bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of PIP gene expression in Populus trichocarpa during recovery from xylem embolism suggest a major role for the PIP1 aquaporin subfamily as moderators of refilling process
Authors: SECCHI FRANCESCA , ZWIENIECKI MACIEJ A.
Published: September 2010

Embolism and the refilling of xylem vessels are intrinsic to the ability of plants to handle the transport of water under tension. Although the formation of an embolized vessel is an abiotic process, refilling against the pressure gradient requires biological activity to provide both the energy and the water needed to restore xylem transport capacity. Here, we present an analysis of the dynamics of embolism and refilling in Populus trichocarpa and follow temporal dynamics of co‐occurring changes in expression level of aquaporins. Under mesic conditions, we found that the percent loss of conductance (PLC) varied diurnally by as much as 20%, suggesting a continuous embolism/refilling cycle. An increase in water stress tilted the balance between the two processes and increased the PLC to as much as 80%. Subsequent re‐watering resulted in the reversal of water stress and recovery of PLC to pre‐stress levels. Stem parenchyma cells responded to drought stress with considerable up‐regulation of the PIP1 subfamily of water channels but not the PIP2 subfamily. Even more significant was the finding that PoptrPIP1.1 and PoptrPIP1.3 genes were up‐regulated in response to embolism, but not to water stress, and were down‐regulated after embolism removal, suggesting a local ability of plants to sense an embolism presence.
Reaction of three cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars to single and mixed isolates of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum
Authors: WALLACE* T. P. , EL‐ZIK K. M.
Published: September 2010

Cotyledons of resistant and susceptible cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars were inoculated artificially with four isolates of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum from Africa (H V1, HV3, H V7 and Sudan) and USA race 18. Each isolate was used as single inoculum and in combinations of mixed inoculum. Disease reactions were graded 15 days after inoculation on a scale of I (immunity) to 10 (fully susceptible). Inoculation with HVI alone produced the highest disease grade of all inoculum treatments. When HVI was included in a mixed inoculum, disease grades were greatly reduced compared to HVI alone. Disease grades were highest for the inoculum mixture of the most virulent isolates HVI and race 18, but were still reduced compared to those from HVI alone. The efficiency of selection when screening cotton germplasm for bacterial blight resistance may be reduced if the highly virulent HVI isolate is included in an inoculum mixture composed of non‐virulent isolates.
Comparison of isoenzyme and DNA markers for differentiating W‐, R‐ and C‐pathotypes of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides
Authors: PRIESTLEY R. A. , DEWEY F. M. , NICHOLSON P. , REZANOOR H. N.
Published: September 2010

Biochemical differences between the wheat, rye and couch‐grass pathotypes of the eyespot pathogen, Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides, have been identified by comparing isoenzyme profiles and DNA markers from several isolates. The wheat (W) and rye (R) pathotypes were clearly differentiated by both techniques, with isoenzyme profiling also separating the couch‐grass isolates from the W‐ and R‐type isolates. The isoenzyme profiles separated the P. herpotrichoides pathotypes from the two related species, P. anguioides and P. aestiva. The isoenzyme profiles of P. anguioides were closer to those of the R‐type isolates of P. herpotrichoides than the W‐type isolates, whereas the banding pattern of P. aestiva was very different. The isoenzyme profiles of the two German isolates, originally obtained from Nirenberg's laboratory, P. herpotrichoides var. herpotrichoides and var. acuformis, were similar to those of the wheat and rye pathotypes, respectively, isolated from UK‐infected material.
Selection for host‐specific virulence in asexual populations of Sclerospora graminicola*
Authors: THAKUR R. P. , SHETTY K. G. , KING S. B.
Published: September 2010

The response to host genotype‐directed selection for specific virulence in Sclerospora graminicola was studied in the pearl millet‐downy mildew system. In greenhouse experiments, seedlings of resistant pearl millet genotypes MBH 110 and 852B were inoculated with sporangia of a field population of S. graminicola maintained on susceptible genotypes NHB 3 and 7042. Sporangia from infected seedlings of MBH 110 and 852B were used to inoculate seedlings of MBH 110 and 852B, respectively, in succeeding generations. Within 12 generations of selection on MBH 110 and five generations of selection on 852B, respective host‐specific virulences were identified. Selection for 852B‐specific virulence was much faster than that for MBH 110‐specific virulence. Symptom type, and pathogenic fitness parameters such as latent period, infection index, sporangial and oospore production were measured, and composite fitness index (CFI) was calculated for each selection generation. In general, CFI and individual fitness parameters were positively correlated with selection generation. Virulences of the host‐specific pathotypes artificially selected through asexual generations were comparable to the naturally selected host‐specific pathotypes AB, an MBH 110‐specific pathotype from Aurangabad, and MYS, an 852B‐specific pathotype from Mysore. The host genotype x pathogen population interaction was highly significant (P≤0‐001). The results indicate that genetic variation for host genotype‐specific virulence exists within field populations of the pathogen, and that selection through asexual pathogen generations can rapidly increase the quantitative virulence of the population to resistant host genotypes. This implies that resistance and virulence in the pearl millet‐downy mildew system are controlled by relatively few genes.
A species of Unguicularia on oilseed rape, and its importance in studies of the epidemiology of light leaf spot (Pyrenopeziza brassicae)
Authors: INMAN A. J. , FITT B. D. L. , EVANS R. L.
Published: September 2010

Apothecia of a species of Unguicularia were found on fallen leaves of oilseed rape from November 1989 to April 1990, and from January to July 1991. On the basis of the limited literature on this genus, these apothecia were tentatively identified as Unguicularia cfr. raripila, a species not previously reported in the UK, or on oilseed rape. Although saprophytic, it is of significance in oilseed rape crops, as its ascospores are similar in size and shape to those of the important pathogen Pyrenopeziza brassicae, the cause of light leaf spot. The ascospores of both species can be dispersed either as single spores or in groups, although those of U. cfr. raripila are more often dispersed in groups. Due to confusion in distinguishing the ascospores of these two species, it is likely that studies of the epidemiology of light leaf spot using spore samplers have overestimated the numbers of ascospores of P. brassicae dispersed, and hence their potential contribution to epidemics. Apothecia of U. cfr. raripila were abundant in the spring of both 1990 and 1991, but those of P. brassicae were much more rare. The species of Unguicularia is described.
Tide‐influenced fluvial bedforms and tidal bore deposits (Late Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Lusitanian Basin, Western Portugal)
Authors: MARTINIUS ALLARD W. , GOWLAND STUART
Published: September 2010

In a sedimentological sense a fluvial to tidal transition zone can be defined in rivers as a zone that separates the upstream fluvial from the downstream estuarine zone. Characteristic sedimentary structures within this zone are notoriously difficult to recognize. This study demonstrates the influence of tidal modulation within the most proximal part of the fluvial‐tidal transition zone (i.e. the ‘backwater zone’) of an ancient fluvial system. Criteria have been established to differentiate between purely fluvial facies and those modulated by tidal energy. The stratigraphic interval from which the data were derived is the Lourinhã Formation (Late Jurassic) of the Lusitanian Basin, Western Portugal. An analysis of sedimentary features at four key localities has identified a temporal spectrum of tidal influence ranging from the daily modulation of fluvial flows to the effects of tidal bore passage. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data reveals systematic changes in the internal architecture of dune‐scale bedforms deposited in a channel‐floor setting. The key co‐occurring features are: (i) increasing‐decreasing organic particle concentration; (ii) increasing‐decreasing bottomset thickness; (iii) increasing‐decreasing foreset dip and shape (from convex to concave); and (iv) increasing‐decreasing brinkpoint height. Collectively, these features are interpreted as having been produced by successive fluctuations in flow regime conditions from lower (during flood tidal retardation) to higher (during ebb tidal drawdown) current velocities. Bedforms showing these features occur in both meandering fluvial channels and straighter distributary systems. In addition, several examples of a specific type of stepped erosion surface and draping sediment have been recognized, the interpretation of which strongly suggests generation by the passage of tidal bores. If this interpretation is correct, then it represents one of the first published examples of tidal bore propagation in ancient fluvial systems. Palaeoclimatic evidence (cellular analysis of woody tissue, palaeosol character and plate reconstruction) indicates a warm, seasonal, winter wet to summer dry climate during deposition of the Lourinhã Formation. From this evidence it is suggested that tidal modulation and tidal bore effects are more likely to develop in the ‘dry season’, when fluvial flow in the main river channels was reduced.
Structure of gravel beaches and their relationship to tidal range
Authors: BLUCK BRIAN J.
Published: September 2010

The height of accretionary gravel beaches, determined by the vertical distance between the large sphere zone at the seaward margin and the large disc zone at the landward margin, is determined mainly by tidal range. As the beach builds seaward, this height translates into thickness and so the complete thickness of gravel beach accumulations is a good indicator, in the geological record, of tidal range. Beaches with a small tidal range have the zone between the large discs and the large spheres compressed and sometimes steepened. These beaches are characterized mainly by cusps and berms, both of which yield steeply dipping, seaward building, cross‐strata. Beaches built by large, persistent waves generally have a steep profile, whereas those with small wave height appear to have a shallow profile. Cusps generally have extremely well‐sorted gravels, often in an openwork fabric and with a landward crown of coarse gravel that may grade seaward into shape‐sorted, gently dipping gravels. Berms, which may extend for hundreds of metres along the coast, comprise, in section, very well‐sorted cross‐stratified gravels that may intermittently build seaward for a distance >15 m. Extensive selection pavements typify beaches with a high tidal range and comprise sheets of gravel which are well‐sorted and dip at comparatively low angles towards the sea. These selection pavements form beds that, in section, can be >50 m in seaward length; they grow from clasts, supplied to them from swash or backwash, and which are selected by the fabric of the existing sheet. In some cases, the selection pavements can be very mature having only a specific clast shape and size remaining. Total preservation of the beach sequence in the geological record is more likely to take place in areas of rapid deposition of sediments, such as the marine fringes to a fan delta.
Phylogeny and classification of the Psocodea, with particular reference to the lice (Psocodea: Phthiraptera)
Authors: Lyal C. H. C.
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT. Apomorphies that have been proposed for the Psocodea, Psocoptera, Phthiraptera and superfamilial groups within the Phthiraptera are enumerated and evaluated. The Psocodea and Phthiraptera are considered to be holophyletic, but the sister‐group of the Phthiraptera lies within the Psocoptera. Within the Phthiraptera the Anoplura and Rhyncophthirina form a holophyletic group whose sister‐group is the Ischnocera, and the Amblycera is the sister‐group of this assemblage. The common ancestor of the Phthiraptera is suggested to have been parasitic, and all lice are believed to have evolved under environmental constraints similar to those operating today. On the evidence provided by host relationships the origin of the lice is dated as the Cretaceous, but the host of the ancestor of the order is not identified. The lice of marsupials in South America and Australia are not considered to comprise a holophyletic group.
The phylogeny of the ant tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with the description of a new genus
Authors: AGOSTI DON AT
Published: September 2010

Abstract.The holarctic ant tribe Formicini is revised, the new genusBajcaridrisdescribed, and possible phylogenetic relationships are discussed. The subgenusIberoformicais synonymized withFormica.A synopsis, diagnosis and keys to the genera are provided.
The morphology and terminology of the hindwing articulation and wing base of the Coleoptera, with specific reference to the Scarabaeoidea
Authors: BROWNE D. JONATHAN , SCHOLTZ C. H.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. Characters of the hindwing articulation and wing base are important for contributing to the solution of phylogenetic and systematic problems in the Coleoptera. In the Scarabaeoidea morphological terms proposed by previous authors do not cover many structures in sufficient detail and additional terms are needed to describe and utilize all characters used in systematic considerations; these can be used for all Coleoptera.

In this paper we identify new structures, the first basal plate and the second basal plate (two subdivisions of the coleopteran wing base), name the various yokes, braces and reinforcements found on them and propose names for various projections, lobes, indentations and embayments on the axillary sclerites (first axillary, head, neck and tail; second axillary, arm and body; third axillary, prong; basalare).
Adetomyrma, an enigmatic new ant genus from Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and its implications for ant phylogeny
Authors: WARD PHILIP S.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. Adetomyrma venatrix, representing a new genus and species of ant, is described from a single collection of twenty‐one workers from Zombitse Forest, in western Madagascar. Remarkable features of its morphology include: (i) absence of a petiole in dorsal view (abdominal tergum 3 lacking a dorsally differentiated pretergite), (ii) gaster large and expanded posteriorly, all terga and sterna unfused and without constrictions, (iii) absence of eyes, and (iv) presence of a very large sting (larger, in relation to body size, than that of any other known ant). Adetomyrma does not possess any of the derived features heretofore said to characterize the existing ant subfamilies. Morphological evidence suggests, however, that it is cladistically a member of the ponerine tribe Amblyoponini despite the absence of apomorphic abdominal characters (tergosternal fusion of abdominal segments 3 and 4) seen in all other Ponerinae and in the more inclusive ‘poneroid group’ of subfamilies. Whether Adetomyrma shows primitive absence of such characters or secondary reversal to an unfused state has important implications for the higher phylogeny of the ants. There is insufficient evidence to choose decisively between these two alternatives, but in either case the monophyly of the ant subfamily Ponerinae becomes doubtful.
A subfamily‐level classification of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) based on integrated molecular and morphological data
Authors: HARDY NATE B. , GULLAN PENNY J. , HODGSON CHRIS J.
Published: September 2010

Abstract The mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) are a speciose and ubiquitous group of sap‐sucking plant parasites, many of which are very serious agricultural pests. There has been much work on the alpha‐level taxonomy, amounting to the description of more than 2000 species, but suprageneric relationships remain poorly known. Downie & Gullan reviewed proposed schemes for a mealybug subfamily‐level classification and used DNA sequence data from three nuclear genes to infer the mealybug phylogeny. They recognized three subfamilies: the Rhizoecinae, the Phenacoccinae, and the Pseudococcinae; and within the Pseudococcinae, recognized the tribes Pseudococcini, Trabutinini, and Planococcini. Excepting the Trabutinini, none of these groupings was well‐supported. We improve our estimation of the mealybug phylogeny by: (i) increasing the taxon sampling by 50%; (ii) adding a morphological character matrix; and (iii) performing mixed model Bayesian and maximum likelihood inference procedures. We recover two primary clades within the Pseudococcidae, to which we apply the subfamily names Phenacoccinae and Pseudococcinae. Within the Phenacoccinae, we recover support for the monophyly of the hypogaeic mealybugs (Rhizoecini), and within the Pseudococcinae, we find support for the tribes Pseudococcini, Trabutinini, and Planococcini. Our results suggest a clear sequence of (i) β‐Proteobacteria primary endosymbionts infecting the mycetome of the most recent common ancestor of the Pseudococcinae, followed by (ii) γ‐Proteobacteria secondary endosymbionts infecting the primary β‐Proteobacteria endosymbionts. For each subfamily, we provide a morphological diagnosis and a comprehensive list of included genera. We resurrect the genus Ceroputo Šulc, currently under synonymy with the genus Puto Signoret (Putoidae), and place it in the mealybug subfamily Phenacoccinae. Greenoripersia kaiseri Bodenheimer is transferred from the Pseudococcidae to the Eriococcidae.
Multiple congenital epitrichial sweat gland hamartomas in a piglet
Authors: Gourreau Jean‐Marie , Morvan Hervé , Triller Raoul , Marinho Eduardo , Scott Danny W.
Published: September 2010

A case of multiple congenital epitrichial sweat gland hamartomas in a 2‐day‐old piglet is presented. The skin lesions were raised, ovoid to linear in configuration, alopecic, red‐purple to pink, and cauliflower‐like to cerebriform in appearance. Histological examination of skin specimens confirmed a diagnosis of epitrichial sweat gland hamartoma. Complete necropsy examination revealed no other lesions.
Reducedin vitroadherence ofStaphylococcusspecies to feline corneocytes compared to canine and human corneocytes
Authors: Woolley K. L. , Kelly R. F. , Fazakerley J. , Williams N. J. , Nuttall T. J. , McEwan N. A.
Published: September 2010

It is apparent that in‐contact humans and animals exchange commensal staphylococci. Previousin vitrostudies, however, indicate that staphylococci preferentially adhere to corneocytes from host species. This study compared adherence of meticillin‐sensitive and ‐resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MSSA/MRSA),S. intermedius,S. felisandS. hoministo feline, canine and human corneocytes acquired from 10 healthy subjects using adhesive tape discs. Adherent bacteria were counted using an image processing and analysis programme. Mean adherence of MSSA (P = 0.0009), MRSA (P = 0.0162) andS. intermedius(P = 0.0117), but notS. felisorS. hominis, to feline corneocytes was significantly lower than that to canine and human corneocytes. All the isolates had similar adherence to both human and canine corneocytes.S. feliswas the most adherent species to feline corneocytes followed byS. intermedius, and then MSSA, MRSA andS. hominis. For dogs and humans,S. intermediusandS. feliswere the most adherent, followed by MRSA and MSSA, and thenS. hominis. These results do not reveal any preferential adherence of staphylococci to canine or human corneocytes. Poor adherence to feline corneocytes could suggest that cats are relatively resistant to pyoderma and cross‐species transmission of staphylococci.
‘They’re doing surgery on two people’: a meta‐ethnography of the influences on couples’ treatment decision making for prostate cancer
Authors: Schumm Kate , Skea Zoe , McKee Lorna , N’Dow James
Published: September 2010

Background  Current orthodoxy suggests that patients need to be provided with full information about their care and that treatment options should be discussed with patients and family members. This imperative is especially challenging when there is a lack of consensus about treatment effectiveness and equivocacy over different types of interventions. In the case of prostate cancer, evidence is contested as to the efficacy of different treatments. Thus, involving patients and their family members in treatment choices is complex and little is known about how patients and their partners process these decisions when there is uncertainty about different outcomes. This paper has reviewed the literature on the way couples approach such decision making in relation to treatment for prostate cancer.

Objective  A meta‐ethnographic synthesis of published qualitative papers that focused on the influences on patients’, and their partners’ treatment decision making for prostate cancer, was conducted in order to identify and understand barriers and facilitators which impact on this process.

Results  Our synthesis indicates that the couples’ relationship ‘dynamic’ provides a contextual background against which treatment decisions are negotiated and made.

Discussion and conclusions  We propose that the findings from this synthesis can enhance the potential for shared decision making for patients, and their partners, when facing a treatment decision for prostate cancer. By understanding the couples’ relationship dynamic pre‐diagnosis, clinicians may be able to tailor the communication and information provision to both patients and their partners, providing a personalized approach to treatment decision making.
Value‐based Business Strategy
Authors: Brandenburger Adam M. , Stuart Harborne W.
Published: September 2010

This paper offers an exact definition of the value created by firms together with their suppliers and buyers. The “added value” of a firm is similarly defined, and shown under certain conditions to impose an upper bound on how much value the firm can capture. The key to a firm's achieving a positive added value is the existence of asymmetries between the firm and other firms. The paper identifies four routes (“value‐based” strategies) that lead to the creation of such asymmetries. Our analysis reveals the equal importance of a firm's supplier and buyer relations. Cooperative game theory provides the underpinnings of the analysis.
Graft, Bribes, and the Practice of Corruption
Authors: Carrillo Juan D.
Published: September 2010

We construct a dynamic model of corruption in organizations where officials privately know their propensity for corruption and clients optimally choose the bribe offered. We show that there is a continuum set of stationary bribe equilibria due exclusively to the dynamic nature of the model and the endogenous determination of bribes. This can explain why similar countries have stable but different “implicit prices” for the same illegal services. We also show that, by not considering the reaction of clients, traditional analysis have systematically overestimated the beneficial effect of increasing wages as an anticorruption measure.
Implications of foliar terpene content and hydration on leaf flammability of Quercus ilex and Pinus halepensis
Authors: Alessio G. A. , Peñuelas J. , De Lillis M. , Llusià J.
Published: September 2010

We investigated the implications of foliar hydration and terpene content on leaf flammability in two widely distributed forest species of the Mediterranean basin, Quercus ilex, which does not store terpenes, and Pinus halepensis, a terpene‐storing species. The experiments were carried out in plants grown under different water regimes that generated a wide range of foliar hydration and terpene contents. We monitored the temperatures and time elapsed to reach the smoke, pyrolysis and flame phases. Smoke appeared much earlier (37 versus 101 s) and at lower temperatures (96 versus 139 °C) in Quercus ilex than in Pinus halepensis. Quercus ilex reached pyrolysis earlier than Pinus halepensis (278 versus 338 s) but at the same temperature (365–371 °C). There were no significant differences in time elapsed nor in temperature for flammability (386–422 s; 505–487 °C in both species). Quercus ilex had lower water hydration than Pinus halepensis (41 versus 100%) and the leaf content of terpenes in Quercus was three orders of magnitude lower. The results of this study show no differences in the flame phase between the two species and the absence of a significant relationship between temperature and elapsed time of the different flammability phases in relation to monoterpene content; thus indicating that the role of monoterpenes in flammability phases is smaller than that of the water content. This, however, does not exclude the effects of terpene content on plant combustibility and fire propagation once fires start.
Methanol emissions from deciduous tree species: dependence on temperature and light intensity
Authors: Folkers A. , Hüve K. , Ammann C. , Dindorf T. , Kesselmeier J. , Kleist E. , Kuhn U. , Uerlings R. , Wildt J.
Published: September 2010

Methanol emissions from several deciduous tree species with predominantly mature leaves were measured under laboratory and field conditions. The emissions were modulated by temperature and light. Under constant light conditions in the laboratory, methanol emissions increased with leaf temperature, by up to 12% per degree. At constant temperatures, emissions doubled when light intensity (PAR) increased from darkness to 800 μmol·m−2·s−1. A phenomenological description of light and temperature dependencies was derived from the laboratory measurements. This description was successfully applied to reproduce the diel cycle of methanol emissions from an English oak measured in the field. Labelling experiments with 13CO2 provided evidence that less than 10% of the emitted methanol was produced de novo by photosynthesis directly prior to emission. Hence, the light dependence of the emissions cannot be explained by instantaneous production from CO2 fixation. Additional experiments with selective cooling of plant roots indicated that a substantial fraction of the emitted methanol may be produced in the roots or stem and transported to stomata by the transpiration stream. However, the transpiration stream cannot be considered as the main factor that determines methanol emissions by the investigated plants.
The influence of different nutrient levels on insect‐induced plant volatiles in Bt and conventional oilseed rape plants
Authors: Ibrahim M. A. , Stewart‐Jones A. , Pulkkinen J. , Poppy G. M. , Holopainen J. K.
Published: September 2010

Transgenic Bt (expressing the cry1Ac endotoxin gene) and conventional oilseed rape plants grown in different soils were used to study nutrient uptake and emission of volatiles after herbivore damage. All plants were greenhouse‐grown in soils representing low‐, medium‐ and high‐nutrient levels. The concentrations of N, P, K, Mg and Zn were significantly affected by the transgene, while the main effect of soil type appeared in N, P, Ca, Mg, B, Mn and Zn concentrations in the plants. Plants with four to five leaves were infested with the third instar larvae of Bt‐susceptible Plutella xylostella for 48 h, and samples of volatiles were collected and analysed. In the first experiment, the soil nutrient level had a significant effect on the emissions of (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate, hexyl acetate, (E)‐4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐non‐atriene (DMNT), β‐elemene, γ‐bisabolene, α‐bisabolene and (E)‐nerolidol. The induction of these volatiles was significantly higher in infested conventional plants grown at a high‐soil nutrient level compared to infested conventional plants at a low‐soil nutrient level. In the second experiment, the soil nutrient level had a significant effect on the emissions of (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate and β‐elemene and, again, this was significantly higher in infested conventional plants grown at high‐soil nutrient levels in comparison with infested plants at a low‐soil nutrient level. In both experiments, the transgene effect was significant on the emissions of DMNT and (E,E)‐α‐farnesene. The differences in emissions between the two separate experiments suggest that growth conditions (particularly daylength) and sampling procedure may affect the ratio of compounds detected in the emission blend, even though the response to herbivory, nutrient availability and the transgene were similar.
Sex Differences in the Electrocommunication Signals of the Electric Fish Apteronotus bonapartii
Authors: Ho Winnie W. , Fernandes Cristina Cox , Alves‐Gomes José A. , Smith G. Troy
Published: September 2010

The South American weakly electric knifefish (Apteronotidae) produce highly diverse and readily quantifiable electrocommunication signals. The electric organ discharge frequency (EODf) and EOD modulations (chirps and gradual frequency rises) vary dramatically across sexes and species, presenting an ideal opportunity to examine the proximate and ultimate bases of sexually dimorphic behavior. We complemented previous studies on the sexual dimorphism of apteronotid communication signals by investigating electric signal features and their hormonal correlates in Apteronotusbonapartii, a species which exhibits strong sexual dimorphism in snout morphology. Electrocommunication signals were evoked and recorded using a playback paradigm and were analyzed for signal features including EOD frequency and the structure of EOD modulations. To investigate the androgenic correlates of sexually dimorphic EOD signals, we measured plasma concentrations of testosterone and 11‐ketotestosterone. A. bonapartii responded robustly to stimulus playbacks. EODf was sexually monomorphic, and males and females produced chirps with similar durations and amounts of frequency modulation. However, males were more likely than females to produce chirps with multiple frequency peaks. Sexual dimorphism in apteronotid electrocommunication signals appears to be highly evolutionarily labile. Extensive interspecific variation in the magnitude and direction of sex differences in EODf and in different aspects of chirp structure suggests that chirp signals may be an important locus of evolutionary change within the clade. The weakly electric fish represent a rich source of data for understanding the selective pressures that shape, and the neuroendocrine mechanisms that underlie, diversity in the sexual dimorphism of behavior.
Why Do Large Dogs Sound More Aggressive to Human Listeners: Acoustic Bases of Motivational Misattributions
Authors: Taylor Anna M. , Reby David , McComb Karen
Published: September 2010

Previous research has highlighted that while human listeners are capable of estimating the body size of dogs using the acoustic components of their growls, they also rate growls from larger dogs as more being aggressive than growls from smaller dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative contributions of two cues to body size, fundamental frequency (F0) and formant frequency dispersion (Δf) to perceived levels of aggression. We found that participants that had just made an accurate assessment of caller size based on these characteristics then misattributed aggressiveness levels on the basis of these same size‐related acoustic cues. More specifically, stimuli in which F0 and/or Δf were typical of larger dogs were rated as being more aggressive than stimuli typical of smaller dogs. Although both F0 and Δf influenced aggressiveness ratings independently, their interaction also had a significant affect. These results are discussed with respects to the human tendency to generalise reliable between‐class acoustic cues to within‐class stimuli and the resulting potential for making perceptual misattributions.
Radiation Balance Components of Maize Hybrids Grown at Various Plant Densities
Authors: Anda A. , Løke Z.
Published: September 2010

Components of the energy and heat balances were examined in two maize hybrids grown at three different plant densities (40, 70 and 100 thousand plants per hectare). One of the hybrids was drought tolerant, while the other was bred for cultivation under irrigated conditions. An increase in plant density influenced not only the size of the leaf area, but also the distribution of the leaves at various plant heights. The extinction coefficient, which provides a quantification of radiation penetration, was higher in the irrigated treatments. By contrast to the other two treatments, the plant canopy in the thinly sown stands remained open throughout the vegetation period, and thus behaved quite differently to the closed stands, making it impossible to compare them. Smaller albedo values were recorded for the hybrid bred for irrigation and in thinly sown stands. The low plant density allowed more energy to reach the soil, from which it was reflected, making a considerable contribution to the final temperature in the stand. The latent heat, in keeping with the quantity of water transpired, was the greatest in the densely sown stands. There was little difference between the latent heat values of the normal and dense stands in either hybrid, indicating that they both had a similar sensitivity to increased stand density. If sufficient water is available it would appear that the stand density could be increased even for the drought‐tolerant hybrid.
Grain Protein Quality in Response to Changes in Pre‐anthesis Duration in Wheats Released in 1940, 1964 and 1994
Authors: Acuña M. L. , Savin R. , Curá J. A. , Slafer G. A.
Published: September 2010

Grain protein content is one of the most important attributes in bread making quality. Several studies have reported that the type of, and the balances between, storage protein (i.e. gliadins and glutenins) are also relevant. Generally, the modern cultivars present less grain protein content than their predecessors, suggesting that breeding may have reduced baking quality while improving yield. Furthermore, there is little information on whether, and eventually how, breeding influences the types of protein synthesized in the grains, and the sensitivity of the type of protein and baking quality to changes in the environment. This study aimed to determine the stability in baking quality in wheat cultivars released at different eras to variation in the duration of the pre‐anthesis period without changes in the sowing date. The experiment studied the combination of three cultivars released in 1940, 1964 and 1994 at two different durations from sowing to anthesis (because of exposure to different photoperiods during stem elongation in the field). Modern cultivars showed lower grain protein content than the oldest ones (11 vs. 14 %). There were no correlation between grain protein content and baking quality (assessed by Zeleny test), indicating that protein type is more important than grain protein content. Gliadins were more variable than glutenins because of differences between cultivars and flowering dates. Wheat breeding also seemed to have improved the stability of quality variables in response to environmental variation during the pre‐anthesis period (when yield potential is being determined).
Deferred Seeding of Blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.) in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Field on Yield Advantages and Smothering of Weeds
Authors: Midya A. , Bhattacharjee K. , Ghose S. S. , Banik P.
Published: September 2010

Field experiments were conducted at Agricultural Experimental Farm, Giridih, Jharkhand, during the kharif (wet) seasons of consecutive four years (1998–2001) to study the effect of staggered seeding of blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.) in rice field as a cereal–legume intercropping system and to minimize the degree of competition between the crop species to avoid yield damage, and at the same time to create a high level of competition by the intercrops to suppress the weeds. Intercropping systems were assessed on the basis of land equivalent ratio, relative crowding coefficient, aggressivity, actual yield loss, monetary advantage, etc. Intercropping reduced the yield of component crops when compared with respective pure stands. However, deferred seeding of blackgram in rice (30 cm) after one weeding was most remunerative system and registered maximum rice‐equivalent yield (2711 kg ha−1). Rice–blackgram (20 cm) intercropping system was very effective for weed smothering among unweeded intercropping treatments. In conclusion, deferred seeding of blackgram in rice field (30 cm) with one weeding may be recommended for better yield, weed suppression and better economics in the eastern plateau region of India.
Assessment of Cattle Preference for Perennial Ryegrass Varieties in Association with White Clover. Does White Clover Content Interfere?
Authors: Stilmant D. , Limbourg P. , Lecomte Ph.
Published: September 2010

There is a need to evaluate grass varieties under grazing management to allow selection of varieties to increase animal performance. However, the evaluation of animal performance under grazing with each variety is arduous and time‐consuming. An alternative is to describe the preference by grazing animals when given a choice of different varieties. Indeed, there is some indications that preference is related to variety characteristics such as leaf content or digestibility, characteristics having also an impact on the level of intake of this variety. However, preference for grass varieties, when sown alone, may not reflect agricultural practice as grasses often occur in mixed swards, associated with white clover. So, the aim of the present work was to determine whether, under grazing management, cattle expressed selections when given a choice of mixed swards in which different perennial ryegrass varieties were grown in association with a common white clover variety at two levels of fertilizer application (60 or 160 kg N ha−1 annum−1). The preference for perennial ryegrass variety per se was then assessed after taking white clover content into consideration. The results show that there were significant differences in preference for perennial ryegrass varieties, per se, even for varieties with the same heading date and ploidy. The effect of white clover cover on sward selection was more marked in swards which received the higher level of nitrogen fertilizer application which may have been related to a more variable white clover content between swards. This suggests that, under low nitrogen fertilizer application, differences in perennial ryegrass varieties preference can be determined in the same experiments as are used to determine ryegrass varieties persistence in association to white clover. Nevertheless, before such ‘variety preference’ tests can be applied in practice, a validation of the possible correlation between ‘variety preference’ and ‘variety intake’ will be necessary.
Decomposition of Allelopathic Plants in Soil
Authors: Xuan T. D. , Tawata S. , Khanh T. D. , Chung I. M.
Published: September 2010

Higher plants with strong allelopathic properties are commonly incorporated into soil for weed‐control purposes. To understand the phytotoxic variation in the soil, which can be utilized for weed control through the use of allelopathic plants, the decomposition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Rasen) and kava (Piper methysticum L.) after soil amendment were evaluated. Both alfalfa and kava strongly inhibited barnyardgrass and monochoria growth for up to 10 days (80–100 % weed control). After 20–25 days, the magnitude of inhibition was drastically reduced, but was still effective (50 % weed control). A number of phenolic acids were detected in the soil even 50 days after incorporation in low concentration, but their concentrations reached a maximum after 10–15 days and were efficacious until 20–25 days. Phenolic acids varied between alfalfa and kava. The variations in electrical conductivity (EC) and osmotic pressure (OP) were strongly related to chemicals and toxic compounds exuded into the soil during decomposition and were proportional to the magnitude of inhibition observed, whereas pH did not appear to be correlated with inhibition. The decomposition of several unknown inhibitors present in kava was also analysed and assessed. Our findings indicate that these growth inhibitors were almost disintegrated in soil after 10 days, but strong inhibition was detected until 25 days after amendment. Results from this study demonstrate that chemicals released from allelopathic plants incorporated into soil are toxic and cause inhibition of certain species and could be exploited as a biological tool for weed management.
Reed Canarygrass Forage Yield and Nutrient Uptake on a Year‐round Wastewater Application Site
Authors: Sheaffer C. C. , Rosen C. J. , Gupta S. C.
Published: September 2010

Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is often planted at wastewater treatment sites to provide ground cover and remove nutrients. Our overall objective was to determine the forage yield and nutrient uptake under year‐round potato wastewater application in northern latitudes. Specifically, we determined the effect of N fertilization rate on forage dry matter yield and N and P uptake by reed canarygrass, and compared the forage yield, persistence and nutrient uptake of reed canarygrass relative to those of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), smooth bromegrass (Bromis inermis Leyss), timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and quackgrass [Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski]. With only wastewater application, reed canarygrass had a forage yield of 5.8 Mg ha−1, with N and P uptake of 113 and 30 kg ha−1, respectively. Forage dry matter yield, N uptake and P uptake increased to 14.5 Mg ha−1, 383 kg ha−1 and 64 kg ha−1, respectively, with an N fertilization rate of 224 kg ha−1. Forage yield and N uptake of reed canarygrass, orchardgrass, timothy and smooth bromegrass were similar and exceeded those of quackgrass. Reed canarygrass P uptake exceeded that of the other grasses. Reed canarygrass was less persistent than quackgrass or smooth bromegrass.
Familial cases of coat colour‐change in a Piétrain cross
Authors: Borchers N. , Reinsch N. , Kalm E.
Published: September 2010

In this note the coat colour‐change of a descendant of a cross involving Piétrain, Landrace and Large White is described. One sow was born as a black spotted piglet with a white background. At the end of rearing the gilt showed a red background, a change which was also observed in one full brother and two half sisters of the sow. By 1 year of age the red colour had turned to roan. This colour also appeared in another unrelated pig, which was born as a tricoloured animal.
Domestication‐related variations of the hair cuticula pattern in mammals
Authors: Meyer W. , Schnapper A. , Hülmann G. , Seger H.
Published: September 2010

Based on a computer‐assisted method and regression analysis, several structural parameters of the hair cuticula pattern of primary hairs of 94 wild mammals and 44 breeds of 10 domesticated mammals were evaluated and compared between both groups. Biologically relevant relationships between the parameters examined could only be obtained for the wild animals. In this way domestication‐induced defects became evident for the hair cuticula pattern that is a typical structural feature of the hair shaft.
Asymmetric genetic correlations between dairy traits
Authors: Pirchner F. , Nibler T.
Published: September 2010

Realized genetic correlations between dairy traits were estimated from halfsib response to (a) upward, respectively downward selection and (b) to different selected traits. Data comprised records from 36 870 Bavarian Fleckvieh and from 9434 Angler cows from the years 1977–88 and 1990, respectively. No asymmetry appeared between upward and downward selection. However, in both breeds selection for yield led to stronger negative reaction in fat and protein content than vice versa. Between protein and fat content the realized correlation appears to be symmetric.
Microsatellite analysis of genetic diversity in the Catalonian donkey breed
Authors: Jordana J. , Folch P. , Aranguren J. A.
Published: September 2010

A total of 111 individuals (79 females and 32 males) of the endangered Catalonian donkey breed were analysed by using a commercial equine paternity polymerase chain reaction typing kit. Eleven of the 12 horse microsatellites were amplified when using donkey’s DNA. One locus, ASB2, did not amplify in any sample. The allele range for HTG4 overlapped with HMS7 and their results could not be interpreted. The mean number of alleles detected per locus was 7.7 (±1.0), being the average of genetic diversity detected in the population, and measured as the unbiased average expected heterozygosity (He), of 0.712 ± 0.038. All the analysed loci showed disagreement with Hardy–Weinberg proportions except HTG7 (from permutation tests). The within‐population‐inbreeding estimate was highly significant (p < 0.001) and equal to 15.4% (as measured byFIS‐statistic). The cumulative exclusion probability was 0.999. The deficit of heterozygotes can be partly explained by a population subdivision effect (FST=3.5%), although the main factor that has provoked this lack of heterozygotes can be attributed to consanguinity.
A G > C transversion within the primer binding site causes a ‘null’ allele of the microsatellite T2201 in the White Shepherd breed
Authors: Pieńkowska A. , Schelling C.
Published: September 2010

In the course of a routine paternity test for White Shepherd dogs using microsatellite T2201 an apparent non‐Mendelian inheritance was seen. It could be shown that the observed phenomenon was caused by a G > C transversion within the reverse primer binding site of one maternal allele leading itself to a ‘null’ allele. Using an alternative primer complementing for the transversion the ‘null’ allele and all other known alleles of the microsatellite T2201 in White Shepherd dogs can be amplified under standard polymerase chain reaction conditions. Although the frequency of this ‘null’ is very low (0.08) we recommend the use of the alternative primer for paternity testing and related applications (e.g. genotype data bank) in this breed.
A canine linkage map: 39 linkage groups
Authors: Lingaas F. , Aarskaug T. , Gerlach J. A. , Juneja R. K. , Fredholm M. , Sampson J. , Suter N. , Holmes N. G. , Binns M. M. , Ryder E. J. , Van Haeringen W. A. , Venta P. J. , Brouillette J. A. , Yuzbasiyan‐Gurkan V. , Wilton A. N. , Bredbacka P. , Koskinen M. , Dunner S. , Parra D. , Schmutz S. , Schelling C. , Schläpfer J. , Dolf G.
Published: September 2010

A low resolution canine marker map is an important tool in the further advancements in genetic analysis of dog breeds and the control and reduction of the frequency of inherited diseases. This study presents a genetic linkage analysis with 39 linkage groups using 222 polymorphic canine markers based on typing in the International DogMap reference families, consisting of 129 Beagle and German Shepherd dogs. Of these 39 linkage groups, 14 have been assigned to canine chromosomes by fluorescence in‐situ hybridization (FISH). These results are a further refinement on the first linkage groups from the International DogMap collaboration and represent a continuing collaboration.