Reproductive characteristics that favor invasiveness in Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R. Br.

Reproductive systems are life attributes important in defining the demography and genetic constitution of invasive alien species populations. We describe the phenology, floral behavior and floral visitors in Mexican populations of Leonotis nepetifolia considered invasive in America, Asia and Oceania. The mating system was determined through pollination experiments and, with a morphological analysis of flowers (outcrossing index, OCI) and pollen/ovule ratio, the breeding system was evaluated. Germination of 1 and 2-year-old seeds was tested to assess the potential characteristics of germination. Leonotis nepetifolia was reproductive for 7 months (June to December) and tended towards a specific season during autumn. Anthesis lasted 36 hr with protogyny and no hercogamy, with floral visitors of Apodiformes, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera. Pollination experiments indicated a mixed mating system, whereas the OCI and the pollen/ovule ratio pointed towards a facultative xenogamous breeding system. Seed production was high (1,445 ± 132 seeds/plant); the seeds had potential longevity and were neutral photoblastic. One-year-old seeds germinated slightly later ( = 2.6 ± 0.11 days) than 2-year-old seeds ( = 1.9 ± 0.02 days), both synchronously (IS_1yr = 0.88 ± 0.03 and IS_2yr = 0.82 ± 0.02). Germination percentage for 1-year-old seeds was lower (55.33 ± 4.40%) than that of 2-year-old seeds (94.18 ± 0.59%), suggesting a potential longevity of the seeds in an optimal environment. Reproductive characteristics, such as wide reproductive period, mixed breeding system, copious seed production, seeds with potential longevity, and quick and synchronic germination in different light conditions, favor the invasive capacity of Leonotis nepetifolia.     

New species of Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) from the gills of freshwater fishes in Patagonia,Argentina

Systematic Parasitology - A new parasitic copepod, Ergasilus yandemontei n. sp., is described based on 10 adult females collected from the gills of the atherinid silverside Odontesthes hatcheri...     

Unusual D:B-friedobaccharane and oxygenated friedelane-type triterpenoids from Salvadorean Celastraceae species

Three new triterpenoids, including two rare D:B-friedobaccharanes (leonatriol, 1 and leonatriolone, 2) and a 2,3-seco-2,24-epoxy-3,24-olide-D:A-friedooleanane (cassinolide, 3) were isolated from the root bark of Cassine xylocarpa and Celastrus vulcanicola, collected in El Salvador. Their stereostructures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, mainly ¹D and ²D NMR techniques, spectrometric analyses, and comparison with data reported in the literature. The absolute configuration of 1 and 2 were determined by the application of the Riguera ester procedure and biogenetic considerations. The possible biogenetic pathway for cassinolide (3) is also discussed.     

MZmine 2: Modular framework for processing,visualizing, and analyzing mass spectrometry-based molecular profile data

Background  

Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with online separation methods is commonly applied for differential and quantitative profiling of biological samples in metabolomic as well as proteomic research. Such approaches are used for systems biology, functional genomics, and biomarker discovery, among others. An ongoing challenge of these molecular profiling approaches, however, is the development of better data processing methods. Here we introduce a new generation of a popular open-source data processing toolbox, MZmine 2.     

Female-infant interactions among free-ranging stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides)

The friendly and aggressive behaviors directed by females other than the mother to the troop's infants were recorded during a six-month long study of stumptail macaques living on an island. A great deal of friendly contacts were directed by the females toward the troop's infants. Juvenile females interacted with infants mainly through social play while adult females directed passive contacts (e.g., touch-hand) to them. While the adult females displayed more care contacts toward male infants the juvenile females preferred the female infants. The social position of the infant's mother in the troop and the attention it received from the males regulated the caring behavior an infant received from the females.     

Disubstituted Dithiolethione ACDT Exerts Neuroprotective Effects Against 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Oxidative Stress in SH-SY5Y Cells

Neurochemical Research - Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure. Oxidative stress has been found to play a significant role in its...     

R-Gada: a fast and flexible pipeline for copy number analysis in association studies

Background  

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using Copy Number Variation (CNV) are becoming a central focus of genetic research. CNVs have successfully provided target genome regions for some disease conditions where simple genetic variation (i.e., SNPs) has previously failed to provide a clear association.