bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indicador nacional de alfabetismo funcional-2001: explorando as diferenças entre mulheres e homens
Authors: Artes Amélia Cristina Abreu
Published: February 2008

Este trabalho se insere em um conjunto de estudos na área educacional que investigam as diferenças nos resultados que homens e mulheres apresentam em pesquisas educacionais. O Indicador Nacional de Alfabetismo Funcional é composto por um teste com 20 questões de dificuldade variada, que mensura como as pessoas utilizam-se da escrita e da leitura em seus espaços cotidianos, tendo sido desenvolvido pelo Instituto Paulo Montenegro (IBOPE) e Ação Educativa e aplicado a uma amostra estratificada da população brasileira, composta de 2.000 pessoas (15 a 64 anos). Os resultados indicam que as mulheres apresentam um resultado melhor em todas as questões do teste na comparação com os homens. Utilizando o conceito de gênero e afastando-se da dicotomia homem-mulher, trabalhou-se com três grupos ocupacionais: homens que trabalham; mulheres que trabalham fora e donas-de-casa. A análise inferencial realizada indica que as diferenças entre as proporções médias de acertos nos três grupos ocupacionais são significativas, uma vez controladas as cinco variáveis preditoras (escolaridade, idade, cor, Critério Brasil e gosto por leitura). Isso sugere que as diferenças encontradas entre os grupos independem dessas variáveis preditoras. Na análise questão a questão, observa-se que, para nove destas, as mulheres que trabalham apresentam um desempenho médio superior aos homens que trabalham ou donas-de-casa. O que mais surpreende é que em três questões as donas-de-casa apresentam um desempenho significativamente superior aos homens que trabalham.
Pearl and Ronda: Revaluing Mothers' Literate Lives to Imagine New Relationships Between Homes and Elementary Schools
Authors: Whitmore Kathryn F. , Norton‐Meier Lori A.
Published: February 2008

Stories about Pearl Bright and Ronda Thompson (pseudonyms), two mothers whose literacy lives offered possibilities for new relationships with their children's elementary school, are recounted in this article. Negative personal schooling histories and lack of academic successes kept Pearl from trusting the educational system and motivated Ronda to make every effort to be intimately engaged in parent involvement opportunities. Both women voiced and acted out a sense of inadequacy in the school context that they didn't demonstrate in other aspects of their families' lives. However, Pearl was an avid reader, writer, poet, and naturalist. Ronda was a constant reader and writer who regularly shared advanced knowledge about gourmet cooking and the food industry with her family. When these women's funds of knowledge and uses of family literacy were validated in the academic and social culture of the school, shifts occurred in the tenor of their home–school relationships.
Local Knowledge and Digital Movie Composing in an After‐School Literacy Program
Authors: Brass Jory J.
Published: February 2008

A Latino teenager participated in an after school digital movie composing program called the Technology and Literacy Project. As a student of color previously identified as at risk for school failure, Horatio's case speaks to a common discrepancy highlighted in sociocultural literacy scholarship. He was competent and engaged with numerous literacies outside of school; however, he was not nearly as successful with school‐based measures of literacy achievement. This study examines critical incidents in Horatio's composing process to understand how he appropriated symbolic materials and cultural practices from his out‐of‐school worlds for use in a complex digital movie text. In doing so, the study demonstrates how increasing students' opportunities to draw upon their local knowledge can facilitate sophisticated textual work, as well as problematize what counts as literacy achievement in secondary schools.
Going Beyond the Fab Five: Helping Students Cope With the Unique Linguistic Challenges of Expository Reading in Intermediate Grades
Authors: Fang Zhihui
Published: February 2008

As students transition from primary to intermediate grades, the kind of materials that they are expected to read and write become more heavily dominated by expository texts. Expository texts contain grammatical patterns that are distinct from those used in primary‐grade storybooks. These linguistic features pose new comprehension challenges for students.

This article identifies some of the special linguistic features of expository texts and describes several classroom‐based strategies for helping students develop insights on the language through which expository texts are constructed. It argues that reading instruction for intermediate grades needs to go beyond the “Fab Five” (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension strategies) endorsed by the National Reading Panel in the United States to include tasks that specifically address the unique linguistic challenges of expository reading.
Around the Block and Around the World: Teaching Literacy Across Cultures
Authors: Williams Bronwyn T.
Published: February 2008

As the use of English spreads around the world, it is important to remember that there is not now just one English but multiple “world englishes.” Many scholars and teachers have argued that language changes to adapt to different cultural contexts. This world of rapid cross‐cultural communication is the world in which our students read and write. In fact, many students, through e‐mail, instant messaging, or online games, are already engaged in reading and writing with young people in other countries. They live their literate lives with increasing contact with people in countries they may never visit, and their literate identities will be read by people in cultures unfamiliar to them.

Such literacy practices should make teachers question how best to teach reading and writing in an age of cross‐cultural communication. We need to help students explore how multiple world englishes influence how standardized English is taught and how it is affected by issues of language, culture, and power. Finally, we must find ways to use the new technologies that allow us to communicate across borders as pedagogical tools to teach students about writing and reading in a cross‐cultural world.
What's Your News? Portraits of a Rich Language and Literacy Activity for English‐Language Learners
Authors: Manyak Patrick C.
Published: February 2008

In this article the author draws on two years of research in English immersion classes to present a detailed portrait of a rich language and literacy activity for young English‐language learners (ELLs). The activity, daily news, fostered ELL students' enthusiastic participation and created an excellent context for the teachers to scaffold the students' oral language development, bring the students' primary language and cultural experiences into the classroom, and offer explicit instruction and meaningful practice in spelling patterns and writing skills. Through excerpts of transcripts and field notes that capture a number of actual classroom interactions, the author provides concrete examples of powerful teaching principles for ELL students.
Variation in the chloride threshold level for steel corrosion in concrete arising from different chloride sources
Authors: Ryou J. S. , Ann K. Y.
Published: February 2008

In order to compare the role of chlorides from internal and external sources in corroding, the steel bar in concrete/mortar, the chloride threshold level (CTL), corrosion resistance, chloride transport, observation of the steel– concrete/mortar interface and the pH-dependent release of bound chlorides were examined. As binders, ordinary Portland cement (OPC), 30% pulverised fuel ash (pfa), 60% ground granulated blastfurnace slag (ggbs) and 10% silica fume (SF) were used. For external chlorides, the onset of corrosion was detected by a jump of the galvanic current and for internal chloride the corrosion rate was measured using a polarisation technique to determine the CTL. As a result, the variation in the CTL was marginal, despite the different chloride source, but binder type greatly affected the corrosion behaviour and the CTL: OPC concretes/mortars provided the highest resistance to chloride-induced corrosion and the highest CTL, and the polarisation resistance was also the greatest before depassivation, compared to the mixtures with pozzolanic materials. For the rate of chloride transport, 60% ggbs concretes produced the lowest diffusivity, while OPC produced the highest. The visual examination of the steel–concrete interface showed that corrosion always starts in the voids in contact with the steel bar, because of a higher reactive environment. In addition, it was found that acid soluble chlorides indicate only about 90% of total.
Efficient Schemes for Reducing Numerical Dispersion in Modeling Multiphase Transport through Heterogeneous Geological Media
Authors: Wu Yu‐Shu , Forsyth P. A.
Published: February 2008

When modeling transport of chemicals or solute in realistic large‐scale subsurface systems, numerical issues are a serious concern, even with the continual progress made over the past few decades in both simulation algorithms and computer hardware. The problem becomes even more difficult when dealing with chemical transport in a vadose zone or multiphase flow system using coarse, multidimensional regular or irregular grids because of the known effects of numerical dispersion associated with moving plume fronts. We have investigated several total variation diminishing (TVD) or flux‐limiter schemes by implementing and testing them in the T2R3D code, one of the TOUGH2 family of codes. The objectives of this paper are (i) to investigate the possibility of applying these TVD schemes, using multidimensional irregular unstructured grids, and (ii) to help select more accurate spatial averaging methods for simulating chemical transport, given a numerical grid or spatial discretization. We present an application example to show that such TVD schemes can effectively reduce numerical dispersion.
Evaluating Ground Penetrating Radar Use for Water Infiltration Monitoring
Authors: Saintenoy Albane , Schneider Sébastien , Tucholka Piotr
Published: February 2008

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was tested to monitor water infiltration in sand. Water was injected down an 81‐cm‐long tube placed in a hole, with a piezometer recording the depth of water and a tap valve used to adjust it to 15 cm ± 2 cm above the bottom of the tube. During the 20 min of infiltration, a GPR system recorded a trace every second, with its transmitter and receiver antennae at a fixed offset position on the surface. The signal, enhanced by differential correction, allowed tracing of the evolution of the top and bottom limits of the water bulb in space and time. Comparison with hydrodynamic modeling of the infiltration process and simulated radargrams proved that the GPR reflections traced the wetting front and the saturation bulb. A quantified estimation of the evolution of the top border of the wetting zone is provided.
Soil Moisture Measurement for Ecological and Hydrological Watershed‐Scale Observatories: A Review
Authors: Robinson D. A. , Campbell C. S. , Hopmans J. W. , Hornbuckle B. K. , Jones S. B. , Knight R. , Ogden F. , Selker J. , Wendroth O.
Published: February 2008

At the watershed scale, soil moisture is the major control for rainfall–runoff response, especially where saturation excess runoff processes dominate. From the ecological point of view, the pools of soil moisture are fundamental ecosystem resources providing the transpirable water for plants. In drylands particularly, soil moisture is one of the major controls on the structure, function, and diversity in ecosystems. In terms of the global hydrological cycle, the overall quantity of soil moisture is small, ∼0.05%; however, its importance to the global energy balance and the distribution of precipitation far outweighs its physical amount. In soils it governs microbial activity that affects important biogeochemical processes such as nitrification and CO2 production via respiration. During the past 20 years, technology has advanced considerably, with the development of different electrical sensors for determining soil moisture at a point. However, modeling of watersheds requires areal averages. As a result, point measurements and modeling grid cell data requirements are generally incommensurate. We review advances in sensor technology, particularly emerging geophysical methods and distributed sensors, aimed at bridging this gap. We consider some of the data analysis methods for upscaling from a point to give an areal average. Finally, we conclude by offering a vision for future research, listing many of the current scientific and technical challenges.
Expression and Distribution of Laminin Chains in the Testis for Patients With Azoospermia
Authors: Ooba Takeshi , Ishikawa Tomomoto , Yamaguchi Kohei , Kondo Yutaka , Sakamoto Yuichi , Fujisawa Masato
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT: The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between the expression of laminin in the testis and spermatogenesis, and the basement membrane (BM) of testicular tubules in fertile and infertile men. Testicular tissue samples were collected from the testes of 9 patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA), 9 patients with maturation arrest (MA), and 15 patients with Sertoli cell—only syndrome (SCO). In testicular tissue, laminin was identified by staining with polyclonal antibodies. Serum follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), lutenizing hormone (LH), and testosterone were determined by chemiluminescence assays. In seminal plasma, laminin was estimated using a double‐antibody enzyme immunoassay. BM thickness was significantly correlated with testicular tubule diameter (r = −0.49, P = .004) and FSH (r = 0.52, P = .008). The β2 chain of laminin was most expressed on the inner BM of testicular tubules. The laminin index for the β2 chain in SCO was significantly higher than in OA (P < .0001) and MA (P = .03). The mean seminal laminin levels in SCO were significantly lower than in OA (P < .001). We demonstrated that overabundance of the β2 chain of laminin is associated with increased BM thickness and is possibly related to spermatogenic dysfunction.
Associations Between Diabetes and Clinical Markers of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Among Community-Dwelling Black and White Men
Authors: Sarma Aruna V. , Burke James P. , Jacobson Debra J. , McGree Michaela E. , St. Sauver Jennifer , Girman Cynthia J. , Lieber Michael M. , Herman William , Macoska Jill , Montie James E. , Jacobsen Steven J.
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE—The aim of this study was to examine associations between diabetes and clinical markers of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in community-dwelling white and black men aged 40–79 years.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Data from the Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms and Health Status and the Flint Men's Health Study were combined for a total study sample of 2,484 men. Severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), peak urinary flow rates, prostate volume, and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were examined by self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes.

RESULTS—Overall, 170 men (6.8%) reported a history of diabetes. Increased irritative LUTS and specifically nocturia were positively associated with diabetes. These patterns were consistent across race and persisted after adjustment for age, BMI, and various indicators of socioeconomic status. Furthermore, the relationship between irritative LUTS and diabetes was greater in black men. No significant associations were observed between diabetes and prostate volume, PSA level, and peak urinary flow rate.

CONCLUSIONS—Our multiethnic community-based study demonstrates positive associations between diabetes and irritative LUTS and nocturia. Moreover, the association between irritative LUTS and diabetes is increased in black men. There was no strong evidence for an association between diabetes and BPH across measures more specific to BPH (i.e., prostate volume, PSA, and peak urinary flow rate). Taken together, our findings suggest that the presence of diabetes may be less related to prostate growth and more related to the dynamic components of lower urinary tract function. Further evaluations of the association between diabetes and BPH and related racial variations are warranted.
Spanish Diabetes Self-Management With and Without Automated Telephone Reinforcement
Authors: Lorig Kate , Ritter Philip L. , Villa Frank , Piette John D.
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE—To determine 1) whether participants in the Spanish Diabetes Self-Management Program (SDSMP), when compared at 6 months to randomized control subjects, would demonstrate improvements in health status, health behaviors, and self-efficacy; and 2) whether SDSMP participants receiving monthly automated telephone reinforcement would maintain improvements at 18 months better than those not receiving reinforcement.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 567 Spanish-speaking adults with type 2 diabetes were randomized to a usual-care control group or 6-week community-based, peer-led SDSMP. SDSMP participants were re-randomized to receive 15 months of automated telephone messages or no reinforcement. A1C was measured at baseline and 6 and 18 months. All other data were collected by self-administered questionnaires.

RESULTS—At 6 months SDSMP participants compared with control subjects demonstrated improvements in A1C (−0.4%), health distress, symptoms of hypo- and hyperglycemia, and self-efficacy (P < 0.05). At 18 months all improvements persisted (P < 0.05). SDSMP participants also demonstrated improvements in self-rated health and communication with physicians, had fewer emergency room visits (−0.18 visits in 6 months, P < 0.05), and trended toward fewer visits to physicians. At 18 months the only difference between reinforced and nonreinforced participants was increased glucose monitoring for the reinforcement group.

CONCLUSIONS—The SDSMP demonstrated effectiveness in lowering A1C and improving health status. Reinforcement did not add to its effectiveness. Given the high needs of the Spanish-speaking population, the SDSMP deserves consideration for implementation.
Skin Autofluorescence
Authors: Gerrits Esther G. , Lutgers Helen L. , Kleefstra Nanne , Graaff Reindert , Groenier Klaas H. , Smit Andries J. , Gans Rijk O. , Bilo Henk J.
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE—Skin autofluorescence is a noninvasive measure of the level of tissue accumulation of advanced glycation end products, representing cumulative glycemic and oxidative stress. Recent studies have already shown a relationship between skin autofluorescence and diabetes complications, as well as the predictive value of skin autofluorescence for total and cardiovascular mortality in type 2 diabetes. Our aim was to investigate the predictive value of skin autofluorescence for the development of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—At baseline, skin autofluorescence of 973 type 2 diabetic patients with well-controlled diabetes was noninvasively measured with an autofluorescence reader. The aggregate clinical outcome was defined as the development of any diabetes-associated microvascular complication of 881 surviving patients, which was assessed at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Single end points were the development of diabetes-associated retinopathy, neuropathy, and (micro)albuminuria.

RESULTS—After a mean follow-up period of 3.1 years, baseline skin autofluorescence was significantly higher in patients who developed any microvascular complication, neuropathy, or (micro)albuminuria but not in those who developed retinopathy. Multivariate analyses showed skin autofluorescence as a predictor for development of any microvascular complication along with A1C, for development of neuropathy along with smoking, and for development of (micro)albuminuria together with sex, A1C, and diabetes duration. Skin autofluorescence did not have predictive value for the development of retinopathy, albeit diabetes duration did.

CONCLUSIONS—Our study is the first observation of skin autofluorescence measurement as an independent predictor of development of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes.
Sources and consequences of seed size variation inLupinus perennis(Fabaceae): adaptive and non‐adaptive hypotheses
Authors: Halpern Stacey L.
Published: February 2008

Seed size variation within species and individuals is common. This variation may be adaptive in heterogeneous landscapes if the fitness consequences of seed size differ among environments or through time. Variation may also arise from constraints that limit control of seed size. I manipulated resource availability in both maternal and offspring environments to test conditions underlying these explanations for seed size variation in the herbaceous perennialLupinus perennis. A fivefold variation in seed size arose primarily from differences among individuals and within‐plant variability rather than from environmental conditions manipulated in the experiment. Environmental conditions had little effect on mean seed size; in contrast, within‐plant variation in seed size increased with reduced resources. Fitness benefits from large seed size were similar across offspring environments, suggesting that environmental heterogeneity alone may not maintain seed size variation in this species. Surprisingly, seed size affected long‐term fitness measures, including a plant's size and probability of flowering through its second year. These results are consistent with non‐adaptive but not adaptive explanations for seed size variation. They also suggest that offspring size variation per se may contribute to variation in maternal fitness.
Leaf optical responses to light and soil nutrient availability in temperate deciduous trees
Authors: Baltzer J. L. , Thomas S. C.
Published: February 2008

Leaf optical parameters influence light availability at the cellular, leaf, and canopy scale of integration. While recent studies have focused on leaf optical responses to acute plant stress, the effects of changes in plant resources on leaf optics remain poorly characterized. We examined leaf optical and anatomical responses of five temperate deciduous tree species to moderate changes in nutrient and light availability. Spectral reflectance in the visible waveband generally increased at high light, but decreased with increased nutrient availability. Patterns of both spectral reflectance and absorptance were primarily determined by chlorophyll concentration although carotenoid concentration was also influential. While most anatomical features did not explain residual variation in reflectance, cuticle thickness was significantly related to reflectance at complementary angles compared to the angle of incidence. Absorptance did not change with light environment; however, absorption efficiency per unit biomass increased by approximately 40% under low light, due to reduced leaf mass per area. We conclude that changes in resource availability differentially influence leaf optical properties and that such changes are driven primarily by changes in pigment concentrations. The magnitude of leaf optical responses to moderate changes in resource availability was comparable to those of acute stress responses and varied among species.
Shirleya grahamaegen. et sp. nov. (Lythraceae),Lagerstroemia‐like fruits from the middle Miocene Yakima Canyon flora, central Washington State, USA
Authors: Pigg Kathleen B. , DeVore Melanie L.
Published: February 2008

Shirleya grahamaePigg & DeVore gen. et sp. nov. (Lythraceae) is established for silicified fruits from the middle Miocene Yakima Canyon of central Washington State, USA. The capsules are 10 mm long × 11.5–12.5 mm wide, enclosed in a persistent floral tube and contain 5–7 locules. They are loculicidally dehiscent, fracturing into fragments and leaving the central axis free. Placentation is axile. Five to seven mature seeds are tightly packed per locule, often with several smaller seeds. Seeds are winged, anatropous, and narrowly attached subapically to the central axis, curving basally and radially within the fruit. They are up to ∼4.6 mm long × 1.9 mm wide, with a small, triangular embryo cavity and a prominent distal wing. The inflated wing is filled with a bilobed parenchymatous pad of tissue with a central cavity.Shirleya grahamaeis assigned to the Lythraceae, and is most similar toLagerstroemia, based on the synapomorphies of distally winged seeds and revolute cotyledons.Shirleyadiffers fromLagerstroemiain seed arrangement, and pericarp and wing anatomy. This study provides the first anatomical information about a MioceneLagerstroemia‐like fruit and documents further diversity of the Lythraceae in the Neogene of northwestern North America.
Molecular systematics of the Catesbaeeae‐Chiococceae complex (Rubiaceae): flower and fruit evolution and biogeographic implications
Authors: Motley Timothy J. , Wurdack Kenneth J. , Delprete Piero G.
Published: February 2008

The classification of the Catesbaeeae and Chiococceae tribes, along with that of the entire Rubiaceae, has long been debated. The Catesbaeeae‐Chiococceae complex (CCC) includes approximately 28 genera and 190 species primarily concentrated in the Greater Antilles (nearly 70% of the species), Central and South America, and in the western Pacific (three genera). Previous molecular studies, with broad sampling of the Rubiaceae, have shown the CCC to be a monophyletic group. The present study is a more detailed examination of the generic relationships within the CCC using two data sets, the nuclear ribosomal ITS regions and thetrnL‐Fchloroplast intron and spacer. Maximum parsimony analyses lend further support to the previous hypotheses that the CCC is monophyletic and sister toStrumpfia maritima. However, within the complex several genera do not form monophyletic groups. Previous studies of the Rubiaceae suggest that the ancestral fruit type in the CCC is a multiseeded capsule. Indehiscent, fleshy fruits appear to have evolved three to four times within this lineage. Changes in floral morphologies within the complex tend to correspond to cladogenesis among and within genera. Finally, molecular analyses suggest one or possibly two long‐distance dispersals from the Americas to the western Pacific.
Pollen ontogeny in Brasenia (Cabombaceae, Nymphaeales)
Authors: Taylor Mackenzie L , Osborn Jeffrey M
Published: February 2008

Brasenia is a monotypic genus sporadically distributed throughout the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Africa. It is one of eight genera that comprise the two families of Nymphaeales, or water lilies: Cabombaceae (Brasenia, Cabomba) and Nymphaeaceae (Victoria, Euryale, Nymphaea, Ondinea, Barclaya, Nuphar). Evidence from a range of studies indicates that Nymphaeales are among the most primitive angiosperms. Despite their phylogenetic utility, pollen developmental characters are not well known in Brasenia. This paper is the first to describe the complete pollen developmental sequence in Brasenia schreberi. Anthers at the microspore mother cell, tetrad, free microspore, and mature pollen grain stages were studied using combined scanning electron, transmission electron, and light microscopy. Both tetragonal and decussate tetrads have been identified in Brasenia, indicating successive microsporogenesis. The exine is tectate‐columellate. The tetrad stage proceeds rapidly, and the infratectal columellae are the first exine elements to form. Development of the tectum and the foot layer is initiated later during the tetrad stage, with the tectum forming discontinuously. The endexine lamellae form during the free microspore stage, and their development varies in the apertural and non‐apertural regions of the pollen wall. Degradation of the secretory tapetum also occurs during the free microspore stage. Unlike other water lilies, Brasenia is wind‐pollinated, and several pollen characters appear to be correlated with this pollination syndrome. The adaptive significance of these characters, in contrast to those of the fly‐pollinated genus Cabomba, has been considered. Brasenia does not produce pollenkitt nor develop tectal microchannels as does Cabomba. Instead, the discontinuity of the tectum reduces the amount of sporopollenin in the wall, which may allow for more effective wind dispersal. The importance of reassessing palynological characters in light of new ontogenetic data and the phylogenetic implications of this reevaluation are also discussed.
The revision of species‐rich genera: a phylogenetic framework for the strategic revision of Pilea (Urticaceae) based on cpDNA, nrDNA, and morphology
Authors: Monro Alex K
Published: February 2008

The revision of species‐rich genera underpins research and supports the sustainable use and monitoring of biological diversity. One fifth to one quarter of the diversity of all seed plant species occurs in such genera, but difficulties with the revision of species‐rich genera has resulted in many of them being ignored since the late 1800s. Pilea, with 600–715 species is in need of revision. The only realistic approach is in manageable subunits, which requires confirmation of monophyly and identification of monophyletic subdivisions. Parsimony analyses of trnL‐F, ITS, and morphology data were used to test the monophyly of, and explore intrageneric relationships within, Pilea. Analysis of trnL‐F data confirms and recovers two morphologically diagnosable monophyletic clades that include all of the taxa within Pilea. Overlaying geographic distribution on a most parsimonious tree indicates a strong association between geography and phylogenetic relatedness. It is suggested that a strategic revision within the framework of morphologically and geographically diagnosable units might enable the revision of the group using an iterative approach. Analysis of the outgroup taxa supports the inclusion of Poikilospermum within the Urticaceae and suggests that the Urticaceae tribes could be placed into two clades that are supported by floral morphology.
Species divergence and relationships in Stephanomeria (Compositae): PgiC phylogeny compared to prior biosystematic studies
Authors: Ford V. S , Lee Joongku , Baldwin B. G , Gottlieb L. D
Published: February 2008

We present a maximum likelihood tree of 41 PgiC sequences for the monophyletic Stephanomeria, with 10 perennial and six annual species, widely distributed in western North America and exemplary of different speciation processes. The phylogenetic analysis represents the first use of PgiC sequences for Compositae. The annual species were originally delimited by biosystematic studies that provided evidence of their reproductive compatibility and chromosome structural homology. The perennial species are highly distinctive in morphology and have not been examined similarly. The PgiC tree provides more resolution than our previous ITS/ETS tree and reflects both past and ongoing hybridization and/or incomplete lineage sorting. Two major PgiC clades were resolved in Stephanomeria. One clade contains the genes from the annual species plus the perennial, insular endemic S. guadalupensis, which appears closely related to a monophyletic S. virgata. Stephanomeria exigua is not monophyletic. The second clade includes the genes from all other sampled perennial species and a monophyletic subclade of four genes from two annual species. The results are compared to previous studies, also using PgiC, of Clarkia (Onagraceae). Both molecular systematic and biosystematic approaches are essential to discern the very different courses of evolution in these two, well‐studied genera of western North America.
Evolutionary relationships of Mycaureola dilseae (Agaricales), a basidiomycete pathogen of a subtidal rhodophyte
Authors: Binder Manfred , Hibbett David S. , Wang Zheng , Farnham William F.
Published: February 2008

Mushroom‐forming fungi (homobasidiomycetes) are major examples of morphological and ecological diversification in terrestrial habitats. Homobasidiomycetes includes only nine described species that are known from marine environments. Morphological traits that have concealed the ancestry of these fungi include reduced fruiting bodies with hairy surfaces and extremely modified spores, both of which may function as floating devices to aid successful dispersal and adhesion to various substrates such as driftwood. Our previous results suggested that all marine forms as yet investigated are placed in the Nia clade (euagarics) and that they have primarily evolved from cypelloid forms (minute, cup‐shaped, terrestrial saprotrophs) via transitions through mangroves to fully marine habitats. We show here that Mycaureola dilseae, which parasitizes the red alga Dilsea carnosa, is a second independent lineage of marine fungi in the euagarics clade that is not related to cyphelloid forms. Phylogenetic reconstructions were based on two data sets: a partial four‐region rDNA data set (nuc‐ssu, nuc‐lsu, mt‐ssu, and mt‐lsu) with inclusive sampling of 249 taxa and a densely sampled ITS data set including 32 taxa, which formed a clade with Mycaureola in the four‐region rDNA analyses. Inferences using constrained and unconstrained six‐parameter weighted parsimony, Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, and maximum likelihood approaches place M. dilseae in the morphologically diverse /physalacriaceae clade next to Gloiocephala spp., a group of highly reduced stipitate‐pileate saprotrophs.
Beardia vancouverensis gen. et sp. nov. (Juglandaceae): permineralized fruits from the Eocene of British Columbia
Authors: Elliott Lindsay L. , Mindell Randal A. , Stockey Ruth A.
Published: February 2008

Large numbers of permineralized juglandaceous fruits were identified in calcareous nodules from the Eocene Appian Way locality on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The fruits, small dorsiventrally flattened nutlets, 4.5–7.0 mm long and 5.5–9.0 × 3–5 mm in diameter, were studied using cellulose acetate peels. They are wingless, ribbed, and have a lobed epicarp that surrounds the nutlet. Cells of the inner epicarp are thin‐walled and traversed by a system of branching vascular strands. The stony nutlet wall is composed of fibers, with an outer layer of distinctive idioblasts. The fruits have a symmetry like that in Juglandaceae, subfamily Juglandoideae, tribe Platycaryeae, while the fibrous nut walls are like those of subfamily Engelhardioideae. This unique combination of characters indicates that these fruits represent a new genus and species of Juglandaceae: Beardia vancouverensis gen. et sp. nov. The excellent preservation of the Appian Way specimens has allowed a unique view of the internal fruit anatomy and external morphology. As the only wingless, flattened nuts known in the family, they further extend the range of morphological variation in fruits in the family. These fossils further support the hypothesis that North America was an important center of generic diversity for Juglandaceae during the early Tertiary.
A multi‐year study of factors affecting fruit production in Aristolochia paucinervis (Aristolochiaceae)
Authors: Berjano Regina , de Vega Clara , Arista Montserrat , Ortiz Pedro L. , Talavera Salvador
Published: February 2008

Pollen limitation, resource limitation, fruit abortion, and predation have all been proposed as factors explaining low fruit set in hermaphroditic plants. We conducted a 5‐year study combining field observations and pollination experiments to determine the causes of the low fruit set in Aristolochia paucinervis, a Mediterranean species with a specialized pollination system in two populations in SW Spain. Fruit initiation was markedly low, and between 28.6 and 75.0% of the flowering stems did not initiate any fruit. In most flowers, the number of germinated pollen grains was less than the number of ovules, and supplemental pollination significantly increased fruiting, indicating deficient pollination. In A. paucinervis, autonomous self‐pollination seems to be a decisive factor in fruit production because the number of germinated pollen and the fruit set from flowers bagged before anthesis were similar to those in free‐pollinated flowers. Only in 2005 did flowers that were successfully pollinated outnumber ripened fruits, suggesting that other factors limit fruiting. We found a significant positive correlation between tuber mass and fruit set. Deficient pollination and lack of resources could explain the low fruit set, but the relative consequences seem to vary spatially and temporarily.
Brassicaceae phylogeny and trichome evolution
Authors: Beilstein Mark A. , Al‐Shehbaz Ihsan A. , Kellogg Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2008

To estimate the evolutionary history of the mustard family (Brassicaceae or Cruciferae), we sampled 113 species, representing 101 of the roughly 350 genera and 17 of the 19 tribes of the family, for the chloroplast gene ndhF. The included accessions increase the number of genera sampled over previous phylogenetic studies by four‐fold. Using parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian methods, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the gene and used the Shimodaira–Hasegawa test (S–H test) to compare the phylogenetic results with the most recent tribal classification for the family. The resultant phylogeny allowed a critical assessment of variations in fruit morphology and seed anatomy, upon which the current classification is based. We also used the S–H test to examine the utility of trichome branching patterns for describing monophyletic groups in the ndhF phylogeny. Our phylogenetic results indicate that 97 of 114 ingroup accessions fall into one of 21 strongly supported clades. Some of these clades can themselves be grouped into strongly to moderately supported monophyletic groups. One of these lineages is a novel grouping overlooked in previous phylogenetic studies. Results comparing 30 different scenarios of evolution by the S–H test indicate that five of 12 tribes represented by two or more genera in the study are clearly polyphyletic, although a few tribes are not sampled well enough to establish para‐ or polyphyly. In addition, branched trichomes likely evolved independently several times in the Brassicaceae, although malpighiaceous and stellate trichomes may each have a single origin.
Phylogenetics of tribe Phyllantheae (Phyllanthaceae; Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) based on nrITS and plastidmatKDNA sequence data
Authors: Kathriarachchi Hashendra , Samuel Rosabelle , Hoffmann Petra , Mlinarec Jelena , Wurdack Kenneth J. , Ralimanana Hélène , Stuessy Tod F. , Chase Mark W.
Published: February 2008

Phylogenetic relationships within tribe Phyllantheae, the largest tribe of the family Phyllanthaceae, were examined with special emphasis on the large genusPhyllanthus. Nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastidmatKDNA sequence data for 95 species of tribe Phyllantheae, including representatives of all subgenera ofPhyllanthus(exceptCyclanthera) and several hitherto unplaced infrageneric groups, were analyzed. Results for ITS andmatKare generally concordant, although some species are placed differently in the plastid and ITS trees, indicating that hybridization/paralogy is involved. Results confirm paraphyly ofPhyllanthusin its traditional circumscription with embeddedBreynia,Glochidion,Reverchonia, andSauropus. We favor the inclusion of the embedded taxa inPhyllanthusover further generic segregation. MonophyleticPhyllanthuscomprises an estimated 1269 species, making it one of the “giant” genera.Phyllanthus maderaspatensisis sister to all other species ofPhyllanthus, and the genus appears to be of paleotropical origin. SubgeneraIsocladus,Kirganelia, andPhyllanthusare polyphyletic, whereas other subgenera appear to be monophyletic. MonotypicReverchoniais sister toP. abnormis, arborescent sectionEmblicato herbaceousUrinaria, free‐floating aquaticP.fluitansto the weedP.caroliniensis, and the phyllocladous sectionChoretropsisto the delicate leafyP.claussenii. The unique branching architecture known as “phyllanthoid branching” found in mostPhyllanthustaxa has been lost (and/or has been derived) repeatedly. Taxonomic divisions within Phyllantheae based on similar pollen morphology are confirmed, and related taxa share similar distributions. We recommend recognition of six clades at generic level:Flueggeas.l. (includingRicheriella),Lingelsheimia,Margaritaria,Phyllanthuss.l. (includingBreynia,Glochidion,Reverchonia, andSauropus),P. diandrus, andSaviasectionHeterosavia.
Phylogeny of the parasitic plant family Orobanchaceae inferred from phytochrome A
Authors: Bennett Jonathan R. , Mathews Sarah
Published: February 2008

Partial sequences of the nuclear gene encoding the photoreceptor phytochrome A (PHYA) are used to reconstruct relationships within Orobanchaceae, the largest of the parasitic angiosperm families. The monophyly of Orobanchaceae, including nonphotosynthetic holoparasites, hemiparasites, and nonparasiticLindenbergiais strongly supported. Phytochrome A data resolve six well‐supported lineages that contain all of the sampled genera exceptBrandisia, which is sister to the major radiation of hemiparasites. In contrast to previous plastid and ITS trees, relationships among these major clades also are generally well supported. Thus, the robust phylogenetic hypothesis inferred from thePHYAdata provides a much better context in which to evaluate the evolution of parasitism within the group. Ninety‐eight species of Orobanchaceae, representing 43 genera, are included andBrandisia,Bungea,Cymbaria,Esterhazya,Nesogenes,Phtheirospermum,Radamaea,Siphonostegia, andXylocalyxare confirmed as members of Orobanchaceae. The earliest diverging lineage of hemiparasites is identified for the first time; it containsBungea,Cymbaria,Monochasma,Siphonostegia, and the monotypicSchwalbea, which is federally endangered. This basal clade is marked by the presence of two novel introns. A second, apparently independent gain of one of these introns marks a clade of largely European taxa. There is significant rate heterogeneity amongPHYAsequences, and the presence of multiplePHYAin some taxa is consistent with observed ploidy levels.
Direct measurements of intervessel pit membrane hydraulic resistance in two angiosperm tree species
Authors: Choat Brendan , Brodie Tyler W. , Cobb Alexander R. , Zwieniecki Maciej A. , Holbrook N. Michele
Published: February 2008

The hydraulic resistance of pit membranes was measured directly in earlywood vessels of Fraxinus americana and Ulmus americana. The area‐specific resistance of pit membranes (rmem) was higher than modeled or measured values obtained previously for hardwood species, with rmem of 5.24 × 103 MPa·s·m−1 for Fraxinus and 2.56 × 103 MPa·s·m−1 for Ulmus. The calculated resistance of pit canals was three orders of magnitude below total pit resistance indicating that pit membranes contributed the majority of resistance. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that pit membranes of Ulmus were thinner and more porous than those of Fraxinus, consistent with the difference in rmem between the species. Measurements of average vessel diameter and length and area of wall overlap with neighboring vessels were used to partition the vascular resistance between vessel lumen and pit membrane components. Pit membrane resistance accounted for 80% of the total resistance in Fraxinus and 87% in Ulmus in 2‐yr‐old branch sections. However, measurements of vessel dimensions in the trunk suggest that the division of resistance between pit membrane and lumen components would be closer to co‐limiting in older regions of the tree. Thus, pit membrane resistance may be of greater relative importance in small branches than in older regions of mature trees.
Patterns of genetic divergence of three Canarian endemicLotus(Fabaceae): implications for the conservation of the endangeredL. kunkelii
Authors: Oliva‐Tejera Felicia , Caujapé‐Castells Juli , Navarro‐Déniz Josefa , Reyes‐Betancort Alfredo , Scholz Stephan , Baccarani‐Rosas Mario , Cabrera‐García Nereida
Published: February 2008

We examined data for 11 allozyme loci in 14 populations that represent the distribution of the endangeredLotus kunkelii, the narrowly distributedL. arinagensis(both endemic to Gran Canaria), and the broad‐rangingL. lancerottensis(endemic to the easternmost Canary Islands, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) to explore and construe patterns of genetic variation and use this data to assess the controversial taxonomic status ofL. kunkeliirelative toL. lancerottensis. WhileL. kunkeliimaintains low levels of variation, presumably as a consequence of prolonged inbreeding due to very low population size and sharp geographic isolation, the other two taxa have much higher indicators of polymorphism than those reported for other oceanic island endemics.Lotus arinagensishas the highest genetic polymorphism and the lowest interpopulation differentiation, presumably because of its considerable antiquity and habitat stability, despite recent fragmentation. The high interpopulation differentiation inL. lancerottensisis attributed to the Atlantic acting as a barrier, reducing gene flow within islands. Evolutionary analysis of the allozyme evidence indicates thatL. kunkeliiis genetically closer toL. arinagensisthan toL. lancerottensis, thereby dispelling the taxonomic uncertainty and supportingL. kunkeliias a distinct species, warranting legal protection in the forthcoming catalog of threatened Canarian species.
Sources of variation in growth, form, and survival in dwarf and normal‐stature pitch pines (Pinus rigida, Pinaceae) in long‐term transplant experiments
Authors: Fang Wei , Taub Daniel R. , Fox Gordon A. , Landis R. Matthew , Natali Susan , Gurevitch Jessica
Published: February 2008

Determining the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to phenotypic variation is critical for understanding the evolutionary ecology of plant species, but few studies have examined the sources of phenotypic differentiation between nearby populations of woody plants. We conducted reciprocal transplant experiments to examine sources of variation in growth rate, form, survival, and maturation in a globally rare dwarf population of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and in surrounding populations of normal‐stature pitch pines on Long Island, New York. Transplants were monitored over a 6‐yr period. The influence of seedling origin on height, growth rate, survival, and form (single‐stemmed vs. multi‐stemmed growth habit) was much smaller than the effect of transplanting location. Both planting site and seed origin were important factors in determining time to reproduction; seedlings originating from dwarf populations and seedlings planted at the normal‐stature site reproduced earliest. These results suggest that many of the differences between dwarf and normal‐stature pitch pines may be due more to plastic responses to environmental factors than to genetic differentiation among populations. Therefore, preservation of the dwarf pine habitat is essential for preserving dwarf pine communities; the dwarf pines cannot be preserved ex situ.