bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Morphology and Phylogenetic Placement of Three New Zoothamnium species (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) from Coastal Waters of Southern China
Authors: Shen Zhuo , Ji Daode , Yi Zhenzhen , Al‐Rasheid Khaled A. S. , Lin Xiaofeng 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe morphology, infraciliature, and silverline system of three peritrichous ciliates, Zoothamnium bucciniiformum sp. n., Zoothamnium florens sp. n., and Zoothamnium zhanjiangense sp. n., were investigated based on both living and silver‐stained specimens. Zoothamnium bucciniiformum sp. n., collected from coastal waters (salinity 30‰) off Zhanjiang, southern China, can be distinguished by the following characters: dichotomously branched stalk, peristomial lip with medial circumferential infolding, contractile vacuole apically positioned, 32–49 silverlines between the anterior end and the aboral trochal band, 15–26 between the aboral trochal band and the scopula; two kineties in peniculus 3, not parallel to each other. Zoothamnium florens sp. n., collected from a mangrove wetland (salinity 13‰) off Zhanjiang, is characterized by its large conical zooid, tuberculate peristomial lip, asymmetrical dichotomously branched colony, 59–81 silverlines between the anterior end and the aboral trochal band and 29–36 between the aboral trochal band and the scopula. Zoothamnium zhanjiangense, collected from a mangrove wetland (salinity about 9.5‰) off Zhanjiang, differs from its congeners by the alternately branched stalk, peristomial lip with medial circumferential infolding, 40–63 silverlines from the peristomial area to the aboral trochal band and 13–24 from the aboral trochal band to the scopula. The comparison and analysis of SSU rDNA sequences also support present identifications.
Grazers increase β‐diversity of vascular plants and bryophytes in wood‐pastures
Authors: Oldén Anna , Halme Panu 
Published: August 2016

AbstractQuestionsHow does the presence of grazers impact plant diversity at various spatial scales? What are the effects on plant β‐diversity and its two components, species turnover and nestedness? Are the effects caused by defoliation, trampling or defecating?LocationTwenty‐four currently grazed and 24 abandoned wood‐pasture sites in Central Finland.MethodsThe species richness of vascular plants and bryophytes was studied at four spatial scales: within 4‐m2 subplots (α1), within 100‐m2 plots (α2), within sites (α3) and within the landscape (γ). β‐Diversity was studied between subplots within plots (β1), between plots within sites (β2) and between sites within the landscape (β3).ResultsCurrently grazed sites had higher species richness at all of the spatial scales (α1, α2, α3, γ) and higher within‐plot and within‐site β ‐diversities (β1 and β2). At the within‐plot scale (β1) plant β‐diversity was increased primarily by variation in defoliation. At this scale both turnover and nestedness were increased by grazers. At the larger within‐site scale (β2) only turnover was increased, and it was mostly caused by variation in trampling intensities. Within the landscape (β3) currently grazed sites had higher between‐site turnover and lower nestedness than abandoned sites.ConclusionsGrazing creates and maintains high species richness and β‐diversity of vascular plants and bryophytes, mostly due to high species turnover between patches. Defoliation, dunging and trampling are all important turnover agents, although their relative importance varies with spatial scale. At the landscape scale the currently grazed sites had high species turnover between them, and thus the conservation of all grazing‐dependent species requires continued management at various sites, while high nestedness between abandoned sites implies that their biodiversity can be efficiently conserved through protecting the most species‐rich sites.
Functional responses of Mediterranean plant communities to soil resource heterogeneity: a mycorrhizal trait‐based approach
Authors: Navarro‐Fernández Carmen M. , Pérez‐Ramos Ignacio M. , de la Riva Enrique G. , Vera José R. , Roumet Catherine , Villar Rafael , Marañón Teodoro 
Published: August 2016

AbstractQuestionsHow are ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) traits related to other plant traits at the community level? Which abiotic factors drive the variability of these ECM and AM traits? What is the relative importance of plant species turnover and plant intraspecific differences on mycorrhizal trait variability among communities?LocationNine Mediterranean woody communities, Sierra Morena Mountains, Córdoba, south Spain.MethodsMycorrhizal and plant traits were weighted by the abundance of constitutive plant species to calculate community‐weighted means (CWM). Maximum likelihood techniques were used to analyse how variation in these functional community traits was driven by soil abiotic factors.ResultsThe degree of ECM colonization was positively related to the abundance of evergreen species and to tissue dry matter content (in leaves and roots), but negatively to specific root length and specific leaf area. The best abiotic predictor of ECM colonization was soil moisture, with higher ECM colonization in drier sites. However, AM colonization was not related to any of the plant traits studied, and was positively related to soil Cu and other physico‐chemical soil properties. Changes in community mycorrhization of both types were primarily due to plant species turnover (mainly species occurrence), with a remarkable importance of plant intraspecific variability in the case of AM colonization (especially in the percentage of vesicles).ConclusionsThe degrees of colonization by ECM and AM at the community level exhibited different patterns, influenced by both biotic factors (plant functional structure) and abiotic conditions (soil moisture and chemical composition). The proposed mycorrhizal trait‐based approach can help to better understand the role of these symbioses on plant community functioning.
Species origin affects the rate of response to inter‐annual growing season precipitation and nutrient addition in four Australian native grasslands
Authors: Morgan John W. , Dwyer John M. , Price Jodi N. , Prober Suzanne M. , Power Sally A. , Firn Jennifer , Moore Joslin L. , Wardle Glenda M. , Seabloom Eric W. , Borer Elizabeth T. , Camac James S. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractQuestionsPredicted increases in temperature and changes to precipitation are expected to alter the amount of plant available nutrients, in turn, altering rates of primary production and exotic plant invasions. However, it remains unclear whether increased responses occur in wetter than average years, even in low fertility and low rainfall regions.LocationFour Australian grasslands, including sites in arid Western Australia, semi‐arid Victoria, alpine Victoria and sub‐tropical Queensland.MethodsUsing identical nutrient addition experiments, we use 6‐years of biomass, cover and species richness data to examine how rates of biomass production and native and exotic cover and richness are affected by growing season precipitation [proportion of yearly growing season precipitation (GSP) to long‐term meanGSP] and nutrient (N, P, K and micronutrients) addition.ResultsRates of grassland productivity strongly increased with increasingGSP.GSPincreased rates of native cover but not native or exotic richness, nor rates of exotic cover change. We detected no significantNPKeffect on rates of grassland productivity, exotic cover or exotic richness change. In contrast,NPKaddition decreased rates of native cover change and fertilized plots had significantly fewer native species. We did not detect a significant interaction betweenNPKandGSP.ConclusionsGrassland productivity was more strongly predicted by variation in growing season precipitation than by nutrient addition, suggesting it will vary with future changes in rainfall. Response to nutrients, however, depend on species origin, suggesting that increasing soil nutrient availability due to anthropogenic activities is likely to lead to negative effects on native species richness and cover.
Which randomizations detect convergence and divergence in trait‐based community assembly? A test of commonly used null models
Authors: Götzenberger Lars , Botta‐Dukát Zoltán , Lepš Jan , Pärtel Meelis , Zobel Martin , de Bello Francesco 
Published: August 2016

AbstractQuestionsMechanisms of community assembly are increasingly explored by combining community and species trait data with null models. By investigating if the traits of co‐existing species are more similar (trait convergence) or more dissimilar (trait divergence) than expected by chance, these tests relate observed patterns to different co‐existence mechanisms. Do null models accurately detect trait convergence and divergence? Are different null models equally good at detecting these two opposing patterns? How important are the species pool and other constraints that are considered by different null models?MethodsWe applied ten common randomizations to communities that were simulated in a process‐based model.ResultsNull models good at detecting biotic processes differed from those null models that revealed abiotic processes. In particular, limiting similarity (detected through divergence) was better detected by randomizations that release the link between species abundance and trait values, whereas environmental filtering (detected through convergence of an environmental response trait) was identified by randomizations that keep this link. In general, using species abundance data provided better results than using presence–absence data, particularly within given limited environmental conditions. Weaker competitor exclusion (detected through convergence of a competition‐related trait) was only detected when no environmental filtering was acting on the simulated assembly, which points to difficulties in disentangling biotic and abiotic convergence in natural communities, especially when data are randomized across habitats.ConclusionsOverall the results manifest the importance of the pool of species over which randomizations are applied; in particular whether randomizations are conducted across or within given habitats. Taken together, our findings show that different null models must be combined and applied to a carefully chosen pool of species and species abundance data to ensure that co‐existence mechanisms can be properly assessed. We utilize the results to (1) discuss how different constraints implied in the different null models affect the outcomes of our tests, and (2) provide some basic recommendations on how to choose null models, given the data available and questions being asked.
Region‐wide and ecotype‐specific differences in demographic histories of threespine stickleback populations, estimated from whole genome sequences
Authors: Liu Shenglin , Hansen Michael M. , Jacobsen Magnus W. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractWe analysed 81 whole genome sequences of threespine sticklebacks from Pacific North America, Greenland and Northern Europe, representing 16 populations. Principal component analysis of nuclearSNPs grouped populations according to geographical location, with Pacific populations being more divergent from each other relative to European and Greenlandic populations. Analysis of mitogenome sequences showed Northern European populations to represent a single phylogeographical lineage, whereas Greenlandic and particularly Pacific populations showed admixture between lineages. We estimated demographic history using a genomewide coalescence with recombination approach. The Pacific populations showed gradual population expansion starting >100 Kya, possibly reflecting persistence in cryptic refuges near the present distributional range, although we do not rule out possible influence of ancient admixture. Sharp population declines ca. 14–15 Kya were suggested to reflect founding of freshwater populations by marine ancestors. In Greenland and Northern Europe, demographic expansion started ca. 20–25 Kya coinciding with the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. In both regions, marine and freshwater populations started to show different demographic trajectories ca. 8–9 Kya, suggesting that this was the time of recolonization. In Northern Europe, this estimate was surprisingly late, but found support in subfossil evidence for presence of several freshwater fish species but not sticklebacks 12 Kya. The results demonstrate distinctly different demographic histories across geographical regions with potential consequences for adaptive processes. They also provide empirical support for previous assumptions about freshwater populations being founded independently from large, coherent marine populations, a key element in the Transporter Hypothesis invoked to explain the widespread occurrence of parallel evolution across freshwater stickleback populations.
MODELING OF A BLOCK TARIFF SYSTEM FOR GROUNDWATER REGULATION
Authors: LIAO CHAO‐NING , TSAI HSIANG‐WEI 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe block tariff system is widely used by public utility companies and governments. Because the unit rate is determined at the same time as are choice variables, the resulting endogeneity has been the subject of studies on residential water demand and in labor economics. Without discussing any mechanism that helps people come to their final decisions, these studies rely on observed data and econometric tools to estimate parameters in demand or supply functions. Because their main concern is the amount of resources devoted to a prespecified activity, their methodologies cannot analyze problems in which resources could flow to more than one outlet. This study constructs a computable framework that can deal with the endogeneity issue and help allocate scarce resources to mutually exclusive activities. Using a block tariff system for regulating groundwater extraction by aquaculture farmers in Taiwan as an example, we will show how the government and farmers can rely on the proposed framework to meet their interests.
Cohort study of pain symptoms and management following impacted mandibular third molar extraction
Authors: Motonobu A , Hidemichi Y , Eri U , Takashi T , Kenichi K 
Published: August 2016

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of intravenous sedation as a useful pain‐relieving option for impacted third molar extractions.Subjects and methodsA prospective cohort study was conducted among patients who underwent bilateral mandibular third molar extractions under local anaesthesia and intravenous sedation (sedation group) and patients who underwent unilateral mandibular third molar extraction under local anaesthesia alone (local anaesthesia group). The frequency of use of postoperative oral analgesia and the intensity of pain assessed using the full cup test were compared between the two groups.ResultsThe maximum pain intensity (0–100) on postoperative day 1 in the sedation and local anaesthesia groups was 72.8 ± 16.98 and 84.8 ± 15.84, respectively, and the mean pain intensity was 42.2 ± 16.00 and 49.6 ± 18.94. The maximum and mean pain intensities in the sedation group were significantly milder than those in the local anaesthesia group. The number of oral analgesic doses in the sedation group was significantly smaller on the day of surgery and on postoperative day 1 than in the local anaesthesia group.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that bilateral impacted mandibular third molar extractions under intravenous sedation could be a recommended treatment option.
Segregation of nitrogen use between ammonium and nitrate of ectomycorrhizas and beech trees
Authors: Leberecht Martin , Dannenmann Michael , Tejedor Javier , Simon Judy , Rennenberg Heinz , Polle Andrea 
Published: August 2016

AbstractHere, we characterized nitrogen (N) uptake of beech (Fagus sylvatica) and their associated ectomycorrhizal (EM) communities from NH4+ and NO3−. We hypothesized that a proportional fraction of ectomycorrhizal N uptake is transferred to the host, thereby resulting in the same uptake patterns of plants and their associated mycorrhizal communities. 15N uptake was studied under various field conditions after short‐term and long‐term exposure to a pulse of equimolar NH4+ and NO3− concentrations, where one compound was replaced by 15N. In native EM assemblages, long‐term and short‐term 15N uptake from NH4+ was higher than that from NO3−, regardless of season, water availability and site exposure, whereas in beech long‐term 15N uptake from NO3− was higher than that from NH4+. The transfer rates from the EM to beech were lower for 15N from NH4+ than from NO3−. 15N content in EM was correlated with 15N uptake of the host for 15NH4+, but not for 15NO3−‐derived N. These findings suggest stronger control of the EM assemblage on N provision to the host from NH4+ than from NO3−. Different host and EM accumulation patterns for inorganic N will result in complementary resource use, which might be advantageous in forest ecosystems with limited N availability.
Expression and localization of angiopoietin family in corpus luteum during different stages of oestrous cycle and modulatory role of angiopoietins on steroidogenesis, angiogenesis and survivability of cultured buffalo luteal cells
Authors: Mishra SR , Parmar MS , Yadav VP , Reshma R , Bharati J , Bharti MK , Paul A , Chouhan VS , Taru Sharma G , Singh G , Sarkar M 
Published: August 2016

ContentsThe objective of this study was to document the expression and localization of angiopoietin (ANGPT) family members comprising of angiopoietin (ANGPT1 and ANGPT2), and their receptors (Tie1 and Tie2) in buffalo corpus luteum (CL) obtained from different stages of the oestrous cycle, and the modulatory role of ANGPT1 and ANGPT2 alone or in combinations on progesterone (P4) secretion and mRNA expression of phosphotidylinositide‐3kinase‐protein kinase B (PI3K‐AKT), phosphoinositide‐dependent kinase (PDK), protein kinase B (AKT), Bcl2 associated death promoter (BAD), caspase 3 and von willebrand factor (vWF) in luteal cells obtained from midluteal phase (MLP) of oestrous cycle in buffalo. Real‐time RT‐PCR (qPCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry were applied to investigate mRNA expression, protein expression and localization of examined factors whereas, the P4 secretion was assessed by RIA. The mRNA and protein expression of ANGPT1 and Tie2 was maximum (p < .05) in mid luteal phase (MLP) of oestrous cycle. The ANGPT2 mRNA and protein expression was maximum (p < .05) in early luteal phase, decreased in MLP and again increased in late luteal phase of oestrous cycle. ANGPT family members were localized in luteal cells and endothelial cells with a stage specific immunoreactivity. P4 secretion was highest (p < .05) with 100 ng/ml at 72 hr when luteal cells were treated with either protein alone. The mRNA expression of PDK, AKT and vWF was highest (p < .05) and BAD along with caspase 3 were lowest (p < .05) at 100 ng/ml at 72 hr of incubation period, when cultured luteal cells were treated with either protein alone or in combination. To conclude, our study explores the steroidogenic potential of angiopoietins to promote P4 secretion, luteal cell survival and angiogenesis through an autocrine and paracrine actions in buffalo CL.
Expression of retinoic acid‐metabolizing enzymes, ALDH1A1, ALDH1A2, ALDH1A3, CYP26A1, CYP26B1 and CYP26C1 in canine testis during post‐natal development
Authors: Kasimanickam VR 
Published: August 2016

ContentsMammalian spermatogenesis involves highly regulated temporal and spatial dynamics, carefully controlled by several signalling processes. Retinoic acid (RA) signalling could have a critical role in spermatogenesis by promoting spermatogonia differentiation, adhesion of germ cells to Sertoli cells, and release of mature spermatids. An optimal testicular RA concentration is maintained by retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs), which oxidize RA precursors to produce RA, whereas the CYP26 class of enzymes catabolizes (oxidize) RA into inactive metabolites. The objective was to elucidate gene expression of these RA‐metabolizing enzymes (ALDH1A1, ALDH1A2, ALDH1A3, CYP26A1, CYP26B1 and CYP26C1) and their protein presence in testes of young, peripubertal and adult dogs. Genes encoding RA‐synthesizing isozymes ALDH1A1, ALDH1A2 and ALDH1A3 and RA‐catabolizing isomers CYP26A1, CYP26B1 and CYP26C1 were expressed in testis at varying levels during testicular development from birth to adulthood in dogs. Based on detailed analyses of mRNA expression patterns, ALDH1A2 was regarded as a primary RA‐synthesizing enzyme and CYP26B1 as a critical RA‐hydrolysing enzyme; presumably, these genes have vital roles in maintaining RA homeostasis, which is imperative to spermatogenesis and other testicular functions in post‐natal canine testis.
Multicystic degeneration of the Cowper's gland in a Large White boar
Authors: Grahofer A , Nathues H , Gurtner C 
Published: August 2016

ContentsThe present report describes a case of multicystic degeneration of the Cowper's gland in a 1.3‐year‐old purebred Large White intact boar with reduced fertility in Switzerland. Based on the case history, a general physical examination, an andrological investigation and a transrectal ultrasonography combined with a subsequent thorough pathological examination including histology a multicystic degeneration of the Cowper's gland were diagnosed. The case indicates that cystic degeneration of the bulbourethral gland should be contemplated in the differential diagnoses of andrological disorders even though it has not been described in pigs so far. While selecting breeding boars, a morphological check of the bulbourethral gland can be performed, since degeneration of the gland would potentially have an impact on future fertility.
Electrostatic potentials of the S‐locus F‐box proteins contribute to the pollen S specificity in self‐incompatibility in Petunia hybrida
Authors: Li Junhui , Zhang Yue , Song Yanzhai , Zhang Hui , Fan Jiangbo , Li Qun , Zhang Dongfen , Xue Yongbiao 
Published: August 2016

SummarySelf‐incompatibility (SI) is a self/non‐self discrimination system found widely in angiosperms and, in many species, is controlled by a single polymorphic S‐locus. In the Solanaceae, Rosaceae and Plantaginaceae, the S‐locus encodes a single S‐RNase and a cluster of S‐locus F‐box (SLF) proteins to control the pistil and pollen expression of SI, respectively. Previous studies have shown that their cytosolic interactions determine their recognition specificity, but the physical force between their interactions remains unclear. In this study, we show that the electrostatic potentials of SLF contribute to the pollen S specificity through a physical mechanism of ‘like charges repel and unlike charges attract’ between SLFs and S‐RNases in Petunia hybrida. Strikingly, the alteration of a single C‐terminal amino acid of SLF reversed its surface electrostatic potentials and subsequently the pollen S specificity. Collectively, our results reveal that the electrostatic potentials act as a major physical force between cytosolic SLFs and S‐RNases, providing a mechanistic insight into the self/non‐self discrimination between cytosolic proteins in angiosperms.