bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glucose Tolerance in Ewes and Susceptibility to Pregnancy Toxaemia
Authors: E Wastney M , Arcus AC , Bickerstaffe CR , Wolff JE
Published: November 2018

Intravenous glucose tolerance tests were undertaken on fed twin-pregnant ewes at about 120 days of gestation by injecting 0�4 g glucose per kilogram of live weight, then measuring glucose and insulin concentrations in plasma over the next 2 h. An insulin resistance index was calculated from the product of Tl/2 for glucose disappearance and the plasma insulin concentrations integrated over time. Approximately 10 days later, the ewes were starved to induce ovine pregnancy toxaemia. During this period, the course of the hypoglycaemia and ketonaemia were followed by measuring metabolite concentrations in jugular blood samples obtained every 2-3 days. The existence of dehydration, acid-base imbalance and renal failure was also determined from packed cell volumes, serum CO2 content and serum concentrations of urea, creatinine and inorganic phosphate. Ewes that became recumbent and moribund with the disease were classified as susceptible whereas those asymptOl;natic after 10 days were classified as non-susceptible. Seven susceptible ewes had significantly higher insulin resistance indices (2043 � 670 s.d.) than did six non-susceptible ewes (1261 � 433 s.d.). It was concluded that poor control of glucose homeostasis may be an important predisposing factor in pathogenesis of the disease.
Synthesis and Degradation of Aflatoxin by Aspergillus parasiticus. I. Synthesis of Aflatoxin B1 by Young Mycelium and Its Subsequent Degradation in Aging Mycelium
Authors: L Huynh V , Lloyd AB
Published: November 2018

Aflatoxin production and degradation were examined in three isolates of A. parasiticus. Maximum yields were present after incubation for 14 days and these declined gradually as the culture aged. Young mycelia (4 days old) synthesized the greatest amounts of aflatoxin, but aging mycelia (14 days old) were mainly responsible for degradation. Addition of cycloheximide to young cultures and removal of mycelia from aging cultures both prevented further aflatoxin degradation. Intramycelial substances released from fragmented or homogenized mycelium were capable of degrading aflatoxins, and their concentration increased as the mycelium aged. When 14C-Iabelled aflatoxin was added to a 2-day-old culture and further incubated, 75% of the radioactivity at 12 days was intramycelial, but at 20 days, most radioactivity was in the filtrate.
Rates of Sex Chromosome Loss during Development in Different Tissues of the Bandicoots Perameles nasuta and Isoodon macrourus (Marsupialia: Peramelidae)
Authors: Close RL
Published: November 2018

An X chromosome disappears from female cells and the Y chromosome from male cells of some somatic tissues of all peramelid bandicoots, leaving cells with a 2n = 13 (i.e. XO) chromosome complement. The patterns of loss, which differ among tissues and species, were studied during development of specimens of P. nasuta and /. macrourus.
Season and Photoperiod Effects on Follicles and Atresia in the Sheep Ovary
Authors: Cahill LP , Oldham CM , Cognie Y , Ravault JP , Mauleon P
Published: November 2018

Since follicles that ovulate during the breeding season in sheep begin their growth and development during the anoestrous season, the ovarian follicular population was investigated in late oestrus, midanoestrus and early oestrus. The effects of photoperiod (8 h light per day) and 2-bromo-a-ergocryptine (2 mg per day per sheep) throughout the anoestrous season on the follicular population were also studied.
Properties of Antisera to Glutamate Dehydrogenase from Nitrogen-fixing Lupin Nodules
Authors: Kennedy JR , Wyszomirska-Dreher Z , T T chan Y , Chen JW
Published: November 2018

Antibody prepared in rabbit to lupin (Lupinus luteus) nodule glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) crossreacted with all six isozymes of GDH isolated from lupin nodules. Rocket immunoelectrophoresis showed that the antisera were also strongly cross-reactive with GDH from other parts of the lupin plant and from the roots and stems of other leguminous plants and wheat, but not with GDH of Rhizobium lupini, lupin bacteroids or bovine liver. This confirms the exclusively plant origin of lupin nodule cytosolic GDH. Enzyme activity, determined spectrophotometrically, was strongly inhibited by the antibody. Substrates and modifiers of GDH did not influence the degree of this inhibition, indicating that the antiserum should be an effective reagent for study of the localization of GDH in plants.
Dictyate Oocytes of a Kangaroo (Macropus robustus) Show Paternal Inactivation at the X-linked Gpd Locus
Authors: Johnston PG , S Robinson E , Johnston DM
Published: November 2018

Purified samples of large numbers of dictyate oocytes from 13 M. robustus pouch young heterozygous for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase type and six homozygous controls were examined electrophoretically to determine activity states at the Gpd locus. Like somatic cortical and medullary cells, oocytes expressed only the maternal phenotype irrespective of the direction of the cross. No evidence was found of reactivation of the inactive (paternal) allele or inactivation of both maternal and paternal alleles. It was therefore concluded that unlike eutherian dictyate oocytes, only a single (maternal) allele is active in each dictyate oocyte in M. robustus. The stage of reactivation of the paternal allele remains to be determined.
Proteins of Marsupial Erythrocyte Membranes
Authors: Ralston GB
Published: November 2018

The proteins of erythrocyte membranes from the red kangaroo, western grey kangaroo, eastern grey wallaroo (euro), red-necked wallaby, Tammar wallaby, and brush-tail possum have been fractionated on acrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The pattern of proteins was remarkably similar between the different marsupial species. The pattern of Coomassie blue-staining proteins in the membranes of these species was also very similar to that of the human erythrocyte membrane. However, the glycoproteins in the marsupial erythrocyte membranes were markedly less conspicuous than those of the human erythrocyte membrane. Furthermore, the mobilities of the glycoproteins from the marsupials were different from those of the human erythrocyte membrane.
Effects of Phenylalanine and Analogues of Methionine and Phenylalanine on the Composition of Wool and Mouse Hair
Authors: Reis PJ , Gillespie JM
Published: November 2018

Administration of the methionine analogue methoxinine (O-methyl-DL-homoserine) to sheep substantially changed the composition of wool; in addition wool fibres were weakened and the staple crimp frequency was reduced for a prolonged period. The proportions of high-tyrosine proteins were reduced by 40-45% whereas the high-sulfur proteins were usually slightly increased. The content of high-tyrosine proteins in wool was still depressed in most sheep 70 days after dosing with methoxinine. These experiments supported a previous finding that the cystine content of wool and its crimp frequency are not causally related. Ethionine, another methionine analogue, did not consistently change the composition of wool. In some sheep there was no change in the proportions of high-tyrosine proteins following administration of ethionine, even though weak wool was produced. This result, together with the lack of association between the content of hightyrosine proteins and the strength of wool fibres in a sheep given methoxinine plus methionine, indicates that a reduction of the high-tyrosine proteins is not a prerequisite for the production of weak wool.
Controlled Sheep Breeding: Update 1980-1985
Authors: Robinson TJ
Published: November 2018

This contribution to the Symposium concerns four topics which have been addressed in our laboratory over the past five years.
Seasonality of Reproduction in Sheep and its Control by Photoperiod
Authors: Ortavant R , Bocquier F , Pelletier J , Ravault JP , Thimonier J , Volland-Nail P
Published: November 2018

Seasonality of the reproductive cycle in sheep is a general phenomenon for mid-latitude breeds. The proximal part (breeding season) and also partially distal part (end of gestation and beginning of lactation) of this cycle is controlled by photoperiod, whatever the form of light regimens. Data are presented which indicate that male and female do not necessarily have the same photoperiodic sensitivity. Gonadal stimulation in the ram starts 1'5-2 months earlier than in the ewe under annual variations. Photoperiod controls the reproductive cycle by the intermediary of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis. There are both a steroidindependent and a steroid-dependent effect of light, depending on both decreasing and increasing daylength in mid-latitudes.
Reproductive Behaviour in Survival: A Comparison between Wild and Domestic Sheep
Authors: Lindsay DR
Published: November 2018

The recorded behaviour of wild species of Ovis at the beginning of the breeding season supports the proposal that mating is synchronized by the 'ram effect', a phenomenon already described in domestic sheep. Animals separate into exclusive male flocks, and flocks of females and young animals for most of the year. They reunite just before the rutting season. At lambing there appear to be behavioural mechanisms that ensure that ewes lamb in close proximity to one another. It is hypothesized that these behavioural characteristics of wild sheep help protect the newborn and that much of the reproductive and maternal behaviour of domestic sheep may be traced to comparable behaviour in wild species.
Sheep Reproduction Modelled as a Markov Series. I. The Model
Authors: Carrick MJ
Published: November 2018

Sheep reproduction from ovulation to weaning was modelled as a Markov series of multiple binomial distributions, which required a minimum of assumptions and a small number of parameters for the entire reproductive process. Methods of constructing the model and of estimating the parameters are described, and results from simulated example flocks with different ovulatory potentials are presented. A variety of potential applications, for example as an adjunct to economic modelling and methods of validation and use in the analysis of reproductive experiments, are discussed.
Small-scale patterns of species richness and floristic composition in relation to microsite variation in herb-rich woodlands
Authors: Price J. N. , Morgan J. W.
Published: November 2018

Non-riverine Eucalyptus camaldulensis (red gum) woodlands with herbaceous understoreys in southern Australia have been recognised as botanically significant due to their high small-scale species richness, but little is known about the factors that underpin these patterns. To examine the influence of local environmental variation (microsites) on small-scale vegetation patterns, we sampled vegetation under trees, away from trees, and in depressions and hummocks in three herb-rich woodlands. Trees influenced both the composition and richness of the ground-layer vegetation, with reductions in species richness found under trees in sites where incident light availability was reduced by >40%. Species composition and richness differed between microsites, indicating that spatial heterogeneity is an important factor affecting species distribution patterns. Patchiness in relation to abiotic factors creates environmentally and compositionally distinct patterns. Indicator species analysis found that all microsites could be distinguished by character species with some evidence for microsite limitation for only a few species, lending weak support for a niche-based model of community assembly for herb-rich woodlands. A more plausible explanation for extremely high small-scale species richness is the lack of dominant species in these low productivity woodlands.
Occurrence of Fusarium spp. associated with root tissues and rhizosphere soils of forest trees and assessment of their pathogenicity on Prunus amygdalus seedlings
Authors: Chehri K. , Salleh B. , Soleimani M. J. , Reddy K. R. N. , Zakaria L.
Published: November 2018

Occurrence, distribution and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. associated with roots and rhizosphere soils of forest trees were studied. Fusarium spp. was isolated from phloem and sapwood of forest trees and composite rhizosphere soil samples collected from highly diversified geographical and climatic regions of the west of Iran and identified based on their morphological characteristics. Only three Fusarium spp. (F. oxysporum, F. solani and F. eumartii) was isolated from roots. F. nygamai, F. graminearum, F. scirpi, F. proliferatum, F. anthophilum, F. longipes and F. chlamydosporum were recovered from soil samples collected from warm and moderately warm regions, while F. culmorum, F. sporotrichioides, F. sambucinum and F. subglutinans were recovered from cold regions. F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. semitectum, F. equiseti, F. verticillioides, F. merismoides and F. avenaceum were present in all climatic regions. In the bark inoculation tests, selected Fusarium strains representing all species were evaluated for their pathogenicity on stems of healthy Prunus amygdalus under greenhouse conditions. Stem rot assessment revealed that F. oxysporum, F. solani and F. eumartii were the most damaging species.
Do fire-related cues, including smoke-water, karrikinolide, glyceronitrile and nitrate, stimulate the germination of 17 Anigozanthos taxa and Blancoa canescens (Haemodoraceae)?
Authors: Downes Katherine S. , Light Marnie E. , Pošta Martin , Kohout Ladislav , van Staden Johannes
Published: November 2018

Many species in fire-prone environments germinate after fire including most taxa in the genus Anigozanthos Labill. Following preliminary studies with Anigozanthos manglesii D.Don subsp. manglesii, the response of several Anigozanthos taxa to germination stimulants relating to the post-fire environment including smoke, karrikinolide (KAR1, 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one) and nitrate were compared in seed when freshly collected and after a period of burial. Following after-ripening, the response of seed to water, smoke-water, KAR1 and glyceronitrile (2,3-dihydroxypropanenitrile) was examined. Seed of 16 Anigozanthos taxa, and the related monotypic genus Blancoa Lindl., were highly dormant at maturity. Investigations of eight Anigozanthos taxa and B. canescens indicated that these taxa had morphophysiological dormancy. Following a period of either 3- to 4 months or 1 year of burial and exhumation in autumn, many taxa remained dormant. However, dormancy was alleviated and smoke-water stimulated some germination of A. manglesii subsp. manglesii, A. flavidus DC., A. viridis Endl. subsp. viridis, and A. viridis Endl. subsp. Cataby (S.D. Hopper 1786). Nitrate also stimulated germination of A. flavidus in the light. Following 3–3.5 years of laboratory after-ripening, 13 of the 17 Anigozanthos taxa examined were smoke-responsive. When testing individual smoke-derived compounds these taxa germinated in response to glyceronitrile and not KAR1. In contrast, smoke-responsive B. canescens seed responded to KAR1 and not glyceronitrile. These findings suggest a phylogenetic link between responsiveness to different chemicals in smoke in this family that may shed light on the evolutionary development of these smoke responses.
Contrasting breeding systems revealed in the rainforest genus Davidsonia (Cunoniaceae): can polyembryony turn the tables on rarity?
Authors: Eliott F. G. , Shepherd M. , Rossetto M. , Bundock P. , Rice N. , Henry R. J.
Published: November 2018

Plant breeding systems can have a profound effect on a species ability to persist, colonise new areas and adapt to environmental change. Determining the breeding systems in rare and common congeners may shed light on factors influencing rarity. Endemic to Australia, the Davidsonia genus comprises three species of rainforest trees. The two sympatric, subtropical species, Davidsonia jerseyana (F.Muell. ex F.M.Bailey) G.Harden & J.B.Williams, and D. johnsonii G.Harden & J.B.Williams, are endangered whereas the tropical D. pruriens F.Muell. is widespread. Other than exclusive clonality in D. johnsonii, the reproductive systems in the genus are unknown. We used segregation analysis of microsatellite loci in open-pollinated progeny arrays to investigate the breeding systems in D. jerseyana and D. pruriens. Reproductive success, under glasshouse conditions, was measured by the proportion of viable seeds, germination rate and seedling growth and survival over 12 months. Davidsonia jerseyana appears to be predominantly selfing with high fecundity. In D. pruriens, polyembryony was common and 89% of the progeny were identical to the heterozygous maternal parent, implying likely apomixis. Overall, fecundity was significantly lower than for D. jerseyana, although survival was higher from D. pruriens polyembryonic than from monoembryonic seed. The high fecundity in D. jerseyana indicates a lack of inbreeding depression and also suggests that it would be less likely to be endangered than the less fecund D. pruriens. This raises the possibility that polyembryony and likely apomixis may provide a reproductive advantage to D. pruriens, which could otherwise share rarity with its congeners.
Evidence of population variation in drought tolerance during seed germination in four Banksia (Proteaceae) species from Western Australia
Authors: Cochrane J. Anne , Hoyle Gemma L. , Yates Colin J. , Wood Jeff , Nicotra Adrienne B.
Published: November 2018

Given the predicted changes in rainfall patterns for many Mediterranean climate regions, identifying seed tolerance to moisture stress in the earliest phase of plant development is an important consideration for species conservation, management and restoration. Here, we used polyethylene glycol (PEG 8000) to induce plant water deficit similar to drought stress in a field situation. Seeds of four Western Australia Banksia R.Br. (Proteaceae) species were incubated at seven levels of moisture potential (0 to −1.5 MPa) and three constant temperatures (10°C, 15°C and 20°C). In the absence of moisture stress, germination was uniformly high, but increasing drought stress led to reduced and delayed germination in all species. Overall, the threshold moisture potential value for a significant decline, and delay, in germination was –0.25 MPa. Results suggested that one species (B. coccinea) is likely to be most vulnerable to germination failure under predicted changes in rainfall patterns, whereas another (B. media) is likely to be less vulnerable. There was significant variation in population response to drought stress. However, this variation could not be explained by rainfall across species distributions. We discuss the PEG approach for assessing seed sensitivity to moisture stress, particularly in the context of shifting rainfall under climate change.
An unspecific phytotoxin oxalic acid and its effect on sunflower proteome
Authors: Monazzah Maryam , Enferadi Sattar Tahmasebi , Soleimani Mohammad J. , Rabiei Zohreh
Published: November 2018

Oxalic acid (OA) is found naturally in many plants and animals: it plays diverse roles in nature. It is an important pathogenicity determinant of many necrotrophic pathogens including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary. In order to understand the resistance mechanisms in Helianthus annuus L., a proteomic study was conducted on sunflower 12 h after inoculation by OA. A total of 17 differentially expressed proteins (either OA-induced or -suppressed proteins) were identified as a result of OA treatment. The candidate proteins were classified into two groups depending on their up/downregulation. The first group – upregulated proteins – included 13 proteins identified as being involved in the Calvin cycle, photosynthesis, programmed cell death (PCD) pathway, heat shock proteins, proteins with antioxidant activities and flavonol synthase (FLS). The second group – downregulated proteins – included those from the cupin family, ATP synthase subunit β, ketol-acid reducto-isomerase, and actin. Studying the biological significance of proteins responsive to OA might ultimately convey us to improve sunflower lines with higher levels of resistance to Sclerotinia and help to control this devastating necrotrophic plant pathogen.
Field Nodulation in Nine Species of Casuarina in Victoria
Authors: Lawrie A.C
Published: November 2018

Field nodulation was examined in Victoria in nine species of Casuarina: C. cristata Miq.; C, littoralis Salisb.;
C. luehmannii R. T. Baker; C. monilifera L. A. S. Johnson; C. muelleriana Miq.; C. paludosa Sieber ex
Spreng.; C,paradoxa E. D. Macklin; C.pusilla E. D. Macklin; C. verticillata Lam. Of 336 plants examined at
77 sites, nodules were found on 46 plants (15%) at 13 sites (17%) and on only three species (C. littoralis, C.
paludosa and C. verticillata). No nodules were found at sites more than 70 km from the coast but nodules
were not found at all coastal sites. Nodulation in glasshouse experiments, in which seeds from each site were
grown in the corresponding habitat soil, confirmed field nodulation findings in 68 (88%) of sites; exceptions
were three sites of C.paludosa, three sites of C.paradoxa, one site of C.pusilla and two sites of C. verticillata
(within 200 km of the coast), in which glasshouse but not field nodulation was detected. The identity of the
nodules was confirmed microscopically by morphological similarity to known structure of actinorhizal
nodules. This is the first systematic survey of field nodulation in Victoria and the first record of nodulation in
C. paludosa and C. paradoxa.
Use of petiole analysis for assessment of vineyard nutrient status in the Barossa
district of South Australia
Authors: Robinson J.B , McCarthy M.G
Published: November 2018

Summary. A study of the petiole nutrient status
of cvv. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Rhine
Riesling (Vitis vinifera) was carried out in 19
vineyards of each in the Barossa Valley, South
Australia, during 1979 to 1982. The sampling unit
chosen was the petiole of leaves opposite
bunches, collected at flowering time.
Nitrogen status (assessed as nitrate
concentration) varied widely among vineyards
and high concentrations of nitrate could be associated
with use of organic materials (chicken
litter, winery marc) in the vineyards. Phosphorus
status was almost invariably higher than
necessary. Potassium, magnesium and chloride
status were usually high by Californian standards.
Of the trace elements, boron was low in 1979 to
1980 in some vineyards, but sufficient in other
years. Zinc and manganese were usually present
in sufficient quantities. Daily sampling of petioles
showed that nutrient levels during the flowering
period changed less dramatically in this region
than in California. Pre-bloom foliar sprays ofurea
with zinc had non-significant effects on petiole
nitrate concentration. Differences in nutrient
concentrations between the three cultivars were
detected in some years.
The standards used to interpret petiole analysis
data in California, while useful in the survey area,
required some modification for local use, and
working standards are proposed.
Reconciling measurement and modelling studies of the sources and fate of perfluorinated carboxylates
Authors: Cousins Ian T. , Kong Deguo , Vestergren Robin
Published: November 2018

Environmental contextFive years ago a well-cited review of the sources and fate of perfluorinated carboxylates was published. The findings of that review are revisited here in light of recently published measurement and modelling studies of the sources and fate of these compounds, and an attempt is made to reconcile the many seemingly disparate findings reported. This review also aims to provide a road map for future research on the sources and fate of perfluorinated carboxylates and related compounds.
AbstractThis study critically evaluates the recently published measurement and modelling studies of the sources and fate of perfluorinated carboxylates (PFCAs). It is concluded that modelling studies provide support to the ‘direct hypothesis’ for PFOA and PFNA (i.e. the global dominance of direct sources (mainly from fluoropolymer manufacturing)). Empirical evidence for the importance of direct sources of PFOA and PFNA is provided by PFNA : PFOA ratios and isomer profiles of PFOA in ocean water. However, homologue patterns of long-chain PFCAs in biota from remote regions suggest that indirect sources (mainly from precursor degradation) are proportionally more important for PFCAs with more than 10 carbons. Temporal data in biotic and abiotic media are reviewed and an increasing trend to 2000 is observed for all PFCAs, with discrepancies in time trends reported after that period. Some studies on temporal patterns report a levelling off or decline in the latter part of the 2000s for PFOA and PFNA, whereas others show a continual increase throughout the study period. Differences in temporal patterns result from the fact that some environments respond faster to emission changes than others and may thus be useful to elucidate the importance of direct and indirect sources to different regions.
A calcium sensor-interacting protein kinase negatively regulates salt stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa)
Authors: Rao Xiao-Lan , Zhang Xiu-Hong , Li Rong-Jun , Shi Hai-Tao , Lu Ying-Tang
Published: November 2018

Protein kinases are signal transduction factors that play a central role in acclimation. In this study, the function of a calcium sensor-interacting protein kinase, OsCIPK03, was characterised in the salt stress response of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Transgenic plants overexpressing OsCIPK03 exhibited an increased sensitivity to salt stress during both seed germination and seedling growth. By contrast, transgenic RNA interference lines that underexpressed OsCIPK03 were significantly more tolerant to NaCl stress than the wild-type. In response to salt stress, rice that underexpressed OsCIPK03 accumulated more proline than non-transformed plants. Furthermore, several stress-responsive genes were identified as being differentially expressed in the transgenic plants. Together, these results suggest that OsCIPK03 functions as a negative regulator of salt stress tolerance in rice.
The influence of genes regulating transmembrane transport of Na+ on the salt resistance of Aeluropus lagopoides
Authors: Ahmed Muhammad Zaheer , Shimazaki Takayoshi , Gulzar Salman , Kikuchi Akira , Gul Bilquees , Khan M. Ajmal , Koyro Hans–W. , Huchzermeyer Bernhard , Watanabe Kazuo N.
Published: November 2018

Plantlets of Aeluropus lagopoides (Linn.) Trin. Ex Thw. were grown at different NaCl concentrations (26, 167, 373 and 747 mM) for 3, 7 and 15 days; their growth, osmotic adjustment, gas exchange, ion compartmentalisation and expression of various genes related to Na+ flux was studied. Plantlets showed optimal growth in non-saline (control; 26 mM NaCl) solutions, whereas CO2/H2O gas exchange, leaf water concentration and water use efficiency decreased under all salinity treatments, accompanied by increased leaf senescence, root ash, sodium content and leaf osmolality. A decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) content with time was correlated with Na+ accumulation in the leaf apoplast and a concomitant increase in Na+ secretion rate. A. lagopoides accumulated a higher concentration of Na+ in root than in leaf vacuoles, corresponding with higher expression of V-NHX and lower expression of PM-NHX in root than leaf tissue. It appears that V-ATPase plays a vital role during Na+ transport by producing an electromotive force, driving ion transport. Leaf calcium increased with increasing salinity, with more rapid accumulation at high salinity than at low salinity, indicating a possible involvement of Ca2+ in maintaining K+ : Na+ ratio. Our results suggest that A. lagopoides successfully compartmentalised Na+ at salinities up to 373 mM NaCl by upregulating the gene expression of membrane linked transport proteins (V-NHX and PM-NHX). At higher salinity (747 mM NaCl), a reduction in the expression of V-NHX and PM-NHX in leaves without any change in the rate of salt secretion, is a possible cause of the toxicity of NaCl.
The bee genera Haplomelitta and Samba (Hymenoptera:Anthophila:Melittidae): phylogeny, biogeography and host plants
Authors: Michez Denis , Eardley Connal , Kuhlmann Michael , Timmermann Kim , Patiny Sébastien
Published: November 2018

Recent molecular phylogenetic data showed the Melittidae as the likely sister group to all other bees and indicated that proto-melittids could have been host-plant specialists originating in Africa. However, robust phylogenetic data at generic and species level are now needed for all melittid clades to test these hypotheses and investigate early melittid and bee evolution in general. The bee genera Haplomelitta and Samba, which comprise the former tribe Sambini (Hymenoptera : Melittidae), are revised here. The genera are endemic to the Afrotropical region, occurring in eastern and southern Africa. Previous studies hypothesised that Samba rendered Haplomelitta paraphyletic but a conclusive taxonomic decision was not proposed. By performing a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis based on five nuclear genes (28S, CAD, EF-1α (F2 copy), long-wavelength rhodopsin (opsin) and RNA polymerase II (RNAp); total 4179 bp) and morphological characters (34 characters), we here synonymise Haplomelitta with Samba. The genus is now subdivided into six subgenera containing 10 species, four of which are here described as new, namely: S. ascheri, S. gessorum, S. spinosa and S. rubigoinis. Moreover, we also considered biogeography, phenology and floral visitation data. Samba seems to have originated in southern Africa and later colonised eastern Africa. The ancestral host-plant foraging strategy was probably specialisation on one plant family (e.g. oligolectism). This result supports the hypothesis that the ancestor of bees arose in Africa and was a host-plant specialist.
Pedipalp sclerite homologies and phylogenetic placement of the spider genus Stemonyphantes (Linyphiidae, Araneae) and its implications for linyphiid phylogeny
Authors: Gavish-Regev Efrat , Hormiga Gustavo , Scharff Nikolaj
Published: November 2018

Male secondary genitalia (pedipalps) are useful characters for species discrimination in most spider families. Although efforts have been made to establish pedipalp sclerite homologies, there are still many inconsistencies in their use. The majority of the morphological characters used to reconstruct the linyphiid phylogeny address male genitalic variation; these inconsistencies may affect the phylogeny and our understanding of linyphiid evolution. Stemonyphantes Menge, 1866, has been hypothesised to be sister to all remaining Linyphiidae. However, despite the basal position of Stemonyphantes, its pedipalp sclerite homologies are not well understood and, along with its monophyly, have never been thoroughly tested in a phylogenetic context. We tested the homology of tegular and radical structures of five Stemonyphantes species to the known linyphioid and araneoid sclerites. All minimum-length trees found under all analytical methods used support Stemonyphantes monophyly and its placement as the sister group to all other Linyphiidae. Our study suggests that Stemonyphantes, unlike any other linyphiids, does have homologues of the araneoid median apophysis and conductor. As Stemonyphantes is the sister group of all other linyphiids, resolving its pedipalp sclerite homologies is critical for understanding sclerite homologies and the phylogeny of the entire family.
Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Western Australian troglobitic chthoniid pseudoscorpions (Pseudoscorpiones : Chthoniidae) points to multiple independent subterranean clades
Authors: Harrison Sophie E. , Guzik Michelle T. , Harvey Mark S. , Austin Andrew D.
Published: November 2018

The Yilgarn and Pilbara regions of Western Australia are considered biodiversity hotspots for subterranean invertebrates. While the relatively well studied (aquatic) stygofauna are typically constrained to geographically isolated habitats (‘subterranean islands’) and have likely originated from multiple independent epigean ancestors, the troglofauna found in cavernicolous calcretes and fractured rock remains largely unstudied. Here we focus on the pseudoscorpion genera Tyrannochthonius Chamberlin, 1929 and Lagynochthonius Beier, 1951, as common components of the troglofauna, to determine whether they also display highly restricted distributional patterns, and have independent origins. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of sequence data from the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and the small subunit 18S nuclear genes for subterranean and epigean species from both genera reveal divergent mtDNA lineages that are restricted to single aquifers and/or geographic locations. This strong geographic structuring of troglobitic pseudoscorpions is indicative of short-range endemism and supports the ‘subterranean island’ hypothesis. Further, independent sister relationships between subterranean and epigean taxa indicate multiple invasions into subterranean habitats, likely driven by post-Miocene aridification, consistent with that predicted for the stygofauna. The phylogeny also reveals that Tyrannochthonius + Lagynochthonius is monophyletic but that Lagynochthonius is polyphyletic and nested inside Tyrannochthonius. The results of this study point to common processes that have shaped the diversity and uniqueness of both stygofaunal and troglofaunal communities in Western Australia.
Hedera caerulescens (Alcyonacea : Alcyoniidae), a new genus and species of soft coral from the temperate North Atlantic: invasive in its known range?
Authors: Conti-Jerpe I. E. , Freshwater D. W.
Published: November 2018

We describe a novel alcyoniid species of stoloniferous octocoral found off the coast of North Carolina, USA. Colonies have an encrusting morphology with pale to bright blue monomorphic polyps connected by spongy, sclerite-dense stolons that often form mats. Sclerites are colourless and sparsely tubercled. Sclerites of the stolons are predominantly spindles and rods with rare irregular fused forms, butterflies, and crosses. Polyps have a crown and points formation that consists of rods and spindles that can be curved or irregularly branched. Tentacles contain short flattened rods and rare crosses. Both the mitochondria-encoded COI-5P and mtMutS were sequenced and BLAST searches revealed no close homology with any previously sequenced species. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequence data suggested a closest relationship with species of Alcyonium Linnaeus, 1758 (Alcyoniidae) and Gersemia Marenzeller, 1877 (Nephtheidae) and supported the recognition of a new genus. This species was not previously reported in the Carolinas region despite extensive historical sampling and a recently published key to octocorals of the South Atlantic Bight. Reports and photographs from local divers suggest that this species may have been introduced in North Carolina waters ~2002–04, where it has been found on both shipwrecks and hard bottom ledges, at 13–34m depth.
A sulfur-stable-isotope-based screening tool for assessing impact of acid sulfate soils on waterways
Authors: Kilminster Kieryn , Cartwright Ian
Published: November 2018

Early warning indicators for waterways affected by acid sulfate soils (ASS) are valuable tools for water management organisations. Oxidised ASS may discharge high concentrations of metals, acid and sulfur to surrounding water. The origin of sulfate may be determined by δ34S values. δ34S values of dissolved sulfate in ~300 samples of fresh, brackish and estuarine surface water from south-west Western Australia ranged from –6.6 to 31.4‰ (Cañon Diablo Troilite). An indicator was developed based on [SO42–], [Cl–] and δ34S that categorised samples into groups with similar isotopic influences (iso-groups). Signals of disturbed ASS were identified in ~4.5% of sites. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that water quality had deteriorated at ASS-influenced sites. Although highly variable, average aluminium concentrations were higher (up to 0.12 mg L–1, compared with <0.05 mg L–1 elsewhere) in samples that are influenced by ASS disturbance. The categorisation of samples into iso-groups provides a simple tool to prioritise sites for further investigation. This study shows that δ34S values provide an early warning indicator for water affected by disturbed ASS, particularly in localities where rainfall is marine dominated with a similar δ34S to seawater.
Intrinsic processes causing periodic changes in stability in a shallow biomanipulated lake
Authors: Tátrai István , György Ágnes I. , Mátyás Kálmán , Korponai János , Pomogyi Piroska , Vári Ágnes , Józsa Vilmos , Boros Gergely
Published: November 2018

Shallow lakes experience alternative states in their biotic organisation over time. In this study, we analysed a long-term dataset on the recovery from eutrophication of a shallow hypertrophic lake (Lake Major, Hungary) following fish manipulation. Disturbances in the food web triggered a shift, markedly affecting both abiotic and biotic variables. Clear and turbid states of Lake Major over the period 1999–2009 were defined by concentrations of chlorophyll-a. Lake Major in a clear-water state had higher transparency and submerged macrophyte cover, lower turbidity and fish biomass, and total phosphorus was relatively low compared to that shown during the turbid-water state. It follows from our study that a regime shift from a turbid state to a clear state can be expected in response to fish manipulation. Reduction in fish biomass increases light conditions, decreases internal nutrient loading and promotes macrophyte dispersion. Food-web effects appear to be considerable in these shallow lakes containing benthic fishes. The roles of phosphorus and submerged macrophytes are essential in maintenance of alternative states of vegetation in shallow lakes of various climatic zones.
Age and growth dynamics of spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, in the Adriatic Sea (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)
Authors: Gračan Romana , Heppell Scott A. , Lacković Gordana , Lazar Bojan
Published: November 2018

This research provides the first information on age and growth estimates for the endangered Mediterranean subpopulation of spiny dogfish, a commercially exploited shark, highly sensitive to overexploitation. We collected samples from 206 specimens caught by commercial bottom trawls in the Adriatic Sea, and utilising three ageing protocols achieved good agreement between the readings (average percentage error=1.65%). Four growth models were fitted to length-at-age and weight-at-age data, for each sex separately. The Gompertz growth model produced the statistically best fit resulting in the following parameters: k values for males and females were 0.09 and 0.04 year–1, size-at-birth ranged from 22.9 to 24.1-cm total length, with a theoretical asymptotic length of 103.3cm for males and 173.3cm for females. The age at 50% maturity was 10.5 years for males and 20.1 years for females. The maximum age was estimated at 23 years for males and 36 years for females, with natural mortality estimates of 0.12 for males and 0.07 for females. As a result of reported demographic parameter estimates, high fishing effort and particularly low resilience of the species to exploitation, it is important to produce proper species-specific management strategy for the spiny dogfish in the region.
Stomach content analysis of a Dugong (Dugong dugon) from South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Erftemeijer PLA , Djunarli  , Moka W
Published: November 2018

A quantitative analysis of the stomach contents of an individual female dugong (Dugong dugon) caught
by fishermen in February 1991 in the coastal waters of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, is presented. Of the
total dry weight of digesta (about 3.4 kg), 98.9% consisted of seagrass material. Rhizome and root
material of smaller pioneering genera (i.e. Halophila, Halodule, Cymodocea) accounted for 71.5%
of the total dry weight. Enhalus acoroides dominated among leaf material (about 50%), but its
contribution to the total biomass of the stomach contents was only 13.5%. Rhizome material of
Enhalus and Thalassia was absent. The amount of sediment in the stomach was negligible. The results
are compared with those from similar studies, and the implications for possible feeding selectivity
are discussed.
Metal adsorption onto and desorption from sediments. II. Artifact effects
Authors: Jenne EA
Published: November 2018

Several published adsorption and desorption (sorption) data sets have been recalculated and replotted in the course of developing and testing data-linearization techniques. Data sets that yielded results that appeared anomalous and two other data sets, one with adsorption time series for several metals and another with extensive particle size data, are examined in detail to better understand the factors that result in sorption data artifacts. Drying (and certain other pretreatments), uncontrolled (and frequently unmeasured) pH, unknown valence changes of redox-sensitive metals, unmonitored bacterial growth, and experimentally imposed differences in time-to-equilibrium were found to contribute to the large uncertainties in much of the published sorption data.
Sediment contamination by heavy metals in a lock-regulated section of the River Neckar
Authors: Kern U , Westrich B
Published: November 2018

For a lock-regulated reach of the River Neckar at Lauffen, Germany, results from sediment core analysis are presented. It is observed that sediment layers with a high concentration of heavy metals, especially cadmium, are covered by younger, less polluted sediment layers. A principal component analysis separated the parameters measured into three groups: heavy metals from human activities (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn), metals from natural sources (Co, Fe, Mn), and inorganic carbon. Within the fine-grained sediment fraction containing particles smaller than 20 μm, a higher concentration of anthropogenic trace metals was found in fine-grained samples than in coarse-grained samples, whereas Co, Fe and Mn showed the opposite tendency. Obviously, this is due to two different sources of fine-grained material: sewage flocs and natural erosion particles. Acid-producing capacity (APC) and acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) are calculated for both pore water and particulate matter of the sediment. At a depth of 20 cm, APC and ANC are controlled by the sediment matrix. ANC, which is due to calcium carbonate, is 20 times higher than APC, which is predominantly due to reduced sulfur components. Therefore, oxidation of sediment of the River Neckar does not lead to acidification.
Sediment transport in the lower Saginaw River
Authors: Cardenas M , Gailani J , Zeigler CK , Lick W
Published: November 2018

A study of the resuspension, deposition and transport of sediments and the resulting changes in bathymetry in the lower part of the Saginaw River in Michigan has been made. The numerical model used in this study consists of a two-dimensional, vertically integrated, time-dependent hydrodynamic and transport model coupled with a three-dimensional, time-dependent model of the dynamics of the sediment bed and its properties. Transport of sediment as suspended load and bed load was included in the analysis. In the numerical calculations, curvilinear coordinates were used. For verification of the model, results of numerical calculations of changes in the thickness of the sediment bed due to time-varying flow events were compared with bathyrnetric measurements taken at nine transects on the river on 28 August 1991 and 13 May 1992. From the transect measurements, from measurements of flow rates and sediment concentrations, and from the numerical modelling, a reasonably accurate description of the sediment transport and the resulting bathymetric changes has been made. The calculations and observations show that resuspension/deposition, bed load, and slumping are significant factors in changing the bathymetry. It is also shown that the largest flows are responsible for most of the sediment erosion and deposition and must therefore be understood and considered in detail. An approximate procedure for making long-term (1 to 25 year) calculations is presented and discussed. This procedure greatly reduces the required computer time but still maintains the required accuracy for the prediction of sediment and contaminant transport and fate.
Local Stability Analysis of Three-dimensional Magnetically Confined Plasmas
Authors: Lewandowski J. L. V.
Published: November 2018

Local stability analysis of three-dimensional magnetically confined plasmas is
presented using the energy principle. Fluid displacements with long parallel
wavelengths by short perpendicular are retained. To lowest order in the mode
fluteness the total energy density variation depends on the local magnetic
shear, normal and geodesic magnetic curvatures, parallel current density, and
magnetic field strength. The perpendicular fluid displacement is written in
terms of a slowly-varying amplitude and a phase angle which varies rapidly in
(or across) the magnetic surface. Assuming that the fluid displacement is
quasi-incompressible, the solution for the phase angle is found in two
limiting cases. Local stability analysis of stellarators with low or strong
global magnetic shear is discussed.
An Atom-optical Maxwell Demon
Authors: Milburn G. J.
Published: November 2018

The separation, by an optical standing wave, of a beam of two-level atoms
prepared in a thermal mixture of ground and excited states, is considered as
an example of a Maxwell demon. By including the momentum exchanged with the
cavity, it is shown how no violation of the second law is possible. A
classical and quantum analysis is given which illustrates this principle in
some detail.
How much land is needed for feral pig hunting in Hawai‘i?
Authors: Hess Steven C , Jocobi James D
Published: November 2018

Hunting is often considered to be incompatible with conservation of native biota and watershed functions in Hawai‘i.
Management actions for conservation generally exclude large non-native mammals from natural areas, thereby reducing
the amount of land area available for hunting activities and the maintenance of sustainable game populations. An
approach which may be useful in addressing the necessary minimum amount of land area allocated for hunting in
Hawai‘i is to determine the amount of land area necessary for sustaining populations of hunted animals to meet current
levels harvested by the public. We ask: What is the total amount of land necessary to provide sustained-yield hunting
of game meat for food at the current harvest level on Hawai‘i Island if only feral pigs (Sus scrofa) were to be harvested?
We used a simplistic analysis to estimate that 1 317.6 km2–1 651.4 km2 would be necessary to produce 187 333.6
kg of feral pig meat annually based on the range of dressed weight per whole pig, the proportion of a pig population
that can be sustainably removed annually, and the density of pig populations in the wild. This amount of area comprises
12.6–15.8% of the total land area of Hawai‘i Island, but more likely represents 27.6–43.5% of areas that may be
compatible with sustained-yield hunting.