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1
Valiunas, D., A. Alminaite, J. Staniulis, R. Jomantiene, and R. E. Davis. "First Report of Alder Yellows Phytoplasma in the Eastern Baltic Region." Plant Disease 85, no. 10 (October 2001): 1120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/pdis.2001.85.10.1120b.
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Alnus glutinosa (alder) is widespread in Europe and is an important component of biological diversity in natural forest ecosystems in the Baltic Region. In 2000, diseased trees of A. glutinosa exhibiting characteristically phytoplasmal disease symptoms of shoot proliferation and leaf yellowing were observed in Aukstaitija National Park, Lithuania. In other parts of Europe, alder is affected by a phytoplasmal disease known as alder yellows, which is characterized by symptoms that include yellowing and reduced leaf size, die-back of branches, and decline of trees (2,3). Proliferation of shoots has not been previously reported with this disease. An association between alder yellows and infection by a phytoplasma has been reported in A. glutinosa in Germany and Italy, and a phytoplasma has been found in A. glutinosa in France and Hungary (2,4). We examined symptomatic alder from Lithuania using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (1), primed by P1/P7 and followed by R16F2n/R16R2 (F2n/R2), for amplification of phytoplasmal ribosomal (r) DNA. The results indicated the presence of a phytoplasma, designated ALY-L, in the diseased alder. We classified the ALY-L phytoplasma through restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of 16S rDNA. A 1.2-kbp fragment (F2n-R2 segment) of rDNA, amplified in PCR primed by F2n/R2, was analyzed using single endonuclease enzyme digestion with AluI, MseI, KpnI, HhaI, HaeIII, HpaI, HpaII, RsaI, HinfI, TaqI, Sau3AI, BfaI, and ThaI. On the basis of collective RFLP patterns, phytoplasma ALY-L was classified as a member of group 16SrV (group V, elm yellows group), subgroup C. The amplified 16S rDNA was cloned in Escherichia coli and sequenced, and the sequence was deposited in the GenBank data library (Accession No. AY028789). Nucleotide sequence alignment revealed that 16S rDNA from phytoplasma ALY-L shared 100% sequence similarity with 16S rDNA (GenBank Accession No. Y16387) from a phytoplasma associated with alder yellows (ALY) disease in Italy. The results support the conclusion that a strain of ALY phytoplasma is present in Lithuania. Phytoplasmas belonging to groups 16SrI (aster yellows phytoplasma group) and III (X-disease phytoplasma group) have been found in herbaceous plant species in Lithuania. This report records the first finding of a group V phytoplasma, and the first finding of a phytoplasma in a tree species in the eastern Baltic Region. These findings contribute knowledge about the diversity of phytoplasmas in the Baltic Region and the distribution of ALY phytoplasma in Europe. Apparently, A. glutinosa may be infected by the phytoplasma but not develop obvious disease symptoms, as has been reported elsewhere (3). Thus, it is possible that ALY-L phytoplasma is widespread, but as yet undetected, throughout the geographic range of alder in the Baltic Region. This possibility is supported by the finding of the monophagous leafhopper vector (Oncopsis alni) of ALY phytoplasma throughout Europe (cited in Maixner and Reinert [3]). Further research is needed to assess the impact of phytoplasmal infections such as those by ALY-related phytoplasma strains on trends in biological diversity in the natural forest ecosystems of the Baltic Region and elsewhere in Europe. References: (1) R. Jomantiene et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:269, 1998. (2) W. Lederer and E. Seemüller. Eur. J. For. Pathol. 21:90, 1991. (3) M. Maixner and W. Reinert. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 105:87, 1999. (4) R. Mäurer et al. Phytopathology 83:971, 1993.
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Venyo, Anthony Kodzo-Grey. "Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Prostate Gland: A Review and Update." Cancer Research and Cellular Therapeutics 5, no. 3 (July 26, 2021): 01–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.31579/2640-1053/082.
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Signet-ring cell carcinoma of the prostate gland (SRCCP) an uncommon and aggressive malignant tumour of the prostate gland which is characterized by histopathology examination features of compression of the nucleus into the form of a crescent by a large cytoplasmic vacuole. SRCCPs that have so far been reported have been either (a) primary tumours, metastatic tumours with the primary tumour elsewhere with the gastro-intestinal tract being the site of the primary tumour but the primary tumour could originate elsewhere, and additionally some reported SRCCPs have been classified as carcinoma of unknown primary. SRCCP could be a pure tumour or a tumour that is contemporaneously associated with other types of tumour including various variants of adenocarcinoma. SRCCP can manifest in various ways including: Incidental finding following prostatectomy that has been undertaken for a presumed benign prostatic hyperplasia, lower urinary tract symptoms, visible and non-visible haematuria, raised levels of serum PSA but some SRCCPs have been diagnosed with normal / low levels of serum PSA, there may be a history of dyspepsia in cases of metastatic signet-ring cell carcinoma in association with contemporaneous primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the stomach or there may be a past history of surgical treatment for signet-ring cell carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract, or bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract in cases of upper gastrointestinal tract and rectal bleeding as well as change in bowel habit for primary tumours of the anorectal region, retention of urine, and rarely a rectal mass in the case of SRCCP with an anorectal primary tumour. In order to exclude a primary signet ring cell carcinoma elsewhere, a detailed past medical history is required as well as radiology imaging including contrast – enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) scan as well as upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy to exclude a primary lesion within the gastrointestinal tract. Diagnosis of SRCCP requires utilization of the histopathology and immunohistochemistry examination features of prostate biopsy, prostatic chips obtained from trans-urethral resection of prostate specimen or radical prostatectomy specimen. SRCCPs upon immunohistochemistry staining studies tend to show tumour that tend to exhibit positive staining for the following tumour markers as follows: PSA – positive staining for PSA has been variable in some studies, AE1/AE3, CAM 5.2, Ki-67 with a mean of 8%, PAS-diastase, Mucicarmine (50%), Alcian blue (60%), Alpha-methyl-acyl coenzyme A racemase (P504S), and Cytokeratin 5/6. SRCCPs also tend to exhibit negative staining for: Bcl2 (rare positive), and CEA (80%). Traditionally the treatment of Primary Signet-Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Prostate Gland has tended to be similar to the treatment of the traditional adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland which does include: hormonal treatment, radiotherapy, and surgery. Nevertheless, considering that primary SRCCPs and metastatic SRCCPs that have been reported in the literature have generally tended to be associated with an aggressive biological behaviour, even though there is no consensus opinion on the treatment of the disease it would be strongly recommended that these tumours that tend to be associated with rapid progress of the disease and poor survival there is an urgent need to treat all these tumours with aggressive surgery including radical prostatectomy plus adjuvant therapies including: radical radiotherapy, combination chemotherapy, selective prostatic angiography and super-selective embolization of the artery feeding the tumour including intra-arterial infusion of chemotherapy agents directly to the tumour, radiofrequency ablation of the tumour as well as irreversible electroporation of the tumour which should form part of a global multicentre study of various treatment options. With regard to metastatic signet-ring cell carcinomas of the prostate gland with a contemporaneous primary tumour elsewhere the primary tumour should also be treated by radical and complete excision of the primary tumour plus radical surgery and aggressive adjuvant therapy. Considering that SRCCPs have tendered not to respond well to available chemotherapy agents, there is need for urologists, oncologists, and pharmacotherapy research workers to identify new chemotherapy medicaments that would more effectively and safely destroy signet-ring cell tumours in order to improve upon the prognosis.
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Desbiez, A. L. J., D. Kluyber, G. F. Massocato, L. G. R. Oliveira-Santos, and N. Attias. "Spatial ecology of the giant armadillo Priodontes maximus in Midwestern Brazil." Journal of Mammalogy 101, no. 1 (November 20, 2019): 151–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyz172.
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Abstract The giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) is the largest living armadillo. This naturally rare and poorly known species is endemic to South America and classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN. Here we explored aspects of the spatial ecology of P. maximus in Midwestern Brazil to gain insights on its ecology and biology to support conservation efforts. In 8 years, we identified 50 individuals of P. maximus and monitored 23 of them using telemetry methods. To characterize site fidelity and home range, we fitted individual continuous-time movement models and estimated Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimates. We built a Structural Equation Model to evaluate how home-range area and daily displacement are related to each other, to sampling effort, and to individual characteristics. We estimated home-range overlap between pairs of different sexes using a bias-corrected Bhattacharyya coefficient. Finally, we formulated a canonical density estimation formula to characterize minimum population density. We gathered a total of 12,168 locations of P. maximus. The best-fitted movement models indicated site fidelity for all individuals and a median adult home-range area of 2,518 ha. Median adult daily displacement was 1,651 m. Home-range area scales positively with daily displacement and daily displacement scales positively with body mass. Median home-range overlap between pairs was low (4%) and adult females presented exclusive home ranges among themselves. Median minimum density was 7.65 individuals per 100 km2 (CI = 5.68–10.19 ind/100 km2). Our results are congruent with characterizing P. maximus as a generally asocial species, most likely promiscuous/polygynous, that establishes large, long-term home ranges, which grants the population a naturally low density. Spatial patterns and biological characteristics obtained in this study can be used to guide future conservation strategies for P. maximus in the Pantanal wetlands and elsewhere.
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Brice, Kylie L., Pankaj Trivedi, Thomas C. Jeffries, Michaela D. J. Blyton, Christopher Mitchell, Brajesh K. Singh, and Ben D. Moore. "The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) faecal microbiome differs with diet in a wild population." PeerJ 7 (April 1, 2019): e6534. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6534.
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BackgroundThe diet of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is comprised almost exclusively of foliage from the genusEucalyptus(family Myrtaceae).Eucalyptusproduces a wide variety of potentially toxic plant secondary metabolites which have evolved as chemical defences against herbivory. The koala is classified as an obligate dietary specialist, and although dietary specialisation is rare in mammalian herbivores, it has been found elsewhere to promote a highly-conserved but low-diversity gut microbiome. The gut microbes of dietary specialists have been found sometimes to enhance tolerance of dietary PSMs, facilitating competition-free access to food. Although the koala and its gut microbes have evolved together to utilise a low nutrient, potentially toxic diet, their gut microbiome has not previously been assessed in conjunction with diet quality. Thus, linking the two may provide new insights in to the ability of the koala to extract nutrients and detoxify their potentially toxic diet.MethodThe 16S rRNA gene was used to characterise the composition and diversity of faecal bacterial communities from a wild koala population (n = 32) comprising individuals that predominately eat either one of two different food species, one the strongly preferred and relatively nutritious speciesEucalyptus viminalis, the other comprising the less preferred and less digestible speciesEucalyptus obliqua.ResultsAlpha diversity indices indicated consistently and significantly lower diversity and richness in koalas eatingE. viminalis. Assessment of beta diversity using both weighted and unweighted UniFrac matrices indicated that diet was a strong driver of both microbial community structure, and of microbial presence/absence across the combined koala population and when assessed independently. Further, principal coordinates analysis based on both the weighted and unweighted UniFrac matrices for the combined and separated populations, also revealed a separation linked to diet. During our analysis of the OTU tables we also detected a strong association between microbial community composition and host diet. We found that the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were co-dominant in all faecal microbiomes, with Cyanobacteria also co-dominant in some individuals; however, theE. viminalisdiet produced communities dominated by the generaParabacteroidesand/orBacteroides, whereas theE. obliqua-associated diets were dominated by unidentified genera from the family Ruminococcaceae.DiscussionWe show that diet differences, even those caused by differential consumption of the foliage of two species from the same plant genus, can profoundly affect the gut microbiome of a specialist folivorous mammal, even amongst individuals in the same population. We identify key microbiota associated with each diet type and predict functions within the microbial community based on 80 previously identifiedParabacteroidesand Ruminococcaceae genomes.
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WALTON, JOHN K., and DAVID TIDSWELL. "‘Classified at random by veritable illiterates’: the taking of the Spanish census of 1920 in Guipúzcoa province." Continuity and Change 20, no. 2 (August 2005): 287–313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0268416005005503.
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This article offers an approach through administrative and cultural history to the problems associated with gathering and processing data for the Spanish national census of 1920, and by implication for earlier Spanish censuses. It focuses on the Basque province of Guipúzcoa, making use of correspondence between the central statistical office in Madrid, the provincial jefe de estadística and the localities, and of reports on three problematic towns within the province. The issues that emerge regarding ‘undercounting’, the definition of administrative boundaries and the classification of demographic characteristics are set in the wider context of census-taking practices and problems elsewhere in Spain and in other cultures.
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Lee, Won Je. "Small Free-Living Heterotrophic Flagellates from Marine Intertidal Sediments of the Sydney Region, Australia." Acta Protozoologica 58, no. 4 (2019): 167–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.4467/16890027ap.19.016.12018.
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A total of 155 species and 75 genera were found at marine sediments in Sydney region (Australia) and are described using light microscopy: 117 species at Port Botany, 111 species at Kogarah Bay, 94 species at Woolooware Bay, 126 species at Quibray Bay, 74 species at Avoca beach, 48 species at Watsons Bay. The records include accounts of 15 unidentified taxa and two new taxa: Eoramonas jungensis sp. nov. (Eoramonas gen. nov.), Protaspa flexibilis sp. nov. Most flagellates described here have been found at other locations worldwide, but many species not reported from any other locations. I am unable to assess if these species are endemic because of the lack of intensive studies elsewhere. However, these results suggest that the flagellate communities from Botany Bay are distinctive.
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Padgitt, Steve, Peggy Petrzelka, Wendy Wintersteen, and Eric Imerman. "Integrated crop management: The other precision agriculture." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 16, no. 1 (March 2001): 16–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s088918930000881x.
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Abstract“Precision agriculture” was a favorite buzzword in agricultural discussions in the 1990s. Proponents of precision agriculture note its promises are twofold: economic benefits for the producer and environmental benefits for society. These benefits are to be achieved by improving the efficiency of input use, based on data obtained with global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies. Although fulfillment of these promises has been mixed to date, it appears that “precision agriculture” will continue in the agriculture vernacular into the 21st century. In this article, we propose another sense of the term, and argue that precision agriculture, or at least long strides in that direction, is possible short of these highly complex methods and capital investments, through integrated crop management (ICM). As practiced by the producer and/or provided by independent crop consultants, ICM is one alternative to providing information-intensive management on the farm, and has proven efficiency of input use. That is, the promise of economic and environmental benefits holds true in a manner that makes it possible for any producer to implement “precision agriculture.” Using data from users and nonusers of independent crop consultants implementing ICM, this study reveals that several economic and environmental benefits are gained from the information and management recommendations provided by consultants. Pest and nutrient management recommendations have led to decreases in pesticide and commercial fertilizer use. For the majority of users, these input reductions have resulted in an increase in profits since hiring a consultant. Users attributed changes in total cost of production to their consultant's effectiveness, and some reported receiving double or greater return for every dollar invested in consultant services. The results confirm the important role that Iowa's independent crop consultants could play in agricultural production and environmental protection through their promotion of ICM activities. However, the scarcity of consultants in Iowa, and possibly elsewhere, presents a challenge within the industry. Addressing this issue may help in contributing to rural development, economic benefit for the producer, and environmental benefit for all of society.
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Götz, Annette E., P. John Hancox, and Andrew Lloyd. "Permian climate change recorded in palynomorph assemblages of Mozambique (Moatize Basin, eastern Tete Province)." Acta Palaeobotanica 57, no. 1 (June 1, 2017): 3–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/acpa-2017-0001.
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Abstract Knowledge of Late Permian biodiversity patterns, following the end-Guadalupian crisis, is still in its infancy, since most recent studies have focused on the end-Permian biotic crisis. The palynological record of southern Africa, however, reveals major climatic changes during the Late Permian. Here we report new palynological data from eastern Tete Province of Mozambique, documenting the change from cool to warm temperate climates during the Lopingian. This prominent climate signal was also detected recently in other depositional environments elsewhere in southern Africa, and thus enables interregional temporal correlations.
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Barr, A. R., S. P. Jefferies, S. Broughton, K. J. Chalmers, J. M. Kretschmer, W. J. R. Boyd, H. M. Collins, et al. "Mapping and QTL analysis of the barley population Alexis × Sloop." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 54, no. 12 (2003): 1117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar02190.
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Two populations between the German malting variety Alexis and the Australian malting variety Sloop were constructed, mapped, phenotyped, and subjected to quantitative trait loci analysis. One population consisted of 153 F4-derived recombinant inbred lines and the other of 111 doubled haploid lines. This paper describes 18 field and laboratory experiments conducted with the populations and summarises the traits mapped and analysed. The genetic basis of 5 traits (malt extract, resistance to leaf rust, resistance to powdery mildew, early flowering, plant stature) important to Australian efforts to improve malting barley varieties was elucidated. Detailed maps for these populations are shown in this paper, while a consensus map incorporating these maps and further experiments on the populations are described elsewhere in this issue.
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Hata, Hiroki, and Makoto Kato. "A novel obligate cultivation mutualism between damselfish and Polysiphonia algae." Biology Letters 2, no. 4 (August 7, 2006): 593–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2006.0528.
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In cultivation mutualisms, farming animals prepare fields for cultivars, enhance their growth and harvest them. For example, in terrestrial ecosystems, plant–herbivore cultivation mutualisms arose between humans and their crops only relatively recently. We discovered an obligate cultivation mutualism between a damselfish and an alga in a coral reef ecosystem. The damselfish, Stegastes nigricans , manages algal farms through territorial defence against the invading grazers and through weeding of unpalatable algae. As a result, the algal farms of S. nigricans are dominated by one species, Polysiphonia sp. We performed an exhaustive survey of algal assemblages inside and outside the territories of five damselfish species around the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, using molecular and morphological characteristics. Polysiphonia sp. 1 grew exclusively inside the farms of S. nigricans , and never elsewhere. Since only Polysiphonia sp. 1 is harvested and consumed by the damselfish as a staple food, this interdependent relationship is an obligate cultivation mutualism. This is the first record of an obligate plant–herbivore cultivation mutualism in a marine ecosystem. Our data also suggest that three other Polysiphonia species are facultatively mutual with, commensal with, or parasitic on other damselfish species.
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Tach, Laura, Kathryn Edin, Hope Harvey, and Brielle Bryan. "The Family-Go-Round." ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 654, no. 1 (June 9, 2014): 169–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002716214528655.
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Men who have children with several partners are often assumed to be “deadbeats” who eschew their responsibilities to their children. Using data from the nationally representative National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort (NLSY-97), we show that most men in complex families intensively parent the children of one mother while being less involved, or not involved at all, with children by others. Repeated qualitative interviews with 110 low-income noncustodial fathers reveal that men in complex families often engage with and provide, at least to some degree, for all of the biological and stepchildren who live in one mother’s household. These activities often exceed those extended to biological children living elsewhere. Interviews also show that by devoting most or all of their resources to the children of just one mother, men in complex families feel successful as fathers even if they are not intensively involved with their other biological children.
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Walsh, R. P. D., and D. M. Newbery. "The ecoclimatology of Danum, Sabah, in the context of the world's rainforest regions, with particular reference to dry periods and their impact." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 354, no. 1391 (November 29, 1999): 1869–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1999.0528.
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Climatic records for Danum for 1985 to 1998, elsewhere in Sabah since 1879, and long monthly rainfall series from other rainforest locations are used to place the climate, and particularly the dry period climatology, of Danum into a world rainforest context. The magnitude frequency and seasonality of dry periods are shown to vary greatly within the world's rainforest zone. The climate of Danum, which is aseasonal but subject, as in 1997 to 1998, to occasional drought, is intermediate between less drought–prone north–western Borneo and the more drought–prone east coast. Changes through time in drought magnitude frequency in Sabah and rainforest locations elsewhere in South–East Asia and in the Neotropics are compared. The 1997 to 1998 ENSO–related drought event in Sabah is placed into a historical context. The effects of drought on tree growth and mortality in the tropics are assessed and a model relating intensity and frequency of drought disturbance to forest structure and composition is discussed.
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Inward, Daegan, George Beccaloni, and Paul Eggleton. "Death of an order: a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study confirms that termites are eusocial cockroaches." Biology Letters 3, no. 3 (April 5, 2007): 331–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2007.0102.
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Termites are instantly recognizable mound-builders and house-eaters: their complex social lifestyles have made them incredibly successful throughout the tropics. Although known as ‘white ants’, they are not ants and their relationships with other insects remain unclear. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses, the most comprehensive yet attempted, show that termites are social cockroaches, no longer meriting being classified as a separate order (Isoptera) from the cockroaches (Blattodea). Instead, we propose that they should be treated as a family (Termitidae) of cockroaches. It is surprising to find that a group of wood-feeding cockroaches has evolved full sociality, as other ecologically dominant fully social insects (e.g. ants, social bees and social wasps) have evolved from solitary predatory wasps.
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Carvalho, CBV, RHF Macedo, and JA Graves. "Reproduction of Blue-black Grassquits in central Brazil." Brazilian Journal of Biology 67, no. 2 (May 2007): 275–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842007000200012.
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During the reproductive season Blue-black grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) males are found in clusters, wherein they exhibit a distinctive display that consists of repeated, vertical leaps while simultaneously producing a brief vocalization. The main objective of this study was to describe details of the species' reproductive behavior in a "Cerrado" area of central Brazil and compare these data with some studies carried out in other areas. The data obtained concerning different aspects of nesting, laying and hatching were generally similar to those obtained in previous studies in other areas. However, we found that the typical clutch size of two eggs per nest is lower, and egg and nestling mortality rates higher in our area than what has been reported elsewhere. Our results suggest that males differ in time expended with different activities according to their reproductive condition and also provide extensive parental care. We found that display execution rates peak in the early morning and in the late afternoon and are higher in the middle of the breeding season. We also found that there is an inverse relation between the height of the display leap and the height of the perch.
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Brischoux, François, Xavier Bonnet, and Richard Shine. "Kleptothermy: an additional category of thermoregulation, and a possible example in sea kraits ( Laticauda laticaudata , Serpentes)." Biology Letters 5, no. 6 (August 5, 2009): 729–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0550.
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Lacking the capacity for thermogenesis, most ectotherms inhabiting thermally heterogeneous environments rely instead upon exploiting that ambient heterogeneity. In many cases they maintain body temperatures within a narrow range despite massive spatial and temporal variation in ambient conditions. Reliance on diverse thermal opportunities is reflected in specific terms for organisms that bask in sunlight to regulate their temperature (heliotherms), or that press their bodies against warm substrates to facilitate heat flow (thigmotherms), or that rely on large body mass to maintain thermal constancy (gigantothermy). We propose an additional category of thermoregulators: kleptotherms , which regulate their own temperature by ‘stealing’ heat from other organisms. This concept involves two major conditions: the thermal heterogeneity created by the presence of a warm organism in a cool environment and the selective use of that heterogeneity by another animal to maintain body temperatures at higher (and more stable) levels than would be possible elsewhere in the local area. Kleptothermy occurs in endotherms also, but is usually reciprocal (rather than unilateral as in ectotherms). Thermal monitoring on a small tropical island documents a possible example of kleptothermy, based on high stable temperatures of a sea snake ( Laticauda laticaudata ) inside a burrow occupied by seabirds.
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Suárez-Rodríguez, Monserrat, Isabel López-Rull, and Constantino Macías Garcia. "Incorporation of cigarette butts into nests reduces nest ectoparasite load in urban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?" Biology Letters 9, no. 1 (February 23, 2013): 20120931. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0931.
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Birds are known to respond to nest-dwelling parasites by altering behaviours. Some bird species, for example, bring fresh plants to the nest, which contain volatile compounds that repel parasites. There is evidence that some birds living in cities incorporate cigarette butts into their nests, but the effect (if any) of this behaviour remains unclear. Butts from smoked cigarettes retain substantial amounts of nicotine and other compounds that may also act as arthropod repellents. We provide the first evidence that smoked cigarette butts may function as a parasite repellent in urban bird nests. The amount of cellulose acetate from butts in nests of two widely distributed urban birds was negatively associated with the number of nest-dwelling parasites. Moreover, when parasites were attracted to heat traps containing smoked or non-smoked cigarette butts, fewer parasites reached the former, presumably due to the presence of nicotine. Because urbanization changes the abundance and type of resources upon which birds depend, including nesting materials and plants involved in self-medication, our results are consistent with the view that urbanization imposes new challenges on birds that are dealt with using adaptations evolved elsewhere.
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Jankajová, Erika, Martin Kotus, Tomáš Holota, and Martin Zach. "Risk Assessment of Handling Loads in Production Process." Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis 64, no. 2 (2016): 449–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.11118/actaun201664020449.
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This paper deals with the evaluation of risks in the production process. The possible hazards were determined in the production of plastic windows and security measures were proposed. The level of risk were evaluated by using the extended point method, where were defined the probability and consequence of events as well as the opinion of the evaluator. The level of the risk is calculated as the multiplication of these three parameters and is classified into categories: Negligible, moderate, precarious, Adverse and unacceptable. The levels of hazard and safety measures are defined for employees for the manual handling of loads. The highest level of the risk (precarious) was achieved in danger of spine injury, where the risk cannot be accepted without protective measures. Other monitored threats (overload, wrick, fall of the load etc.) are classified in negligible risk or moderate risk that is acceptable or acceptable in increased attention. By compliance of suggested precautions it is possible to achieve the minimization of health threats of employees at work.
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Meng, Qing-Feng, Dan Li, Gui-Zhe Yao, Yang Zou, Wei Cong, and Xiao-Feng Shan. "Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection and variables associated with seropositivity in donkeys in eastern China." Parasite 25 (2018): 66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2018066.
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Donkeys (Equus asinus) are widely distributed throughout China; they are used for their meat, as food, and certain donkey-derived items are also important for traditional Chinese medicinal purposes. However, only limited information is available on Toxoplasma gondii infection in donkeys in China, especially the eastern region, which is one of the largest production areas. Thus, the present study was conducted to detect specific anti-T. gondii antibodies using a commercially available indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) kit and to evaluate the risk factors that are associated with seroprevalence in the Shandong province of eastern China. A total of 213/1278 (17%) donkeys tested from Shandong province were positive for T. gondii antibodies. Statistical analysis revealed that gender and feeding habits of the animal are associated with T. gondii infection. These results provide information for the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis in donkeys, other animals, and humans in this region and elsewhere.
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Mannaa, Fathia Abd Elwahid. "Can malaria protein fight cancer?" Comunicata Scientiae 8, no. 2 (February 1, 2018): 181–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.14295/cs.v8i2.2237.
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Cancer risk depends on a combination of our genes, environment and other aspects of our lives, many of which we can control. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are often effective at treating people with a solid tumor, but once the cancer has spread and formed tiny tumors at distant sites, chances for a successful recovery are dismal.Recently, it was discovered that the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum produce and present a malarial protein called VAR2CSA, which bind a type of sugar molecule exclusively found in the placenta. It was found that the exact same sugar molecule structure is also found in most cancer cells. Both molecules are a type of chondroitin sulfate. The VAR2CSA only adhere in the placenta and do not bind to chondroitin sulfate expressed elsewhere in the body. In tumors, placental-like chondroitin sulfate chains are linked to a limited repertoire of cancer-associated proteoglycans including CD44 and CSPG4. The recombinant VAR2CSA (rVAR2) protein localizes to tumors in vivo and rVAR2 fused to diphtheria toxin or conjugated to hemiasterlin compounds strongly inhibits in vivo tumor cell growth and metastasis.
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RUDWICK, MARTIN. "Georges Cuvier's paper museum of fossil bones." Archives of Natural History 27, no. 1 (February 2000): 51–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/anh.2000.27.1.51.
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The research on fossil bones by Georges Cuvier (1769–1832) is an instructive example of the making of scientific knowledge in the indoor setting of a museum. The trajectory of his specimens can be followed all the way from their collection in the field to their publication as engravings with explanatory text. Cuvier's resources at the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris were greatly enlarged by his accumulation of a “paper museum”. He appealed to other naturalists to send him accurate drawings of fossil bones. These functioned as paper “proxies” for specimens that in reality remained elsewhere. Such visual “mobiles” were far from immutable, however, because they were transformed not only by the processes of drawing and engraving but also by Cuvier's use of visual rhetoric: he made them give persuasive support to his zoological and geological interpretations of fossil bones.
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Fay, HAC, and KH Halfpapp. "Non-odorous characteristics of lychee (Litchi chinensis) and carambola (Averrhoa carambola) pertaining to fruitpiercing moth susceptibility." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 33, no. 2 (1993): 227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9930227.
Full textAbstract:
Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) and carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) fruit, either attacked by fruitpiercing moths or undamaged, were compared on a number of occasions for weight, moisture percentage, softness, colour, �Brix, and pH, to profile fruit susceptibility in North Queensland. Height at which fruit were damaged on a tree and the tree's position in an orchard were also considered. On average 88.8% of moths inflicting damage to all fruit were Othreis fullonia (Clerck). In both crops, fruit in outer rows were more prone to attack than elsewhere in an orchard, indicating that orchard layout, trap crops, and attractive baits could all be considered to counteract these pests. No other characteristic differed significantly (P>0.05) between damaged and adjacent undamaged lychees. In damaged lychees, �Brix ranged from 11.0 to 22.8 and pH varied from 3.3 to 4.8. Highly significant (P<0.001) differences in fruit weight, colour, �Brix, and pH were recorded between damaged and undamaged carambolas; riper fruit were attacked on any individual occasion. Total soluble solids ranged from 5.2 to 11.8 �Brix in damaged carambolas and pH varied from 2.5 to 4.4. Some comparisons between cultivars were undertaken in each crop.
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Chew, Carissa. "The ant as metaphor: Orientalism, imperialism and myrmecology [W. T. Stearn Student Essay]." Archives of Natural History 46, no. 2 (October 2019): 347–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/anh.2019.0595.
Full textAbstract:
Myrmecological texts that circulated in Britain in the nineteenth and early twentieth century can be interpreted, from the perspective of the post-colonial theory of Orientalism, as belonging to a wider body of colonial-era European literature that has historically portrayed New World peoples and animals as the “Other”. In implicit ways, colonial-era literature on ant behaviour reproduces the Orientalist dichotomy of civilization and savagery. At different times, the ant colony has been portrayed, somewhat paradoxically, as both a civilized society in miniature and a foreign savage order. On the one hand, some British myrmecological texts rendered the ant as a symbol of Britishness and civilization: the elevated image of the ant reflected the imperialist trope that non-white people were inferior, savage Others. On the other hand, the ant colony was portrayed elsewhere in British myrmecological literature – and in other European texts that were translated into English and circulated in Britain – as a dangerous, merciless and aggressive Otherness itself. Accordingly, in these texts, the ant and the “native” are depicted as accomplices who share an antagonism toward the colonial project. Both these positive and negative representations of the ant reflect and reproduce Orientalist tropes, which have historically been used to emphasize the perceived inferior status of non-white colonial subjects.
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Ilic-Milosevic, Marijana, Olivera Petrovic-Obradovic, Sasa Stankovic, Maja Lazarevic, Aleksandra Trajkovic, Zeljko Tomanovic, and Vladimir Zikic. "Estimation of the competitiveness of Ephedrus plagiator in relation to other parasitoids from the subfamily Aphidiinae." Archives of Biological Sciences 72, no. 1 (2020): 53–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/abs190923066i.
Full textAbstract:
The parasitoid species Ephedrus plagiator (Nees, 1811) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiinae) is one of the most important biological agents against pest aphids. We investigated whether this species was in competition with some other aphidiine species for the same hosts. We thus examined its potential in biological programs to control aphids. We applied an unsupervised artificial neural network, a self-organizing map (SOM), which classified the competitive parasitoids into seven groups. The SOM also visualized the distributional pattern of 31 parasitoid wasps along the neural network, revealing their competitive ability in relation to E. plagiator. Indicator value (IndVal) analysis quantified the competitive ability and showed that the most competitive species with regard to E. plagiator were Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson, 1880), L. fabarum (Marshall 1896), L. cardui (Marshall 1896) and Binodoxys angelicae (Haliday, 1833). These species appeared in four different SOM groups and mostly parasitized the Aphis fabae Scopoli, 1763 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) host.
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BISTONI, M. A., and A. C. HUED. "Patterns of fish species richness in rivers of the central region of Argentina." Brazilian Journal of Biology 62, no. 4b (November 2002): 753–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842002000500004.
Full textAbstract:
We analyzed the variation of fish species richness and trophic structure along an upstream-downstream gradient and identified the factors associated with the pattern observed. The fish community composition varied along a headwater-downstream gradient. Species richness and trophic structure decreased significantly with increasing altitude and increased with stream order and distance from source. Headwater communities showed a simple structure. Oncorhynchus mykiss was the only fish captured or noticeably dominant at high altitudes. Thus, headwater can be classified as "trout zones". From these zones to downstream areas fish communities changed because of the addition of other fish species. This phenomenon probably occurs because of an increase in habitat diversity.
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Young, KJ, and GA Elliott. "An evaluation of barley accessions for adaptation to the cereal growing regions of Western Australia, based on time to ear emergence." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 45, no. 1 (1994): 75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar9940075.
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Ear emergence was measured on a wide range of barley accessions for a number of sowing dates in contrasting environments of the Western Australian cereal-growing regions to determine suitable types for (i) early sowing in the low (<400 mm per annum) regions and (ii) barley production in the high rainfall (>450 mm per annum) regions. Accessions were classified into nine groups via cluster analysis using the time to ear emergence at four sites and a range of sowing dates. Australian cultivars were members of the three groups with the shortest mean time to ear emergence, and, on the basis of an optimum time to ear emergence at each site, were shown to be well adapted to a wide range of sowing times and sites. Members of only one other group showed an acceptable level of adaptation across sites and sowing dates, members of the other five groups being suited to early or very early sowings in the high rainfall region only.
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Wildermuth, GB. "Geographic distribution of common root rot and Bipolaris sorokiniana in Queensland wheat soils." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 26, no. 5 (1986): 601. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9860601.
Full textAbstract:
A survey to determine the geographic distribution of common root rot in Queensland wheatgrowing areas was conducted in 1978, 1979 and 1980. In 1980, soil populations of Bipolaris sorokiniana were determined from the areas where common rot was assessed. Common root rot was found in all areas and was most severe in the South-western Downs, Western Downs and Northern Darling Downs and least severe in the Central Highlands. Incidence of common root rot over all areas changed from 77% in 1978, to 65% in 1979, and to 56% in 1980. This was mostly due to a reduction from 91 to 44% on the Darling Downs. The lower incidence in 1979 and 1980 was thought to be associated with lower rainfall in those years and in some areas with an increase in rotation to crops other than winter cereals. Severity of common root rot was significantly lower only in 1979. In general, the severity of common root rot in Queensland was higher than that recorded in Canada and lower than that recorded in Brazil. Soil populations of B. sorokiniana varied from 0 to 320 propagules per gram of soil with an overall mean of 58. They were highest in the Western and Southwestern Downs, and lowest in the Central Highlands. In general, the size of the populations were less than those recorded elsewhere.
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Vermeij, Geerat J. "Comparative biogeography: innovations and the rise to dominance of the North Pacific biota." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285, no. 1891 (November 14, 2018): 20182027. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.2027.
Full textAbstract:
The North Pacific is the largest cold-water source of lineages spreading to other modern marine temperate biotas. How this status was achieved remains unclear. One hypothesis is that functional innovations of large effect, defined as departures from the norm in temperate clades and which confer competitive or defensive benefits, increase resource availability, and raise performance standards in the biota as a whole, evolved earlier and more frequently in the North Pacific than elsewhere in the temperate zone. In support of this hypothesis, phylogenetic and fossil evidence reveals 47 temperate marine innovations beginning in the latest Eocene, of which half arose in the North Pacific. Of the 22 innovations of large effect, 13 (39%) evolved in the North Pacific, including basal growth in kelps and bottom-feeding herbivory and durophagy in mammals. Temperate innovations in the Southern Hemisphere and the North Atlantic appeared later and were less consequential. Most other innovations arose in refuges where the risks of predation and competition are low. Among temperate marine biotas, the North Pacific has the highest incidence of unique innovations and the earliest origins of major breakthroughs, five of which spread elsewhere.
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Novack, Miriam A., and Sandra Waxman. "Becoming human: human infants link language and cognition, but what about the other great apes?" Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 375, no. 1789 (November 18, 2019): 20180408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0408.
Full textAbstract:
Human language has no parallel elsewhere in the animal kingdom. It is unique not only for its structural complexity but also for its inextricable interface with core cognitive capacities such as object representation, object categorization and abstract rule learning. Here, we (i) review recent evidence documenting how (and how early) language interacts with these core cognitive capacities in the mind of the human infant, and (ii) consider whether this link exists in non-human great apes—our closest genealogical cousins. Research with human infants demonstrates that well before they begin to speak, infants have already forged a link between language and core cognitive capacities. Evident by just three months of age, this language–cognition link unfolds in a rich developmental cascade, with each advance providing the foundation for subsequent, more precise and more powerful links. This link supports our species' capacity to represent and convey abstract concepts and to communicate beyond the immediate here and now. By contrast, although the communication systems of great apes are sophisticated in their own right, there is no conclusive evidence that apes establish reference, convey information declaratively or pass down communicative devices via cultural transmission. Thus, the evidence currently available reinforces the uniqueness of human language and the power of its interface to cognition. This article is part of the theme issue ‘What can animal communication teach us about human language?’
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Harris, Paul L. "Children's understanding of death: from biology to religion." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 373, no. 1754 (July 16, 2018): 20170266. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0266.
Full textAbstract:
Young children construct a biological conception of death, recognizing that death terminates mental and bodily processes. Despite this recognition, many children are receptive to an alternative conception of death, which affirms that the deceased has an afterlife elsewhere. A plausible interpretation of children's receptivity to this alternative conception is that human beings, including young children, are naturally disposed to remember and keep in mind individuals to whom they are attached even when those individuals leave and are absent for extended periods. This disposition is reflected in the pervasive tendency to talk about death as a departure rather than a terminus. It also enables the living to sustain their ties to the dead, even if, in the case of death, the departure is permanent rather than temporary. Linguistic and developmental evidence for these claims is reviewed. Possible biological origins and implications for archaeological research are also discussed. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Evolutionary thanatology: impacts of the dead on the living in humans and other animals’.
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Picado Barboza, Jorge, and Gerardo Umaña Villalobos. "Fish assemblages and their ecological traits along an elevational gradient in the Río Pacuare, Costa Rica." Revista de Biología Tropical 66, no. 1-1 (May 10, 2018): 132. http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v66i1.33269.
Full textAbstract:
Between May 2004 and May 2005, we sampled fish in 19 sites, grouped in four elevations, ranging from the river mouth to 650 m.a.s.l. in the Río Pacuare, Caribbean versant of Costa Rica. Changes in the distribution and composition of the fish fauna, as well as patterns of alpha and beta diversity along an elevational gradient were assessed. Additional analyses of habitat preferences, trophic guilds, functional groups and general ecology for the most abundant species are included. All fish captured were classified into 22 families, 43 genera and 53 species. The most abundant family was Characidae, followed by Gobiidae, Mugilidae, Poeciliidae and Heptateridae, which together comprise 87.9 % of all sampled individuals. Elevation shows an inverse effect on species diversity, we observed a monotonic decrease in species richness with increasing elevation (p < 0.05), as reported in other tropical rivers. According to our results, in the Río Pacuare the total fish fauna diversity is found within the first 500 m.a.s.l. Species turnover increases with elevation, while nestedness decreases. Turnover was dominated by the loss of species rather than gain; the higher species loss was registered between the river mouth and the lower river reach (< 100 m.a.s.l.). Seven species can be classified as typical or core species (Astyanax aeneus, Sicydium altum, Agonostomus monticola, Poecilia gillii, Brycon costaricensis, Rhamdia laticauda and Joturus pichardi) along the elevation gradient. The habitat availability and the integration of ecomorphological, feeding and reproductive traits help to explain better the elevation distribution of the complete set of species observed. Although it is possible to identify groups of species characteristic of each reach of river, this does not mean that they are isolated from each other. Natural drift and movement along the river of some species during their life cycle, especially S. altum, A. monticola and J. pichardi, are key processes linking the whole watershed. The present study constitutes a first step in documenting and understanding the distribution and composition of fish assemblages in a watershed that is relatively intact and well-conserved in the Caribbean versant of Costa Rica.
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Resgalla Jr., C., E. S. Brasil, and L. C. Salomão. "Physiological rates in different classes of sizes of Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758) submmited to experimental loboratory conditions." Brazilian Journal of Biology 66, no. 1b (February 2006): 325–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842006000200015.
Full textAbstract:
Physiological studies of the mussel Perna perna in Brazil are almost 30 years behind those of other, more exhaustively investigated species, such as Mytilus edulis. Little is known about the variations in physiological rates due to size and the consequences of maintaining P. perna in laboratory conditions. This work investigated the variations in respiration, clearance, excretion and absorption efficiency rates of P. perna, classified by size and acclimatized in a laboratory, monitoring the mussels’ respiration rates and biometry over a period of 30 days, in laboratory conditions. The respiration, clearance and excretion rates presented an allometric relation with the dry weight of the organisms, with b values of 0.66, 0.48 and 0.91 respectively. On the other hand, these same rates, when considered by weight (specific rates) showed a relationship that was inverse to the size of the organisms. Only the absorption efficiency was independent of the weight of the mussel. In terms of acclimatization, it was observed that it takes 10 days for the respiration rate of the mussel P. perna to stabilize in laboratory conditions, after which it follows a routine metabolism.
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Meinke, Holger, and Graeme L. Hammer. "Forecasting regional crop production using SOI phases: an example for the Australian peanut industry." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 48, no. 6 (1997): 789. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/a96155.
Full textAbstract:
Using peanuts as an example, a generic methodology is presented to forward-estimate regional crop production and associated climatic risks based on phases of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Yield fluctuations caused by a highly variable rainfall environment are of concern to peanut processing and marketing o/Southern bodies the industtry could profitable to adjust their operations stategically. Significantly , physically based lag-relationships exist between an index of ocean/atmospher EI Niño/southern Oscillation phenomenon and future rainfall in Australia and elsewhere. Combining knowledge of SOI phases in November and December with output from a dynamic simulation model allows the derivation of yield probability distributions based on historic rainfall data. This information is available shortly after planting a crop and at least 3-5 months prior to harvest. The study shows that in years when the November-December SOI phase is positive there is an 80% chance of exceeding average district yields. Conversely, in years when the November-December SOI phase is either negative or rapidly falling there is only a 5% chance of exceeding average district yields, but a 95% chance of below average yields. This information allows the industry to adjust strategically for the expected volume of production. The study shows that simulation models can enhance SOI signals contained in rainfall distributions by discriminating between useful and damaging rainfall events. The methodology can be applied to other industries and regions.
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Yang, Mei-Xia, Shiva Devkota, Li-Song Wang, and Christoph Scheidegger. "Ethnolichenology—The Use of Lichens in the Himalayas and Southwestern Parts of China." Diversity 13, no. 7 (July 18, 2021): 330. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13070330.
Full textAbstract:
Lichens are used in traditional medicine, food and various other ethnic uses by cultures across the Himalayas and southwestern parts of China. Evidence-based knowledge from historical and modern literatures and investigation of ethnic uses from 1990 proved that lichen species used as medicine in the Himalayas and southwestern parts of China totaled to 142 species; furthermore, 42 species were utilized as food. Moreover, some lichens are popularly used for lichen produce in ethnic and modern life. An understanding and clarification of the use of lichens in the Himalayas and southeastern parts of China can therefore be important for understanding uses of lichens elsewhere and a reference for additional research of lichen uses in the future.
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Abreu, MSL, R. Machado, F. Barbieri, NS Freitas, and LR Oliveira. "Anomalous colour in Neotropical mammals: a review with new records for Didelphis sp. (Didelphidae, Didelphimorphia) and Arctocephalus australis (Otariidae, Carnivora)." Brazilian Journal of Biology 73, no. 1 (February 2013): 185–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842013000100020.
Full textAbstract:
Anomalous colourations occur in many tropical vertebrates. However, they are considered rare in wild populations, with very few records for the majority of animal taxa. We report two new cases of anomalous colouration in mammals. Additionally, we compiled all published cases about anomalous pigmentation registered in Neotropical mammals, throughout a comprehensive review of peer reviewed articles between 1950 and 2010. Every record was classified as albinism, leucism, piebaldism or eventually as undetermined pigmentation. As results, we report the new record of a leucistic specimen of opossum (Didelphis sp.) in southern Brazil, as well as a specimen of South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) with piebaldism in Uruguay. We also found 31 scientific articles resulting in 23 records of albinism, 12 of leucism, 71 of piebaldism and 92 records classified as undetermined pigmentation. Anomalous colouration is apparently rare in small terrestrial mammals, but it is much more common in cetaceans and michrochiropterans. Out of these 198 records, 149 occurred in cetaceans and 30 in bats. The results related to cetaceans suggest that males and females with anomolous pigmentation are reproductively successful and as a consequence their frequencies are becoming higher in natural populations. In bats, this result can be related to the fact these animals orient themselves primarily through echolocation, and their refuges provide protection against light and predation. It is possible that anomalous colouration occurs more frequently in other Neotropical mammal orders, which were not formally reported. Therefore, we encourage researchers to publish these events in order to better understand this phenomenon that has a significant influence on animal survival.
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Little, DL, and AB Frensham. "A rod-point technique for estimating botanical composition of pastures." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 33, no. 7 (1993): 871. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9930871.
Full textAbstract:
A simplified point method, the rod-point technique, for determining pasture botanical composition was assessed against 3 other popular methods. It was over 100 times faster than the traditional cut and hand-separate technique for the same level of precision. The presence of bias in the rod-point technique was assessed by comparing its estimates with those obtained by the hand-separation method. The pasture was classified into 8 botanical components, and the rod-point technique was significantly different from the hand-separated method in 3 instances, but in each case so were the Levy-point and the dry-weight-rank methods or the dry-weight-rank method alone. The rodpoint technique is most useful in large grazing trials, on-farm pasture monitoring, and pasture surveys. It provides a simple alternative for estimating pasture composition, using low inputs of materials, time, and labour.
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Rodal, M. J. N., and L. M. Nascimento. "The arboreal component of a dry forest in Northeastern Brazil." Brazilian Journal of Biology 66, no. 2a (May 2006): 479–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842006000300014.
Full textAbstract:
The dry forests of northeastern Brazil are found near the coastal zone and on low, isolated mountains inland amid semi-arid vegetation. The floristic composition of these dry montane forests, as well as their relationship to humid forests (Atlantic forest sensu stricto) and to the deciduous thorn woodlands (Caatinga sensu stricto) of the Brazilian northeast are not yet well known. This paper sought to determine if the arboreal plants in a dry forest growing on a low mountain in the semi-arid inland region (Serra Negra, 8° 35’ - 8° 38’ S and 38° 02’ - 38° 04’ W) between the municipalities of Floresta and Inajá, state of Pernambuco have the same floristic composition and structure as that seen in other regional forests. In fifty 10 x 20 m plots all live and standing dead trees with trunk measuring > 5 cm diameter at breast height were measured. Floristic similarities between the forest studied and other regional forests were assessed using multivariate analysis. The results demonstrate that the dry forest studied can be classified into two groups that represent two major vegetational transitions: (1) a humid forest/dry forest transition; and (2) a deciduous thorn-woodland/ dry forest transition.
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Hrdy, Sarah Blaffer, and Judith M. Burkart. "The emergence of emotionally modern humans: implications for language and learning." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 375, no. 1803 (June 2020): 20190499. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0499.
Full textAbstract:
According to the Cooperative Breeding Hypothesis, apes with the life-history attributes of those in the line leading to the genus Homo could not have evolved unless male and female allomothers had begun to help mothers care for and provision offspring. As proposed elsewhere, the unusual way hominins reared their young generated novel phenotypes subsequently subjected to Darwinian social selection favouring those young apes best at monitoring the intentions, mental states and preferences of others and most motivated to attract and appeal to caretakers. Not only were youngsters acquiring information in social contexts different from those of other apes, but they would also have been emotionally and neurophysiologically different from them in ways that are relevant to how humans learn. Contingently delivered rewards to dependents who attracted and ingratiated themselves with allomothers shaped their behaviours and vocalizations and transformed the way developing youngsters learned from others and internalized their preferences. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals’.
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Yoder, Jeremy B., Giancarlo Gomez, and Colin J. Carlson. "Zygomorphic flowers have fewer potential pollinator species." Biology Letters 16, no. 9 (September 2020): 20200307. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0307.
Full textAbstract:
Botanists have long identified bilaterally symmetrical (zygomorphic) flowers with more specialized pollination interactions than radially symmetrical (actinomorphic) flowers. Zygomorphic flowers facilitate more precise contact with pollinators, guide pollinator behaviour and exclude less effective pollinators. However, whether zygomorphic flowers are actually visited by a smaller subset of available pollinator species has not been broadly evaluated. We compiled 53 609 floral visitation records in 159 communities and classified the plants' floral symmetry. Globally and within individual communities, plants with zygomorphic flowers are indeed visited by fewer species. At the same time, zygomorphic flowers share a somewhat larger proportion of their visitor species with other co-occurring plants and have particularly high sharing with co-occurring plants that also have zygomorphic flowers. Visitation sub-networks for zygomorphic species also show differences that may arise from reduced visitor diversity, including greater connectance, greater web asymmetry and lower coextinction robustness of both plants and visitor species—but these changes do not necessarily translate to whole plant-visitor communities. These results provide context for widely documented associations between zygomorphy and diversification and imply that species with zygomorphic flowers may face a greater risk of extinction due to pollinator loss.
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Wei, Jiangkun, Zixin Huo, Stanislav N. Gorb, Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Zhigang Wu, and Jianing Wu. "Sucking or lapping: facultative feeding mechanisms in honeybees ( Apis mellifera )." Biology Letters 16, no. 8 (August 2020): 20200449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0449.
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Nectarivorous insects generally adopt suction or lapping to extract nectar from flowers and it is believed that each species exhibits one specific feeding pattern. In recent literature, large groups of nectarivores are classified as either ‘suction feeders', imbibing nectar through their proboscis, or ‘lappers', using viscous dipping. Honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) are the well-known lappers by virtue of their hairy tongues. Surprisingly, we found that honeybees also employ active suction when feeding on nectar with low viscosity, defying their classification as lappers. Further experiments showed that suction yielded higher uptake rates when ingesting low-concentration nectar, while lapping resulted in faster uptake when ingesting nectar with higher sugar content. We found that the optimal concentration of suction mode in honeybees coincided with the one calculated for other typical suction feeders. Moreover, we found behavioural flexibility in the drinking mode: a bee is able to switch between lapping and suction when offered different nectar concentrations. Such volitional switching in bees can enhance their feeding capabilities, allowing them to efficiently exploit the variety of concentrations presented in floral nectars, enhancing their adaptability to a wide range of energy sources.
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Irwin, J. A. G., D. P. Maxwell, and R. R. Smith. "Expression of resistance by tetraploid and diploid lucerne genotypes to Phytophthora medicaginis is not influenced by inoculum level or by temperature." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 48, no. 2 (1997): 181. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/a96093.
Full textAbstract:
Phytophthora-resistant lucerne cultivars do not always perform well under conditions of high disease pressure in the field. To determine whether resistance expression remains stable under different infection intensities, tetraploid and diploid lucerne genotypes, genotypically defined for their reactions to Phytophthora medicaginis, were clonally propagated, and the influence of different reproducible inoculum levels (0·5 and 5·0 g dry weight mycelium/kg dry weight potting mix), the period of exposure to these levels (10–60 days), and temperature (16/22°C and 24/30°C) on disease expression was determined in controlled environments. Generally, expression of resistance by resistant genotypes, remained stable under these conditions. Biotic (e.g. Aphanomyces eutiches) or abiotic factors other than P. medicaginis may be responsible for the poorer than expected performance under fiield conditions in some instances, or the percentage of resistant plants in some cultivars currently classified as resistant is insufficient to provide buffering against productivity reductions under severe epidemics. Further research is needed to clarify the situation.
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Bannister, Frank, and Dan Remenyi. "Acts of Faith: Instinct, Value and it Investment Decisions." Journal of Information Technology 15, no. 3 (September 2000): 231–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026839620001500305.
Full textAbstract:
Although well over 1000 journal articles, conference papers, books, technical notes and theses have been written on the subject of information technology (IT) evaluation, only a relatively small subset of this literature has been concerned with the core issues of what precisely is meant by the term ‘value’ and with the process of making (specifically) IT investment decisions. All too often, the problem and highly complex issue of value is either simplified, ignored or assumed away. Instead the focus of much of the research to date has been on evaluation methodologies and, within this literature, there are different strands of thought which can be classified as partisan, composite and meta approaches to evaluation. Research shows that a small number of partisan techniques are used by most decision makers with a minority using a single technique and a majority using a mixture of such techniques of whom a substantial minority use a formal composite approach. It is argued that, in mapping the set of evaluation methodologies on to what is termed the investment opportunity space, that there is a limit to what can be achieved by formal rational evaluation methods. This limit becomes evident when decision makers fall back on ‘gut feel’ and other non-formal/rigorous ways of making decisions. It is suggested that an understanding of these more complex processes and decision making, in IT as elsewhere, needs tools drawn from philosophy and psychology.
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Gross, Elisabeth M., Hélène Groffier, Cécile Pestelard, and Andreas Hussner. "Ecology and Environmental Impact of Myriophyllum heterophyllum, an Aggressive Invader in European Waterways." Diversity 12, no. 4 (March 30, 2020): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12040127.
Full textAbstract:
The submerged evergreen aquatic plant Myriophyllum heterophyllum is among the worst invasive species in Europe, causing severe problems especially in navigation channels but also lentic systems. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview and update on the current distribution and risks associated with this species in Europe and elsewhere. We provide an evaluation of current identification keys since misidentification can underestimate the extent of its spread. In addition, hybridization with other milfoil species has been reported in North America but seems unlikely in Europe. We further describe in detail the ecology, specifically resource requirements and biotic interactions with other plants, herbivores and pathogens as well as the spread potential of the species. Good knowledge of the autecology and synecology of this species should allow some conclusions about environmental factors possibly related to its invasive growth and is mandatory for the preparation of species-specific management measures. Finally, we outline the status of regulations coming into effect in member states of the European Union (EU) and provide an overview of applied and potential management practices.
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Myers, Norman. "Environmental refugees: a growing phenomenon of the 21st century." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 357, no. 1420 (April 29, 2002): 609–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2001.0953.
Full textAbstract:
There is a new phenomenon in the global arena: environmental refugees. These are people who can no longer gain a secure livelihood in their homelands because of drought, soil erosion, desertification, deforestation and other environmental problems, together with the associated problems of population pressures and profound poverty. In their desperation, these people feel they have no alternative but to seek sanctuary elsewhere, however hazardous the attempt. Not all of them have fled their countries, many being internally displaced. But all have abandoned their homelands on a semi–permanent if not permanent basis, with little hope of a foreseeable return. In 1995, environmental refugees totalled at least 25 million people, compared with 27 million traditional refugees (people fleeing political oppression, religious persecution and ethnic troubles). The total number of environmental refugees could well double by the year 2010, and increase steadily for a good while thereafter as growing numbers of impoverished people press ever harder on overloaded environments. When global warming takes hold, there could be as many as 200 million people overtaken by sea–level rise and coastal flooding, by disruptions of monsoon systems and other rainfall regimes, and by droughts of unprecedented severity and duration.
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Ostojić Andrić, Dušica, Slavča Hristov, Vesna Krnjaja, Dragan Nikšić, Aleksandar Stanojković, Miloš Marinković, and Nikola Molerović. "Study of Cows’ Behaviour and Welfare on Dairy Farms in Serbia." Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis 67, no. 4 (2019): 973–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.11118/actaun201967040973.
Full textAbstract:
Modern methods for assessing the welfare of dairy cows are, among other things, often based on the evaluation of animal behaviour. In this regard, behaviour is classified as the most reliable, so‑called animal‑based indicator as its expression comes from the animal itself and indicates a measure in which it has adapted to the environment. Starting from the need to explore the state of welfare and the ability to demonstrate adequate behaviour in dairy farms in Serbia, the Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Cattle (2009) was used in this study. The overall assessment of behaviour was carried out by analysing four main criteria: social, other forms of behaviour, human‑animal relationship and emotional state. The results of the study conducted on a total of 16 dairy farms (N = 4,833 cows) show that the conditions for ensuring appropriate behaviour meet only minimum standards and that the greatest welfare risks arise from the impossibility of expressing natural behaviour, such as exploratory behaviour. The most pronounced negative tendencies within the assessment of the emotional status were those expressed to distress, frustration and boredom. Although the estimated general condition does not differ substantially from the same on EU farms, the need for its improvement is imposed first of all in terms of ensuring greater freedom of movement and more stimulating environment in cattle rearing.
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Hughes, Jonathan M., Victor H. Vilchiz, and Cathy Lee. "An Easy Approach to Understanding Acid-Base Balance in a Blood Buffer System." American Biology Teacher 83, no. 8 (October 1, 2021): 526–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/abt.2021.83.8.526.
Full textAbstract:
Understanding acid-base disorders using weak-acid concepts learned in general chemistry class is challenging for pre-nursing and pre-professional biology students enrolled in anatomy/physiology and biochemistry classes. We utilized a graphic seesaw model of carbonic acid-bicarbonate equilibrium using the Henderson-Hasselbalch (H-H) equation of a weak acid. We then used real-world clinical case studies for students to identify acid-base disorders and the appropriate compensatory responses of the lungs and kidneys. Students developed a working knowledge of how the bicarbonate blood buffer system maintains a physiological pH of 7.4 using a “seesaw” with metabolic [HCO3−] on one side, and respiratory PCO2 on the other at a ratio of 20:1 in the H-H equation. When the dysfunction of either the kidneys or lungs causes the seesaw to tip, homeostasis pH is disrupted, causing an acid-base disorder classified as metabolic or respiratory acidosis or alkalosis. The functioning organ can “level the seesaw” by compensating for the dysfunction of the opposite organ to regain homeostasis. Unlike traditional ways of explaining acid-base disorders, this graphic seesaw method is a simple and easy way to achieve understanding.
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Schuber, JM, LB Monteiro, AS Poltronieri, RCZ Carvalho, and MAC Zawadneak. "Population fluctuation and faunal indices of aphids (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in peach orchards in Araucária, PR." Brazilian Journal of Biology 69, no. 3 (August 2009): 943–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842009000400024.
Full textAbstract:
Aphids are sap-sucking insects that mainly attack shoots and young leaves of peach trees and many other plant species; however, knowledge of the Brazilian aphid fauna is scant. The objective of this study was to identify aphid species collected in peach orchards (Prunus persica Batsch) and to determine their faunal indices for occurrence and dominance. The experiment was conducted from July 2005 to September 2006 in six Chimarrita peach orchards in the municipality of Araucária, PR, Brazil. The survey of aphid species was conducted by visual samplings on peach trees and using Möericke-type yellow traps containing water. A faunal analysis was made using aphid occurrence and dominance indices. Brachycaudus persicae (Passerini, 1860) was the only aphid species that was found colonizing peach in Araucária/PR. Although most aphids collected were classified as rare, some can be considered potential peach colonizers, such as Myzus persicae (Sulzer, 1776) which was given the status of common or intermediate in some of the orchards studied. The population fluctuation of aphids showed a negative correlation with rainfall and positive correlation with temperature and relative humidity.
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He, C. G., and X. G. Zhang. "Field evaluation of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) for resistance to aphids in northern China." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, no. 4 (2006): 471. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar05255.
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Resistance of 9 lucerne cultivars and lines of predominantly overseas introductions to an aphid complex was evaluated in field experiments at Lanzhou city in Gansu province of northern China in 2004. The aphid complex, consisting of 3 aphid species, the spotted alfalfa aphid (SAA) Therioaphis trifolii Monell, black bean aphid (BBA) Aphis craccivora Koch, and pea aphid (PA) Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, was found to be dominated by BBA at the early stage of plant growth in spring and by SAA at other stages. Plants infested by SAA showed the symptoms of either chlorotic leaf veins or yellow leaf. Cultivars performed similarly in Gansu as in their country of origin, with minor differences (e.g. Hunter River). ‘Aphid damage index’ and ‘% of resistant plants’ were found to be useful parameters for specifying the resistance of a given cultivar to the aphid complex. Based on the ‘% of resistant plants’, cvv. HA–3, Cropper 9, 8925MF, SARDI 7, and SARDI 10 were classified as highly resistant; HA–1 and Gannong 3, resistant; Jindera, moderately resistant; and Hunter River, low resistance.
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Farias, Gustavo Duarte, Liliane Cerdótes, Ricardo Zambarda Vaz, João Restle, Marcia Ferreira Bitencourt, Dari Celestino Alves Filho, and Ivan Luiz Brondani. "Biological efficiency of Charolais beef cows of different body sizes." Semina: Ciências Agrárias 39, no. 4 (August 2, 2018): 1737. http://dx.doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2018v39n4p1737.
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This study aimed to evaluate the production, reproductive performance, and productive efficiency of predominantly Charolais cows and their calves (Straightbred, ¾ C, ¼ N) according to body size at calving. Sixty-three cow-calf pairs were used and classified into three weight groups: Light (331.3±5.8 kg), Moderate (385.9±5.3 kg), and Heavy (424.4±6.2 kg). The classes were formed using half standard deviations above or below the average weight of the cows at calving. For each pair, the body weight was evaluated at calving, at weaning (63 days), at the beginning and at end of the reproductive period, and at 9 months for the calves. Pregnancy rates were similar (P > 0.05) between weight groups. The calves did not differ (P > 0.05) in terms of body weight and weight gain from calving until pregnancy diagnosis (210 days). The heavy cows had greater weight variations from 210 days to 270 days than the light cows. The calf production rate (kg calf/cow kept in herds) did not differ between weight groups. However, in relation to the weight of the cows at 210 days, light cows were 11.28% and 13.02% more productive (P < 0.05), than moderate and heavy cows, respectively. Light cows were more efficient than the other classes of cows at calving and at 210 days old. Our simulations showed that there were more kilograms for sale in herds of light cows (53.085 kg) than moderate and heavy cows (52.310 and 52.870 kg, respectively), while maintaining the structures of the herd constant. The size of the Charolais cow did not influence the weight of calves from calving until 7 months of age or their reproductive performance provided they were weaned early. The need for space for the maintenance of the cow-calf pair increased as the weight of the cows increased. In herds with smaller cows, higher numbers and a higher production of weight for sale are observed than in herds with moderate and heavy cows. Light cows were the most efficient at calving and during pregnancy diagnosis at 210 days.
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Ramos, Maiara Aline Gonçalves, Fabio Gallas Leivas, Daniele Missio, Francielli Weber Santos Cibin, Antônio Carlos Galarça Guimarães, and Daniela dos Santos Brum. "Medium and time conservation affect follicular morphology and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity of bovine preantral follicles during storage at 4ºC." Semina: Ciências Agrárias 41, no. 4 (May 13, 2020): 1227. http://dx.doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2020v41n4p1227.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphology and superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD) activity of bovine preantral follicles (PFs) preserved in TCM 199, saline solution or PBS at different conservation periods. Cow ovaries (n=6) were divided into 7 fragments. One small piece of each ovarian fragment was randomly removed to evaluate SOD activity, while the remainder was immediately fixed for morphological evaluation as a control group. The other 6 fragments were randomly distributed in tubes containing TCM 199, saline solution, or PBS and maintained at 4ºC for 6 or 24 h. For histological evaluation, the fragments were fixed in Carnoy and stained with PAS-hematoxylin, following being classified PFs in relation to their follicular morphology in normal or degenerated. Determination of SOD activity was based on the ability to inhibit autoxidation of adrenaline in adrenochrome. Evaluation of follicular morphology showed that follicles preserved in TCM 199 for 6 h did not differ from the control (P > 0.05). In contrast, preservation in saline solution and PBS for 6 or 24 h and TCM 199 for 24 h decreased normal PFs compared to the control (P < 0.05). SOD showed a lower activity in ovarian cortical tissue kept in TCM 199 for 6 h and saline solution for 24 h than in the other groups. Our study shows that incubation using TCM 199 at 4°C for 6 h can be used to efficiently conserve female bovine PFs in situ.
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Pattemore, Gary A. "Megaflora of the Australian Triassic–Jurassic: a taxonomic revision." Acta Palaeobotanica 56, no. 2 (December 1, 2016): 121–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/acpa-2016-0008.
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Abstract Umkomasiaceans are the most commonly recorded components of Gondwanan Triassic floras but they are not represented subsequently in that region. Their diversity appears to have substantially declined prior to the Rhaetian. Lower and Middle Jurassic floras in Australia and elsewhere in Gondwana are strikingly different from those of the Triassic, comprising ferns, lycopods, conifers, cycads, and bennettitaleans. The fern Cladophlebis Brongniart 1849 emend. Seward 1894 dominated coal-forming paludal environments during the Middle Jurassic in Queensland and it is one of the most commonly preserved plants in the Eastern Gondwanan Jurassic. Ginkgoaleans were present in Eastern Gondwana until near the end-Triassic but were absent below ca 60°S palaeolatitude during the Early and Middle Jurassic. The type specimen of Dicroidium superbum (Shirley 1898) Townrow 1957 emend. nov. has been inaccurately represented in the published record. Consequently, many specimens belonging to the species have been incorrectly assigned to other umkomasiacean species. Misidentifications and considerably enlarged circumscriptions of some species have resulted in an erroneous and simplistic morpho-continuum concept supposedly linking umkomasiacean fronds. Several commonly occurring umkomasiacean species are re-assessed with particular attention to their type specimens, two of which are accurately figured here for the first time. This re-assessment, together with evidence from allied fructifications and wood, supports the view that umkomasiacean fronds belong to several genera. Most umkomasiacean lineages probably terminated prior to the Rhaetian; however, Zuberia Frenguelli 1943 emend. Artabe 1990 persisted to near the close of the Triassic.