affinity cup-like structure during flagellar type III secretion to enhance the specificity and efficiency of the secretion process. [source] FliL is essential for swarming: motor rotation in absence of FliL fractures the flagellar rod in swarmer cells of Salmonella entericaMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Ursula Attmannspacher Summary fliL is the first gene in a flagellar operon that specifies members of the switch complex and type III export system in Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli, but no function has been ascribed to this gene thus far. Here we report that a fliL mutant is slightly impaired for swimming but completely defective in swarming in both organisms, and have studied this phenotype further in S. enterica. We have found that on swarm agar, mutant cells release or ,eject' their flagellar filaments. The released filaments are attached to the hook and part of the rod structure; we have identified the distal rod protein FlgG but not the proximal rod protein FlgF in these filaments. Rod fracture was not observed if flagellar rotation was prevented by removal of proteins that supply proton flow through the motor. Based on these and other results, we propose that motors experience a higher torque on swarm agar owing to an increased proton motive force, and that FliL allows the rod to withstand the increased torsional stress. The flagella-release phenotype of the S. enterica fliL mutant has a bearing on FliL-dependent flagellar ejection during the swimmer- to stalk-cell transition in the developmental cycle of Caulobacter crescentus. [source] New photometric and spectroscopic observations of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 315MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 1 2005S. Ciroi ABSTRACT We present new important results about the intermediate-type Seyfert galaxy Mrk 315, recently observed through optical imaging and integral-field spectroscopy. Broad-band images were used to study the morphology of the host galaxy, narrow-band H, images to trace the star-forming regions, and middle-band [O iii] images to evidence the distribution of the highly ionized gas. Some extended emission regions were isolated and their physical properties studied by means of flux-calibrated spectra. High-resolution spectroscopy was used to separate different kinematic components in the velocity fields of gas and stars. Some peculiar features characterize this apparently undisturbed and moderately isolated active galaxy. Such features, already investigated by other authors, are re-analysed and discussed in the light of these new observations. The most relevant results we obtained are: the multitiers structure of the disc; the presence of a quasi-ring of regions with star formation much higher than previous claims; a secondary nucleus confirmed by a stellar component kinematically decoupled by the main galaxy; a new hypothesis about the controversial nature of the long filament, initially described as hook shaped, and more likely made of two independent filaments caused by interaction events between the main galaxy and two dwarf companions. [source] Younger brother and fishing hook on Timor: reassessing Mauss on hierarchy and divinityTHE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 1 2007David Hicks Marcel Mauss, in two of his most influential papers, proposed conflicting perspectives on the status relationship between gods and human beings. In an earlier study (1888), written in collaboration with Henri Hubert, he contended that the gifts given in ritual sacrifice by human beings to divinity are important, even necessary, for the existence of their gods. Hence the status relationship between the divine and human contains some degree of parity. In his later paper, ,Essai sur le don', however, Mauss emphasized the superiority of divinity, so much so that human beings were now decisively relegated to a condition of subordination. This article argues in support of Mauss's (and Hubert's) original thesis by adducing as evidence a set of five oral narratives from Timor that suggest human beings may in certain circumstances gain a measure of superiority over the divine, and demonstrates that in each narrative the agents by which this superiority is accomplished are the younger brother and a fishing hook or equivalent artefact which intrude from the quotidian world into the realm of spirit. Its findings suggest that recent propositions arguing for the interactive influence of material artefacts on human values are tenable and that the role of narrative as a medium of communication be reaffirmed as a prime forum for religious reflexivity. [source] Shape-Memory Stapes Prosthesis for Otosclerosis SurgeryTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 8 2005Glenn W. Knox MD Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a shape-memory alloy, Nitinol, as a component of an improved stapes prosthesis. Study Design: Prospective laboratory and clinical study to develop a Nitinol stapes prosthesis. Methods: Various diameters of Nitinol wire and temperature transition variants were analyzed with regard to ease of deformation, response to heating, and strength. The size and geometry of the closed hook was determined by measurement of 50 incus cadaver bones. Several heat sources for activating the shape memory were evaluated, including electrocautery, lasers, and warm water. Trial surgeries were then performed on human temporal bones in the laboratory. The closure characteristics of the Nitinol loop were studied. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing at 1.5 Tesla was performed to determine safety during MRI studies. Preliminary human subject trials were then instituted. Results: In all cases, a low heat condition was ample to activate the shape memory characteristics of the hook and return it to a closed position after it had been opened. Laser power was generally set well below the power needed for removing bone. The Nitinol loop closed snugly around the incus with application to the top of the hook with a low temperature laser setting. Almost any heat source was effective. MRI testing at 1.5 Tesla showed no movement of the prosthesis. Preliminary results in human subjects showed excellent air-bone closure. The Nitinol loop holds uniform contact around the incus. Conclusions: The Nitinol piston greatly simplifies the stapedectomy procedure by taking the need for a hand operated instrument out of the surgeon's hands. Because of the nature of the Nitinol wire, it can never over-crimp. All these characteristics make the prosthesis advantageous for otosclerosis surgery. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||