Plant diversity in Lythrum,Phragmites, and Typhamarshes,Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Concern about colonization of marshesby plant species such as Phragmites australisand Lythrum salicariahas highlighted the needfor management strategies. However, there is a lack ofinformation in the literature on which to base thesedecisions. This study compares the alpha diversity ofmarshes to assess the impact of invasion by Phragmitesand Lythrum. Species occurrence andstem density were measured in marshes dominated by Phragmites, Lythrum, Typhaspp., or otherherbaceous perennials in the Charles River watershedin eastern Massachusetts, USA, and species richness,Shannon's H, Simpson's reciprocal (1/D), and Pielou'sJ were compared among six community types. The threediversity indices had significantly higher values forTypha-Lythrummarshes than for any of the othermarsh types (Tukey test, p< 0.05), with mean values(± s.d.) of H = 2.00 ± 0.74, 1/D = 3.51± 1.68 and J = 0.69 ± 0.1. Marshes dominatedby Phragmiteshad the lowest diversity, with H= 0 and D = 1, i.e. they were monospecific. Typhadominated marshes had the second lowest values,with H = 0.17 ± 0.05, 1/D = 1.05 ± 0.01, andJ = 0.11 ± 0.03. These results support the ideathat a reduction in diversity can be expected inmarshes colonized by Phragmites. However, thehigh diversity found in the Typha-Lythrummarshes contradicts the expectation of lower diversityafter invasion by Lythrum. This information mayalter marsh management decisions.     

Abrol, Y. P. and Ahmad, A. Sulphur in plants

Since the publication of the still-valuable Sulphur in agriculturevolume (Tabatabai MA, ed., Madison: American Society of Agronomy)in 1986, there has been tremendous progress in knowledge ofplant sulfur metabolism and the significance of sulfur metabolitesin plant functioning. The growing awareness that sulfur deficiencyis currently one of the major nutrient stresses in agriculture,not only in Western Europe but throughout the world, and theassessment of the significance of sulfur metabolites for     

Pregnant teens in prison. Prevalence,management, and consequences.

To estimate the number of pregnant and parenting teens currently incarcerated and to assess the correctional health care and social services provided to this target population, we surveyed 430 juvenile detention and long-term correctional facilities in the United States that incarcerate adolescent girls. Of these, 261 (61%) institutions responded and are included in the analysis. Of these facilities, 68% estimated that they were holding 1 to 5 pregnant adolescents on a given day, with a reported yearly (September 1991 to September 1992) census of 2,000 pregnant teenagers and 1,200 teenaged mothers. Nearly half of the facilities (45%) continue to incarcerate after it is determined that a youth is pregnant. Of those institutions that incarcerate pregnant adolescents, 31% provide no prenatal services and 70% provide no parenting classes. Of these facilities, 60% reported at least 1 obstetric complication in their pregnant population. A substantial number of pregnant and parenting adolescents are in custody in the United States. General community standards of health and social services for pregnant and parenting teenagers are not being met by the institutions that incarcerate them.     

Liver disease in women. Alcohol,autoimmunity, and gallstones.

Some liver diseases, such as autoimmune liver disease, affect women far more often than men. Others, such as alcohol-related disease, progress more rapidly in women than in men. An increased index of suspicion will lead to improved diagnosis and earlier treatment of women with liver disease.     

Water in keratin. Piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic experiments.

To investigate actions of water in keratin, the piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic constants are measured at 10 Hz, at temperatures between -160 and 150 degrees C, and at various hydration levels. From changes in the piezoelectric, dielectric, and dynamic mechanical parameters with moisture content (m.c.), we have identified three regimes (I, II, and III) in the hydration of water for keratin. At high hydration (21% m.c.) around 0 degree C, the piezoelectric constants for keratin steeply decrease with increasing temperature. This may be attributed to interfacial polarization which is strongly related to self-associated water molecules (particularly regime III water) just around crystalline helical regions which can exhibit the stress-induced, i.e., piezoelectric, polarization and may be attributed to electrode polarization induced by the increase of mobile ions in the amorphous matrix region, some of which would be released from their trapped states just around the piezoelectric phase by the regime III water. With increasing hydration, the elastic constants for keratin are found to increase below -70 degrees C and decrease above -70 degrees C. This suggests a viscoelastic transition of the keratin structure due to bound water (regime II water). The piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic loss peaks are found at around -120 degrees C for hydrated keratin, believed to be due to tightly bound water (regime I water), which acts only to stiffen the keratin structure. The adsorption regions of water in keratin are discussed by a piezoelectric two-phase model, which consists of piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric phases. It is proposed that water molecule would at least adsorb in the nonpiezoelectric phase.     

Hybridization and recombination in the yeasts Pichia alni, P. bimundalis, P. finlandica, P. glucozyma, P. henricii, P. hostii, P. minuta var. nonfermentans, P. muscicola

A collection of genetic lines in 8 reproductively isolated Pichia species has been created. The above data have permitted realizing intraspecific hybridization and showing normal meiotic segregation of auxotrophic markers.     

Pollination in Geonoma macrostachys and Three Congeners,G. acaulis,G. gracilis,and G. interrupta

A continuous 15 month study of the floral ecology of four syntopic understorey palm species of Genoma was conducted in Amazonian Peru lowland rainforest. The spicate inflorescences of G. macrostachys, G. acaulis and G. gracilis are strictly protandrous and the plants are functionally dioecious. Data suggest that in G. macrostachys and G. acaulis pollination is based on a mimicry system, the pistillate flowers mimicking the staminate ones in colour, shape and scent. Pollen-collecting meliponine bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae) and pollen-feeding syrphid flies (Diptera, Syrphidae) which visit inflorescences during both sexual stages are the pollinators of G. macrostachys. Geonoma acaulis is pollinated by small pollen-feeding weevils (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Derelomini) that visit male and female spikes. Additionally, in G. macrostachys another pollinator type, viz. euglossine bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossinae), which are attracted and rewarded by both types of flowers may account for long-distance pollination. The palm G. gracilis shows a very distinct pollination system. Although opportunistic insect visitors are attracted to the inflorescences of this species it seems to be mainly anemophilous because pollen becomes powdery during an thesis. The branched inflorescences of G. interrupta are also protandrous, but unlike the other species of Geonoma observed, staminate and pistillate anthesis of individual flowers are, for the most, overlapping. A broad spectrum of visitors is attracted (bees, wasps, flies, and beetles), which all may act as pollinators. Outcrossing is especially encouraged during the purely female phase at the end of the flowering cycle when there are no more staminate flowers in the inflorescence. Effects on the reproductive biology and population structure of different pollination systems and breeding system are discussed.     

Erratum: Hypoxia‐induced modifications in plasma membranes and lipid microdomains in A549 cells and primary human alveolar cells. L. Botto,E. Beretta,A. Bulbarelli,I. Rivolta,B. Lettiero,B.E. Leone,G. Miserocchi,and P. Palestini

In the originally published version of this article the first and surnames of the authorship were transposed. This notice is being published to amend the error and corrected online files of the original article are now available. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 536, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.