A study of the mineral composition and the composition of volatiles of marsh cinquefoil

The mineral composition of different vegetative parts of marsh cinquefoil has been studied by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and ion chromatography. The volatile oil has been obtained from leaves of marsh cinquefoil by hydro and steam distillation, and its composition has been determined by chromatography-mass spectrometry.     

Macromolecular composition of the sarcolemma and endomysium in the rat

The macromolecular composition of sarcolemma and endomysium was studied by classical staining methods for glycosaminoglycans and using immunological techniques for proteins. Both proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans (heparan sulphate, dermatan sulphate, chondroitin sulphate) could be detected in the sarcolemma. Type IV and type V collagen and laminin were found exclusively in the sarcolemma and endomysium. Type I and type III collagen as well as fibronectin were detected both in the endomysium and perimysium.     

Phospholipid composition of plasma and erythrocytes in the neonate

The total phospholipids and their various classes in erythrocytes and blood plasma were determined quantitatively by means of two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The total amount of phospholipids in neonate plasma was approximately half of that found in adult plasma, however, the amount of phospholipids in erythrocytes of the neonate was significantly higher. The differences were observed in some classes of phospholipids in the plasma and erythrocytes of neonates as well as adult human beings.     

西双版纳“龙山”片断热带雨林中小型土壤动物群落组成与多样性研究

对西双纳不同面积“龙山”片断干性季节雨林和保护区连续湿性季节雨淋凋落物层土壤动物群落多样性研究表明,土壤动物群落物种丰盛度,多度和多样性的变化不顾在随雨林片断化面积减少而降低的“种－面积效应”,而雨林片断化后因先锋植物（喜阳性）侵入产生的“干暖效应”,使片断雨林凋落物增多,腐殖质,土壤有机质,N,P等元素含量增高,土壤生境条件更有利于土壤动物生存,其群落多样性指数高于连续湿性季节雨林,但2种生境土壤动物群落种－多度模型均表现为对数级模式。     

Relationship between base composition in non-coding DNA of genes and codon composition

The C + G percentage in third position of codons is linearly dependent on the C + G composition of flanking regions and introns. A similar relationship is shown for the first and second position which significantly influence the nature of amino acid sequence. If mutations would be oriented according to the local base composition, this will imply that genes of the same multigenic family would evolve at different rate.     

The relationship of DNA base composition and individual protein composition in micro-organisms

Summary To investigate the dependence of protein composition on DNA base composition, a set of data on individual proteins with known amino acid compositions from a spectrum of bacterial species has been compiled. It is found that similar relationships of amino acid frequency to G + C content exist for these proteins as for the bulk proteins studied by Sueoka (1961). The data are analysed by linear and cubic regression, and a measure of the proportions of A + T-rich and G + C-rich codons in the underlying messenger RNAs is put forward. The theoretical limits on the G + C content of coding DNA are discussed, and inference are made about the various selective forces acting on DNAs of different G + C contents.     

Relative importance of the land‐use composition and intensity for the bird community composition in anthropogenic landscapes

Humans are changing the biosphere by exerting pressure on land via different land uses with variable intensities. Quantifying the relative importance of the land‐use composition and intensity for communities may provide valuable insights for understanding community dynamics in human‐dominated landscapes. Here, we evaluate the relative importance of the land‐use composition versus land‐use intensity on the bird community structure in the highly human‐dominated region surrounding Paris, France. The land‐use composition was calculated from a land cover map, whereas the land‐use intensity (reverse intensity) was represented by the primary productivity remaining after human appropriation (NPP_remaining), which was estimated using remote sensing imagery. We used variance partitioning to evaluate the relative importance of the land‐use composition versus intensity for explaining bird community species richness, total abundance, trophic levels, and habitat specialization in urban, farmland, and woodland habitats. The land‐use composition and intensity affected specialization and richness more than trophic levels and abundance. The importance of the land‐use intensity was slightly higher than that of the composition for richness, specialization, and trophic levels in farmland and urban areas, while the land‐use composition was a stronger predictor of abundance. The intensity contributed more to the community indices in anthropogenic habitats (farmland and urban areas) than to those in woodlands. Richness, trophic levels, and specialization in woodlands tended to increase with the NPP_remaining value. The heterogeneity of land uses and intensity levels in the landscape consistently promoted species richness but reduced habitat specialization and trophic levels. This study demonstrates the complementarity of NPP_remaining to the land‐use composition for understanding community structure in anthropogenic landscapes. Our results show, for the first time, that the productivity remaining after human appropriation is a determinant driver of animal community patterns, independent of the type of land use.     

Sterol composition and the classification of the demospongiae

The Demospongiae (Porifera) have yielded a wide range of novel and conventional sterols; a sample of 55 species screened and reported on have yielded 45 distinct sterol structures. The taxonomic relevance of the occurrence of particular sterols or overall sterol complement is evaluated and has proved to be informative in the case of the Verongida, Nepheliospongida, Axinellida and Hadromerida. A possible relationship between the occurrence of 26-methyl sterols and oviparous reproductive patterns within the Ceractinomorpha is noted. Sterol complement is observed to be qualitatively stable despite season and location of collection. High molecular weight sterols, present as major components, are probable membrane constituents. They afford an interesting parallel to the occurrence of diverse, high carbon fatty acids in sponge membranes.     

Sterol composition and classification of the porifera

The sterols of 27 species of Porifera have been examined by GC-MS; this study includes 23 members of the class Demospongiae and four species of the hitherto uninvestigated class Calcarea. The trends observed earlier for the Demospongiae are supported by the results of the present survey. Sterols of the Calcarea have not proved diverse but, of those present, the majority are of the C₂₇ type.     

Enzyme composition and the taxonomy of Acanthamoeba

The enzyme activities of 37 representative strains of Acanthamoeba against 19 substrates have been examined. A total of 13 enzyme complements were identified, which could be arranged in six larger groups. There was good agreement between these groupings and the arrangement of the strains that was suggested by the electrophoresis patterns of their esterases and acid phosphatases. A numericlature is described which provides an unequivocal numerical label for each enzyme complement.     

Carbohydrate composition and taxonomy of the genusDipodascus

Carbohydrates released during acid hydrolysis of intact cells ofDipodascus were studied by gas-liquid chromatographic analysis as their trimethylsilyl derivatives. In addition, cells were characterized by pyrolysis gas-liquid chromatography and pyrolysis mass spectrometry. The data obtained support the classification ofDipodascus uninucleatus in a separate genusDipodascopsis. Glucuronic acid is present inD. uninucleatus and, therefore, a possible affinity to fungi classified in the Zygomycetes is considered.Dipodascus aggregatus andDipodascus australiensis were found to be rather different, but very close toGeotrichum candidum and related species.     

Landscape composition and configuration in the central highlands of Ethiopia

Landscape dynamics are common phenomenon in the human‐dominated environments whereby it can be observed that the composition and configuration between landscape elements change over time. This dynamism brings about habitat loss and fragmentation that can greatly alter ecosystem services at patch, class, and landscape levels. We conducted a study to examine composition and configuration of forested landscape in the central highlands of Ethiopia using satellite images of over a period of four decades, and FRAGSTAT raster dataset was used to analyze fragmentation. Our result showed five land use/land cover (LULC) types in the study area. Cultivated land and settlement land increased at the expense of forestland, shrubland, and grassland. Fragmentation analysis showed the number of patches increased for all LULC types, indicating the level of fragmentation and interspersion. Juxtaposition increased for shrubland, grassland, and cultivated lands and decreased for settlement and forestland resulting in the fragmentation and isolation of patches. The study of LULC along with fragmentation at the landscape level can help improve our understanding of the pace at which conversion of landscape elements is happening and the impacts on ecosystem services as studies of LULC are courser in nature and would not show how each land use is reducing in size, proximity and shape among other things that determine ecosystem services. Such type of studies in rural landscapes are very vital to consider appropriate land management policies for the landscape level by taking into account the interaction between each element for sustainable development. We recommend land managers, conservationists, and land owners for observing the roles of each patch in the matrix to maximize the benefits than focusing on a single element.     

Silicon-rich soil amendments impact microbial community composition and the composition of arsM bearing microbes

Plant and Soil - Arsenic (As) cycling in flooded rice paddies is driven by soil microbes which among other transformations can cause conversion between inorganic and organic As species. Silicon...     

Changes in lipid composition and carbohydrate composition of Aspergillus niger conidia during germination

Data on the lipid composition and carbohydrate composition of Aspergillus niger conidia make it possible to characterize the individual germination stages and differentiate between the conidia capable of germination and those that lost the germination capacity. The following criteria are proposed: the ratio of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, the ratio of mannitol and arabitol, and the levels of sterols and free fatty acids. The role of these compounds in the biochemical background of cell transition from dormancy to active metabolism and their use as indices of the quality of inocula in biotechnological processes are discussed.