Openings in the body of ‘capitalism’: Capital flows and diverse economic possibilities in Kiribati

Much of the post‐development agenda is concerned with decoupling Eurocentric imaginings of development from development practices in ‘remote’ regions and exploring new forms of economy that can enhance local well‐being. In the South Pacific (and elsewhere), small peripheral economies have confronted globalisation in varying ways. Some places, such as the Micronesian island state of Kiribati, have engaged directly with the global economy by investing capital generated locally in international financial markets rather than in domestic industries. Kiribati's trust fund, the Revenue Equalisation Reserve Fund, maintains a balanced portfolio of international equity and fixed income assets that produces a financial return, helping to augment Kiribati's other national income sources. In this paper we explore the results of capital flowing from Kiribati to global financial markets, noting that this alternative development practice can enhance local well‐being.     

Response of the Weed Maryland Meadowbeauty (Rhexia mariana L.) and Blueberry to Flumioxazin PRE

Field studies were conducted in 2007 and 2008 in North Carolina to determine the response of the weed Maryland meadowbeauty and blueberry to flumioxazin PRE (pre-emergence). No injury to non-bearing (blueberry plants not mature enough to produce fruit) or bearing (blueberry plants mature enough to produce fruit) blueberry from flumioxazin PRE was observed. In non-bearing blueberry, control of meadowbeauty was greater than 97% 90 DAT (days after treatment) with the registered rate of 0.42 kg ai ha^–1 flumioxazin. Across two studies in bearing blueberry, a single application of flumioxazin at 0.42 kg ai ha^–1 controlled meadowbeauty 79% to 92% 90 DAT. Flumioxazin at 0.21 kg ai ha^–1 applied twice 60 d apart resulted in greater than 96% meadowbeauty control 90 d after the first application. Treatments of flumioxazin applied as a single application or two applications applied sequentially 60 d apart in bearing blueberry had yields ranging from 3150 to 6065 kg ha^–1and 3551 to 5735 kg ha^–1, respectively, and did not have a negative effect on blueberry yield regardless of application rate compared to the nontreated check.     

Evaluating methods for identifying large mammal road crossing locations: black bears as a case study

Landscape Ecology - Roads have several negative effects on large mammals including restricting movements, isolating populations, and mortality due to vehicle collisions. Where large mammals...     

Direct detection of projectile relics from the end of the lunar basin-forming epoch

The lunar surface, a key proxy for the early Earth, contains relics of asteroids and comets that have pummeled terrestrial planetary surfaces. Surviving fragments of projectiles in the lunar regolith provide a direct measure of the types and thus the sources of exogenous material delivered to the Earth-Moon system. In ancient [>3.4 billion years ago (Ga)] regolith breccias from the Apollo 16 landing site, we located mineral and lithologic relics of magnesian chondrules from chondritic impactors. These ancient impactor fragments are not nearly as diverse as those found in younger (3.4 Ga to today) regolith breccias and soils from the Moon or that presently fall as meteorites to Earth. This suggests that primitive chondritic asteroids, originating from a similar source region, were common Earth-Moon-crossing impactors during the latter stages of the basin-forming epoch.     

Post-fire production of mushrooms in Pinus pinaster forests using classificatory models

This study was aimed at describing post-fire mushroom production in a Mediterranean ecosystem dominated by Pinus pinaster Ait. in the northwest of Spain and assessing the results by classificatory models. During the autumn periods of 2003–2006, fruit bodies from 115 fungal taxa were collected in burned and unburned areas and were further grouped into the following categories: saprotrophic/mycorrhizal; and edible/non-edible. After wildfires, a significant reduction in the number of fungal species and fruit body biomass production was observed. Based on this relevant information, the first simple classificatory model for this aim is provided. Nine alternative models based on classifications according to combinations of edibility and functional groups were fitted, and four fruiting body biomass production classes were defined as possible responses. As explanatory factors, time after fire and climatic variables significantly related to fruit body production were included. The best predictive results were obtained for edible and edible-mycorrhizal models, for which the correct classification rate of production classes was between 92 and 85 %. Moreover, the models obtained were applied to analyse the effect of time after fire on fungal production. Mycorrhizal and edible fungal production after fire was classified into the lowest class, whereas saprotrophic and non-edible species followed a contrary trend. The classificatory models can be useful to optimise management and harvest of these increasingly appreciated non-timber forest resources.     

Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus): Early detection and late stage distribution of protease-resistant prion protein

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an important emerging prion disease of cervids, is readily transmitted by intracerebral or oral inoculation from deer-to-deer and elk-to-elk, suggesting the latter is a natural route of exposure. Studies of host range susceptibility to oral infection, particularly of those species found in habitats where CWD currently exists are imperative. This report describes the experimental transmission of CWD to red deer following oral inoculation with infectious CWD material of elk origin. At 18 to 20 months post-inoculation, mild to moderate neurological signs and weight loss were observed and animals were euthanized and tested using 3 conventional immunological assays. The data indicate that red deer are susceptible to oral challenge and that tissues currently used for CWD diagnosis show strong abnormal prion (PrP^CWD) accumulation. Widespread peripheral PrP^CWD deposition involves lymphoreticular tissues, endocrine tissues, and cardiac muscle and suggests a potential source of prion infectivity, a means of horizontal transmission and carrier state.     

Germline mutations in genes within the MAPK pathway cause cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome

Cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome is a sporadic developmental disorder involving characteristic craniofacial features, cardiac defects, ectodermal abnormalities, and developmental delay. We demonstrate that heterogeneous de novo missense mutations in three genes within the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway cause CFC syndrome. The majority of cases (18 out of 23) are caused by mutations in BRAF, a gene frequently mutated in cancer. Of the 11 mutations identified, two result in amino acid substitutions that occur in tumors, but most are unique and suggest previously unknown mechanisms of B-Raf activation. Furthermore, three of five individuals without BRAF mutations had missense mutations in either MEK1 or MEK2, downstream effectors of B-Raf. Our findings highlight the involvement of the MAPK pathway in human development and will provide a molecular diagnosis of CFC syndrome.