Borders Of Islands Research Articles

Definition of the Caribbean Islands biogeographic region, with checklist and recommendations for standardized common names of amphibians and reptiles

To facilitate biological study we define “Caribbean Islands” as a biogeographic region that includes the Antilles, the Bahamas, and islands bordering Central and South America separated from mainland areas by at least 20 meters of water depth. The advantages of this definition are that it captures nearly all islands with endemic species and with at least some Antillean-derived species, and still circumscribes a region of high biodiversity and biogeographic significance. We argue that Caribbean islands, in this expanded sense, are also cohesive from a conservation standpoint in that they share high human population densities and similar conservation threats. A disadvantage of this definition, strictly applied, is that it includes some islands (e.g., Trinidad) that have mostly mainland species. However, we propose that researchers can increase the stringency of the definition so that it is less inclusive, and make comparisons between different definitions as needed. We provide an updated checklist with standardized common English names for the 1,013 species of amphibians and reptiles occurring in the region, along with principles for constructing common names.

New records of mummified crabeater seals on islands bordering Admiralty Sound, Weddell Sea

AbstractNinety-six mummified crabeater seals discovered at Seymour Island (Isla Marambio) are reported. Each specimen was georeferenced, photographed and assigned to five different taphonomic states. Previous work stated that seals at Seymour Island get stranded inland around the breeding season. However, it is not clear if the species breeds in this area. The abundance of crabeater seals and the ice condition along Admiralty Sound (Estrecho Bouchard) were obtained by aerial surveys during spring (2015–17). It appears that the species uses the strait as a passage to breeding grounds. Under heavy ice conditions, the seals become stranded in the middle section of this strait and wander inland through a valley that represents the mouth of an ephemeral stream that ends at the pack ice level. This situation was observed in 2014 and 2015 when recently dead seals were found, evidencing that this natural trap is still active. Nonetheless, in 2016 and 2017, during an early breakup of Admiralty Sound, the seals that remained in the area were more numerous than in 2015 but they did not get stranded inland. This early breakup may encourage the seals to breed there in the presence of open water areas with ice floes.

DNA Hypermethylation Encroachment at CpG Island Borders in Cancer Is Predisposed by H3K4 Monomethylation Patterns

Promoter CpG islands are typically unmethylated in normal cells, but in cancer a proportion are subject to hypermethylation. Using methylome sequencing we identified CpG islands that display partial methylation encroachment across the 5' or 3' CpG island borders. CpG island methylation encroachment is widespread in prostate and breast cancer and commonly associates with gene suppression. We show that the pattern of H3K4me1 at CpG island borders in normal cells predicts the different modes of cancer CpG island hypermethylation. Notably, genetic manipulation of Kmt2d results in concordant alterations in H3K4me1 levels and CpG island border DNA methylation encroachment. Our findings suggest a role for H3K4me1 in the demarcation of CpG island methylation borders in normal cells, which become eroded in cancer.

Northernmost record of dusky dolphin <i>Lagenorhynchus obscurus</i> in coastal waters off northern Peru (4°S)

Dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus is distributed primarily in cool coastal waters at several continental margins and island borders in the Southern Hemisphere. Off Peru, the northernmost record of this species has been in front of the coast of Salaverry (ca., 6°S). In this paper, we report for the first-time a pod of dusky dolphin at the coast of Los Órganos (4°9.517’S; 81°11.958’W) northern Peru, thus extending the potential distributional range ca., 350 km towards the equator. A group of between 10 to 20 adult individuals was sighted on 17 October 2017, during a whale-watching excursion. Digital photographs and film allowed us to confirm the species based on body morphology and coloration. The sighted group was moving around the area without heading to a given direction. This record constitutes the northernmost record of dusky dolphin in Peru and arguably in the Southern Hemisphere.

Onset of natal dispersal in Peregrine Falcon from Mediterranean islands (Italy)

Abstract Basic information on natal dispersal of Peregrine Falcons is virtually lacking in Europe, despite increased attention on this species, and the sensitivity of this stage in the Peregrines’ life history. In this study, we collected satellite telemetry data during the onset of natal dispersal of 19 Peregrine Falcons tagged in Sicily and the Aeolian archipelago (Italy). We divided the onset of dispersal into the following 3 periods: post-fledging dependence period (PFDP), wandering, and wintering. PFDP lasted on average 47±16 days, during which young peregrines moved very little (0.167 km), and explored small areas (0.226 km2) far from the nest cliff, and showed no sex differences. The wandering phase was highly individualistic, with median net displacements of 23.97 km. Both PFDP and wandering bearings were oriented towards NNE-ESE. Only five individuals went sporadically outside the island borders. During their first winter, Peregrines had a mean home range of 135.65±82.31 km2 spatially scattered across Sicily and mainly composed of open habitats, like cereal steppes, arboreal crops and agri-mosaics. Individuals had a dissimilar assortment in habitat composition, however the urban habitat was the most selected and the woodland the least. At night, during both wandering and wintering phases Peregrines used rocks, cliffs and electricity pylons in frequencies not statistically different between sex, phase and type of roost. Only two individuals had significant use of pylons and one of rocks. The multifaceted framework of Peregrine Falcon’s natal dispersal was described here for the first time in a Mediterranean population.

Islands of the Anthropocene

The accelerating and intensifying dynamics of the Anthropocene are highly topical for island studies. Manifold effects of urbanisation, offshoring, migration and climate change become heightened in the context of island spatiality as global connections, fascination and conservation ideals produce tax havens, mass tourism, ecological enclaves and novel island ecosystems. The Anthropocene calls for a rethinking of relations between humans and nature. Recent research highlights the usefulness of islands in providing models of intensely coupled human–environmental systems. However, there is little research about where and how forces of the Anthropocene and natural dynamics physically intersect and how island spatiality intervenes. Contributing to a better understanding of island landscapes and seascapes, this paper explores how the scales and volumes of the Anthropocene shape spaces in small islands. In considering islands’ characteristics of smallness, borders, isolation and littorality, the paper illustrates the distinct spatial developments on islands in the Anthropocene, such as resort sprawl, airports and artificial coastlines. The observations demonstrate how forces of the Anthropocene challenge island isolation, stretch and reshape island borders. They manipulate islands’ smallness and congest small island spaces, and intervene in the manageability of island systems. Furthermore, developments of the Anthropocene highlight the paradoxical and hybrid nature of islands. I suggest that developing and better understanding concepts of island spatiality can be meaningful for informing future spatial transformation in, and for adopting contextualised approaches to, both islands and the Anthropocene.

Civil Reserve Component as an Alternative for Strengthening Border Security in Indonesia

Indonesia as the world’s largest archipelagic state has 90 outer islands with 67 islands bordering to the neighboring countries. Through this frontier, it is found number of problems that arise such as the smuggling of goods and people, drug trafficking, terrorism, small arms smuggling and occupation of territory by neighbouring countries. Not all these problems can be handled by the government and Indonesia National Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia or TNI). Therefore the idea for the establishment of civil reserve components through basic military training to increase border community defence of Indonesian sovereignty needs to be considered. Through the civil reserve component, the community will be given training to strengthen Pancasila values while preparing the community to be responsive to the various border issues. Using a juridical normative study, this paper will discuss the benefits and challenges of border security through the strengthening of the civil reserve component using national law and international law perspectives

Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Gazania rigens Pot Plant Cultivation in a Mediterranean Environment

Herbaceous plants used in island beds and borders need to be rapid growing, high performing and maintaining good visual quality during the growing season. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi application is acquiring interest for its beneficial effects on ornamental bedding plants. Gazania rigens is a herbaceous ornamental plant grown for its large daisy-like flowers. The species thrives in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean region, particularly in the mild climate of southern Italy and Sicily, where performs well in summer bedding schemes in sea side gardens even in dry and windy conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of inoculation with Rhizophagus irregularis on several ornamental parameters of Gazania rigens. Prior to transplanting, three-months-old plants received a mycorrhizal inoculum carrying 40 spores g-1 of Rhizophagus irregularis. Inoculum was applied at a rate of 10 g plant-1. The AM application significantly increased number of flowers per clump by 100% and number of flowers per plant by 124.0%. Rhizophagus irregularis also positively influenced number of leaves per plant, plant height, and roots dry weight. Our findings indicated that mycorrhizal inoculation with R. irregularis may be beneficial to nursery growers wishing to produce high quality gazania for spring-summer bedding plant schemes.

Estimation of the Isotopic Composition and Origins of Winter Precipitation Over Japan Using a Regional Isotope Circulation Model

AbstractThe deuterium excess (d‐excess) of precipitation aids in identifying vapor source regions because it reflects humidity conditions in those regions. For Japan, studies have assumed that the Sea of Japan was the dominant source of winter precipitation when the d‐excess value in winter is >20‰ or higher than the average value in summer. Because this assumption is based on an interpretation that the high d‐excess value is due to an interaction between the continental winter monsoon (WM) and warm Sea of Japan, it may not be appropriate for winter precipitation due to extratropical cyclones (ECs). Here we clarify local patterns of isotopic composition and the origins of precipitation in WM and EC types over Japan using a regional isotope circulation model. The results indicate that the Sea of Japan made the highest contribution to precipitation on the Sea of Japan side in the WM type, whereas the Pacific Ocean is the dominant source of precipitation over Japan in the EC type. Because d‐excess values are higher in the WM type than the EC type, we can assume that the Sea of Japan is the dominant source of precipitation on the Sea of Japan side when the d‐excess value is high. In comparison, we cannot identify the source regions from d‐excess values alone for Honshu Island bordering the Pacific Ocean, because the difference in the d‐excess value between the WM and EC types is unclear. Moreover, WM variability can be estimated from observed d‐excess values due to their clear positive correlation.

Effect of immersion temperature on structure of the self-assembled monolayer of 1,2-diphenyldiselenide on gold surface

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) made from 1,2-diphenyldiselenide (DBSe) on gold surface at 345 K for different immersion times (ITs) were characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). After short IT (10 min) at room temperature (RT), the SAM surface was densely covered with very small gold islands and no structural order could be obtained. When SAMs were prepared at 345 K for the same IT, only a few large gold islands were present and two different closely packed phases, namely, α and γ were found. These phases were unstable with increasing the IT to 24 h at 345 K and a new phase labeled δ was formed. The δ-phase exhibited unusual order with domain sizes exceeding 400 nm. Moreover, the gold islands were completely left leaving a rough surface with multilayer gold steps. Further increasing the IT to 48 h at the same solution temperature resulted in the formation of orientated vacancy islands having uncommon shapes with straight edges intersecting at 60° or 120° rather than the usual rounded shape. The steps defining the borders of the vacancy islands were also found to run preferentially along the faceting of the Au(111) substrate edges.

Incidence of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in Rhode Island: Report from the Ocean State Crohn's and Colitis Area Registry.

Studies describing the incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are uncommon in the United States. We sought to determine the incidence of CD and UC in the state of Rhode Island. The Ocean State Crohn's and Colitis Area Registry is a state-based inception cohort of patients newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Rhode Island. To confirm a diagnosis of CD, UC, or IBD unclassified (IBDU), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases IBD Genetics Consortium criteria were applied in a review of medical records from gastroenterology practices located in the state of Rhode Island and adjacent to the Rhode Island border in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Using population-based data, we determined the statewide incidence of IBD in Rhode Island from 2008 to 2010. A total of 971 Rhode Island residents were diagnosed with IBD, including 444 with CD, 486 with UC, and 41 with IBD unclassified from 2008 to 2010. The overall age- and sex-adjusted IBD incidence was 30.2 (95% confidence interval, 28.3-32.1) per 100,000 persons in this time frame with 13.9, 15.1, and 1.3 per 100,000 diagnosed with CD, UC, and IBD unclassified, respectively. Of the total incident cases in Rhode Island, 30% (n = 291) were enrolled in Ocean State Crohn's and Colitis Area Registry for follow-up. The incidence of IBD in Rhode Island is higher than that previously reported by other population-based cohorts in the United States. Prospective follow-up of individuals enrolled in the community-based Ocean State Crohn's and Colitis Area Registry cohort is ongoing.

Dissociative Adsorption of H2 on PtRu Bimetallic Surfaces

We present a theoretical study of the dissociative adsorption of molecular hydrogen on PtRu bimetallic surfaces based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We focus on the reactivity of a pseudomorphic Pt monolayer deposited on Ru(0001), Pt1ML/Ru(0001), for which we have obtained a minimum activation energy barrier for H2 dissociation, Eb = 0.32 eV, i.e., ∼0.3 and 0.26 eV higher than on Ru(0001) and Pt(111), respectively. Accordingly, the initial sticking probability for low energy impinging molecules (Ei ≲ 0.1 eV) derived from classical trajectory calculations is various orders of magnitude smaller than on Ru(0001) in apparent contradiction with available experimental data. However, undercoordinated Pt atoms in the borders of Pt pseudomorphic islands and isolated Ru atoms or small Ru aggregates in a Pt-rich two-dimensional PtxRu1–x surface alloy provide active sites allowing nonactivated H2 dissociative adsorption. These two possible defects in a full pseudomorphic Pt monolayer deposited on Ru...

The Oregano plants of Chios Island (Greece): Essential oils of Origanum onites L. growing wild in different habitats

Oregano herbs have wide culinary uses and industrial applications due to the high antioxidant and other activity of their main essential oil compound, carvacrol. Among the oregano herbs, Origanum onites (known as “Turkish oregano”, “Island oregano” or “Cretan oregano”) is a narrowly distributed East Mediterranean species occurring mainly in Turkey and Greece, which comprises one of the major herbs of the oregano trade worldwide. We examine the essential oils of O. onites plants collected from 42 localities scattered along the total range of the species on Chios, a Greek island bordering with the Turkish mainland. We focus on the essential oil yield and five oil compounds, namely carvacrol, thymol, borneol and the biosynthetic precursors of the first two, i.e., p-cymene and γ-terpinene, in relation to the habitat type, geological substrate, altitude, bioclimatic area and geographical location, where the collected plants were growing on the island. We also discuss our results in relation to the essential oil based distinction between O. onites and another commercially important East Mediterranean oregano herb, namely Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum (known as “Greek oregano”). The determined essential oil yield (3.0–7.0mL/100g of dry leaves and inflorescences) and carvacrol content (69.0–92.6%) of the examined O. onites plants from Chios are among the highest reported for this species. The essential oil yield and the content of the five compounds were not found to vary in relation to the different environmental factors examined. These findings let us conclude that the wild oregano of Chios is a valuable natural resource with a high potential for industrial use, due to its high essential oil yield and carvacrol content, that are not influenced by environmental conditions. Moreover, based on our results and recent literature we conclude that O. onites can be distinguished from O. vulgare subsp. hirtum based on the relative content of carvacrol, thymol, borneol and p-cymene – primarily borneol – in the two taxa’s essential oils, a useful means of distinction when the botanical identity of fragmented commercial oregano products is questioned.

The Names Ahab and Ishmael in Early Massachusetts

This paper corrects an error in the comprehensive Explanatory Notes to Luther Mansfield and Howard Vincent’s scholarly centennial edition of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (1851). In their discussion of the novel’s opening lines and the narrator’s name Ishmael, Mansfield and Vincent write, “There is no instance of the name [Ishmael] in the Nantucket Vital records to 1850, just as, also understandably, there is no instance of Ahab” (1952: 587). A review of the early vital records of Massachusetts in fact turns up two Ishmaels on Nantucket, along with at least 30 others across the state prior to 1850. And while Mansfield and Vincent are correct that the name Ahab does not appear in the early Nantucket vital records, elsewhere in Massachusetts we can find seven men named Ahab, all of them in the southeastern part of the state near the Rhode Island border. These distinctive names Melville chose for his nineteenth-century Massachusetts characters were thus not pure fictions — as modern readers might expect — but rather were borne in fact by actual people of that time and place. As Melville’s Ahab did glory in his genealogy, so may we likewise take delight in the genealogical authenticity that Melville wove into the text of Moby-Dick.

A Determination Analysis of Regional Maritime Boundary Based on Regulation of Home Ministry Affair Number 76 in 2012 (Case Study: Dispute of Galang Island Border between Surabaya and Gresik)

By the end of 2012, Indonesia consists of 34 provinces, 422 regencies, and 98 cities. According to the decentralization policy as stipulated by the Act No. 32/2004, infrastructure development becomes inevitable point. Sectors that highly increased are coastal and marine development. Abundant natural resources in the coastal area drives investor to seek potential areas to develop. However,most of local goverment still don’t understand the act of administrative maritime boundary. Undeclared administrative maritime boundary could cause conflict and obstruct the implementation of local government functions. If the border conflict is not resolved soon,local government could lose local revenue (PAD) as well as decrease in civil services.Delimitation of administrative maritime boundary is necessary in order to avoid overlapping authorithy of the rightsto manage area. Administrative maritime boundary defined as resources management border in the sea which is represented by series of coordinate point measure from the shorelines. Delimitation of administrative maritime boundary is well described in the Regulation of The Minister of Home Affairs no 76 of 2012, especially in its appendix. This research aimed to determine administrative maritime boundary in the vicinity of Surabaya and Gresik whereasan island formed from sedimentation process, identified as Galang Island. This island has becomethe source of conflict between the two regions who claim the area.

Spatial relations and population structure of a dominant tree along a treeline ecotone in the Tropical Andes: interactions at gradient and plant-neighbourhood scales

Background: Studies in temperate mountains suggest that plant–plant interactions modulate tree establishment above the forest line. In tropical mountains worldwide this issue remains largely unexplored. Aims: To analyse the population structure and local spatial relationships of a dominant tree at a species-rich tropical Andean forest line. Methods: We determined changes in the population structure of Diplostephium venezuelense along an elevation gradient between continuous forest and open páramo and analysed plant community structure and superficial rock cover in the neighbourhood of saplings and adults at the upper forest line. Results: Sapling and adult densities were highest in low-altitude páramos adjacent to the forest line and at the borders of small forest islands. Saplings showed local spatial aggregation, were positively associated with small boulders and low shrubs, and negatively associated with mosses and lichens. However, no spatial association was found between scattered adults in the páramo and saplings of other forest trees. Conclusions: Complex species-specific local spatial interactions, suggesting both facilitative and antagonistic effects, seem to modulate the establishment of the dominant tree D. venezuelense at and above the upper forest line. Nevertheless, the establishment of other tree species above continuous forests does not appear to be facilitated by the canopy cover offered by the isolated D. venezuelense individuals established in open páramo environments.

Expression of αvβ6 integrin and collagen fibre in oral squamous cell carcinoma: association with clinical outcomes and prognostic implications

This study aims to investigate the expression and significance of the αvβ6 integrin, collagen fibres and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to analyse the possible regulatory relationships between αvβ6, collagen fibres and MMP-3. A series of 80 patients (mean age 56.4 years) diagnosed with OSCC were enrolled. Associations between αvβ6, MMP-3, collagen fibre expression levels and clinicopathological parameters were evaluated using the Fisher exact test. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyse interactions between αvβ6, MMP-3 and collagen fibres. αvβ6 and MMP-3 were strongly expressed in human OSCC, especially at the peripheral borders of invasive tumour islands, and collagen fibres were generally disrupted and degraded in the same areas. The expression intensity of αvβ6 was associated with the differentiation state of cells. β6 mRNA was expressed in almost all cancer cells. In carcinomas, αvβ6 and MMP-3 expression were correlated with the distribution of collagen fibres. Tumour cells highly expressing αvβ6 have a strong capability for invasion and migration, due to concomitant protease production and the destruction and remodelling of collagen fibres. Increased αvβ6 integrin and MMP-3 expression and collagen fibre changes in human OSCCs are related to unfavourable clinical prognostic factors and decreased survival.

The Forgotten War

The island of Cyprus plays host to one of the world's last enduring armistices. While the resolution of Cyprus's status has plagued UN and EU diplomats for years, much remains misunderstood about the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and its context. The Greek Cypriots, far from the Greek mainland, had a better chance of holding out than might have first been thought. But errors in strategy gave Turkey the opportunity to build up an irresistible force on the island and set today's de facto internal border.

Introduction—The Impacts of the 2008 Eruption of Kasatochi Volcano on Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska

The Aleutian Islands are situated on the northern edge of the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a 40,000-km-long horseshoe-shaped assemblage of continental landmasses and islands bordering the Paci...

Days on Market and Home Sales

In April 2006, the real estate listing service in Massachusetts adopted a new policy that prohibits home sellers from resetting their properties' on through relisting. We study the effect of this new policy on home sales along the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border, using homes in Rhode Island, which did not change its relisting policy, as the control group. We find that Massachusetts homes that were on the market at the time of the policy change suffered an average reduction of $16,000 in sale price relative to their Rhode Island counterparts. Homes that were revealed to be slow-moving suffered a greater reduction, but fresher listings only had a small increase in sale price. One reason is that some buyers were unaware of sellers' manipulation of days on market and were thus unable to recognize home listings that were authentically fresh. A direct homeowner survey confirmed that buyer awareness was indeed lacking. Sellers reacted to the new policy by lowering their initial listing price to sell fast. However, in towns where listing price history was more transparent, sellers set a higher listing price to dampen the negative signal of slow sales.