Wine clarification from Spondias mombin L. pulp by hollow fiber membrane system

The aim of this work was to study the cajá (Spondias mombin L.) wine clarification using a hollow fiber membrane system. Two cajá wines clarified with bentonite clay were used for comparison. Transmembrane pressures of 0.40 and 0.60 bar were used. Ninety-five percent of cajá wine colors were reduced at both transmembrane pressures and 66% with bentonite clay clarification. Cajá wine clarified with the membrane process was light yellow; but cajá wine clarified with bentonite clay had a turbid appearance. This works showed that it is possible to clarify the cajá wine with the membrane process and that this process did not change the quality of the wine and retained color, aroma and flavor from the cajá fruits. The membrane clarification enables a continuous process for cajá wine production.     

A new savanna-like community of the sierra del rosario mountains,Cuba

This communication describes a new savanna-like community, theBletio purpureae-Andropogonetum gracilis Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote ass. nov., found in the woodless eastern part of the Sierra del Rosario Mountains (western part of Cuba). From the phytosociological point of view, it belongs to the allianceAchlaenion piptostachyae Balátová-Tulá?ková all. nov., the orderAchlaenetalia piptostachyae Balátová-Tulá?ková ord. nov., and the classSclerio baldwinii-Andropogonetea gracilis Balátová-Tulá?ková cl. nov. In the area under study four subassociations were distinguished: theBletio-Andropogonetum typicum Balátová-Tulá?ková et.R. Capote subass. nov., theB.-A. rhynchosporetosum fascicularis Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote subass. nov., theB.-A. cassietosum aeschynomenes Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote subass. nov., and theB.-A. stenandrietosum droseroidis Balátová-Tulá?ková etR. Capote subass. nov.     

Flooded meadow communities an analysis of their productivity in a wet year

The productivity of three plant communities differeing in moisture conditions was studied in the river basin of the Dyje near the village of Lan?hot (Southern Moravia). The communities were as follows:Serratuleto-Festucetum commutatae Balátová-Tulá?ková 1963,Gratiola officinalis—Carex praecox-suzae subass.Galium boreale Balátová-Tulá?ková 1963, andGratiola officinalis—Carex praecox-suzae subass.Rorippa silvestris Balátová-Tulá?ková 1963. The associationGratiola officinalis—Carex praecox-suzae subass.Galium boreale appeared as the most productive one, its biomass maximum W=400 g . m^?2 and the maximum R=0.042 g . g^?1 . day^?1 C=4.84 g . m^?2 . day^?1. Owing to extreme moisture conditions in the year 1966, the associationSerratuleto-Festucetum commutatae was also highly productive, as it reached the following maximum of dry matter production: 240 g . m^?2, R=0.0388g . g^?1 . day^?1 C=4.64 g . m^?2 . day^?1. The maximum value of dry matter in the associationGratiola officinalis—Carex praecox-suzae subass.Rorippa silvestris was 220 g.m^?2. Changes in dry matter production of shoots were evaluated statistically. The dry matter in the underground parts of plants in 1 square metre, collected from the 0–25 cm layer varied from 1,000 to 2,000 g.m^?2. Together with records of the increasing dry matter in the shoots the author kept records of the properties of dead material.     

Some new taxa inLotus corniculatus L.

Four new taxa in the variable speciesLotus corniculatus L. has been described: var.alandicus Chrtková-?ertová, var.norvegicus Chrtková-?ertová, var.fallax Chrtková-?ertová and var.posoniensis Chrtková-?ertová.     

New Species and New Records of Dexosarcophaga Townsend (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) from Brazil with a Key to Species of the Subgenus Bezzisca

Dexosarcophaga tupinamba n. sp. is described based on male specimens from the Brazilian states of Pará and Maranhão; Dexosarcophaga bermudezi Silva & Mello-Patiu is newly recorded from Pará and South America; and Dexosarcophaga avispaensis Mello is newly recorded from Pará (new to Brazil). The Brazilian species Dexosarcophaga limitata (Lopes) and Dexosarcophaga pusilla (Lopes) are both recorded from Pará, which are new records from the Brazilian Amazon, Dexosarcophaga aurifacies (Lopes) is newly recorded from the state of Alagoas and Dexosarcophaga carvalhoi (Lopes) is newly recorded from the states of Mato Grosso, Maranhão, and Pará. A key to the identification of males of the subgenus Bezzisca is provided.     

Isolation and characterization of genome-specific markers in Oryza species with the BB genome

Wild species of rice with many valuable agronomic traits are an important genetic resource for improving cultivated rice by wide hybridization. Genome- or chromosome-specific markers are useful for monitoring genome introgression and for identifying genome components. From 47 random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) of nine Oryza species, three bands (Ogla225, Opun225, and Opun246) were found to be genome specific with distinct sizes. Their specificities were further characterized by Southern hybridization, sequence analysis, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Ogla225 is specifically amplified from the AA genome but homologous sequences were conserved among Oryza species. Opun225 occurs at a low copy number although is specifically amplified from Oryza punctata. There are estimated 2000-3300 repeats of Opun246 in each haploid genome of Oryza species with the BB or BBCC genome. Clusters of Opun246 repeats were detected at heterochromatic regions on almost all chromosomes of the BB genomes by FISH. Opun246 may be a useful marker for monitoring the introgression of BB genome or for identifying the conserved components of BB genome in genetic resource. The results from this study and our previous study both indicate that numerous unique repeats play role in the differentiation of the BB genome from other Oryza genomes.     

Two new species from the Mexican Pacific Slope and new distributional records of Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae)

Two new species of Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 from the Pacific Slope of Mexico are described and illustrated: Onthophagus gonzaloi Moctezuma, Hernández & Sánchez-Huerta, sp. nov., and Onthophagus yescaensis Moctezuma, Hernández & Sánchez-Huerta, sp. nov. New records for Onthophagus browni Howden & Cartwright, 1963 from the Mexican states of Jalisco (the southernmost locality known to date) and Zacatecas are provided.urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:51AA52C6-41BF-4A8B-9BC9-D78600EDB32E.     

Evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis as a biocide of blackfly larvae (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Thirteen strains of Bacillus thuringiensis were bioassayed against late-instar larvae of field-collected Simulium vittatum. All 13 strains caused significant blackfly mortality. The mortalities ranged from 64% for the HD 225 strain to 88% for HD 39 at 10 ppm for a 24-hr exposure period. A minimum 24 hr of exposure to a minimum concentration of 10 ppm was required to produce mortalities approximating 90%. The LC₅₀ values for the HD 39 and HD 225 strains were 1.1 and 1.0 ppm, respectively.     

Diversity, Geographic Distribution and Conservation of Squirrel Monkeys, Saimiri (Primates, Cebidae), in the Floodplain Forests of Central Amazon

Eleven taxa of primates are found in the floodplains of the western portion of the central Brazilian Amazon, protected in part by the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve. The taxonomy of the squirrel monkeys, the number of taxa, and their geographic distributions are still poorly understood. Here we investigate differentiation among the taxa of this genus in Mamirauá, examining their morphology and geographic distribution. We registered 333 points of occurrence of squirrel monkeys and examined 117 specimens deposited in scientific collections. The results of the morphological analyses were generally in good agreement with field observations. Together they indicate the existence of three taxa: Saimiri vanzolinii, Saimiri sciureus macrodon, and S. s. cassiquiarensis. The restricted range of Saimiri vanzolinii in the southeastern portion of the reserve covers an area of 870 km², and it is among the smallest of the distribution areas for any Neotropical primate species. Saimiri sciureus cassiquiarensis has a disjunct distribution, crossing the Japurá River to the right bank into the reserve in two places, and S. s. macrodon is the squirrel monkey ranging widely in the northwest of Mamirauá. There are three areas of parapatry: one between Saimiri vanzolinii and Saimiri sciureus macrodon and two between S. vanzolinii and S. s. cassiquiarensis. We recommend that anthropogenic changes in the region be monitored, and conservation measures be taken to protect these primates, especially considering the endemism and very restricted range of Saimiri vanzolinii and its consequent vulnerability to extinction.     

Bemerkungen zu einigen balkanischenOxytropis-Arten

The present paper deals with the following three mountainOxytropis species:Oxytropis urumovii Jáv. inUrumov, an endemic species of the Pirin (Bulgaria);O. dinarica (Murb.) Wettst. distributed predominantly in Yugoslavia, andO. campestris which is common in the East Alps, but very rare in the Balkans. Three subspecies ofO. dinarica were distinguished: subsp.dinarica, subsp.weberi Chrtek etChrtková, and subsp.velebitica Chrtek etChrtková. In addition, a new combinationO. halleri Bunge exKoch subsp.korabensis (Kümmerle etJáv.)Chrtek etChrtková is given.     

Analysis and evolution of water quality of the upper Váh River (northern Slovakia) by long-term changes in the community structure of ciliates (Protista: Ciliophora)

A long-term monitoring of the upper Váh River was carried out in order to evaluate evolution of water quality by means of ciliate taxocoenoses. One sampling station (Lisková) was located upstream of the pulp and paper mill in the town of Ru?omberok, while two stations (Bystrá and Stankovany) were situated downstream of Ru?omberok. Benthic samples were collected three times a year at each station during 2004–2011. This long-term study enabled us to assemble a comprehensive checklist of ciliates recorded in the upper Váh, and to characterize and compare the ciliate communities in the investigated watercourse. The saprobic index and valency analysis of the ciliate communities allowed us to quantify organic input and to evaluate changes in the saprobity of the upper Váh. The saprobic index ranged from 2.45 to 3.66 corresponding to the quality classes II–IV. Further, there was a prevalence of the α- and β-mesosaprobic levels, but during some periods the polysaprobic level increased along with the decrease of the β-mesosaprobic level. Beside the organic pollution, toxic contaminations were also noticed several times in the studied watercourse. This was documented by a significant drop in the species diversity and abundance of ciliates as well as by various morphological malformations and movement disorders of ciliates and other microorganisms. However, the negative effect of toxic and/or organic pollution wore off relatively quickly, indicating a good self-purification capability of the river.     

Peperomia circinnata Link and Peperomia rotundifolia (L.) Kunth growing on different host-trees in Amazon: volatiles and relationship with bryophytes

The essential oils of Peperomia circinnata and Peperomia rotundifolia growing on different host-trees were collected at two localities in the state of Pará. The whole plants were submitted to hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main compounds found in the oils of P. circinnata were myrcene (12.2%–31.2%) and β-phellandrene (17.5%–25.4%). The major components identified in the oils of P. rotundifolia were limonene (28.7%–35.0%) and decanal (22.8%–44.4%). Close relationships were noted between Peperomia and bryophytes. Two species of hepatics, Lejeunea trinitensis and Cheilolejeunea comans were recorded for the first time in the state of Pará.     

Quantitative ecological inventory of terra firme and várzea tropical forest on the Rio Xingu,Brazilian Amazon

Three hectares of Amazonian terra firme forest and an adjacent one-half hectare of várzea forest were quantitatively inventoried at O Deserto, on the Rio Xingu, Pará, Brazil. In the terra firme forest, 1420 individual trees greater than ten cm dbh, in 39 families and 265 species, were inventoried. In the várzea forest, there were 220 individual trees, in 17 families and 40 species.Cenostigma macrophyllum andOrbignya sp. were the most important species in the terra firme forest;Mollia lepidota andLeonia glycycarpa were most important in the várzea forest. Among one-hectare subplots of the total three-hectare terra firme sample, the number of trees ranged from 393 to 460, the number of families was a constant 33, and the number of species ranged from 118 to 162. This variation indicates that one-hectare samples are too small to be used to estimate the species richness of the total forest. The terra firme forest was richer in species and had a greater stature than the várzea forest.     

A locus conferring effective late blight resistance in potato cultivar Sárpo Mira maps to chromosome XI

Late blight of potato, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most economically important diseases worldwide, resulting in substantial yield losses when not adequately controlled by fungicides. Late blight was a contributory factor in The Great Irish Famine, and breeding for resistance to the disease began soon after. Several disease-resistant cultivars have subsequently been obtained, and amongst them Sárpo Mira is currently one of the most effective. The aim of this work was to extend the knowledge about the genetic basis of the late blight resistance in Sárpo Mira and to identify molecular markers linked to the resistance locus which would be useful for marker-assisted selection. A tetraploid mapping population from a Sárpo Mira × Maris Piper cross was phenotyped for foliar late blight resistance using detached leaflet tests. A locus with strong effect on late blight resistance was mapped at the end of chromosome XI in the vicinity of the R3 locus. Sárpo Mira’s genetic map of chromosome XI contained 11 markers. Marker 45/XI exhibited the strongest linkage to the resistance locus and accounted for between 55.8 and 67.9 % of variance in the mean resistance scores noted in the detached leaflet assays. This marker was used in molecular marker-facilitated gene pyramiding. Ten breeding lines containing a late blight resistance locus from cultivar Sárpo Mira and the Rpi-phu1 gene originating from the late blight resistant accession of Solanum phureja were obtained. These lines have extended the spectrum of late blight resistance compared with Sárpo Mira and it is expected that resistance in plants containing this gene pyramid will have enhanced durability.     

Oldest record of the Great White Shark (Lamnidae,Carcharodon; Miocene) in the Southern Atlantic

Lamnid teeth close to but more plesiomorph than Carcharodon carcharias were collected in the late Miocene beds of the Paraná Formation in the central eastern Argentina. We propose, as other authors, that some species formerly assigned to Isurus or to Cosmopolitodus should be included in Carcharodon. Some workers suggested that C. carcharias originated by phyletic evolution in the Pacific basin. The teeth from Paraná could pertain to a new species of Carcharodon already known from Perú. In contrast with the Pacific basin, Carcharodon sp. was sympatric with the wide toothed species Carcharodon plicatilis in central Argentina. This is the oldest record of Carcharodon in the southern Atlantic.     

Review of water bugs of the genus Micronecta Kirk. (Heteroptera,Corixidae) of the fauna of the Northwestern Caucasus

A review of the species of the genus Micronecta from the Northwestern Caucasus with a key is provided. The regional distribution of Micronecta griseola Horváth, M. poweri (Douglas et Scott), and M. pusilla (Horváth) is clarified. Micronecta anatolica anatolica Lindberg is recorded from Russia for the first time.     

Growth characteristics of selected thermophilic strains of cyanobacteria using crossed gradients of temperature and light

Growth requirements of 10 possibly thermophilic strains of cyanobacteria were compared under a wide spectrum of light and temperature conditions (7–80Wm^?2, 12–40°C). The strains were isolated from different localities: six of thermal springs in Slovakia (4 from Pie??any, 2 from Sklené Teplice), one from thermal waters in Rupite, Bulgaria, 2 strains from a hypersaline lake Chott-el-Djerid, Tunisia, and one strain from the tropical island of Cebu, Philippines. Although the crossed gradient unit allowed only sub-optimal temperature range with respect to thermophile definition, i.e. optimum temperature above 45°C, there were difference among the strains. The most thermophilic and high-light tolerant strain was Synechococcus bigranulatus strain Lukavsky 2005/66, with a peak above 45°C; the second was Chroococcidiopsis thermalis strain Hindák 2008/9, and Isocystis sp. strain Hindák 2006/1. The temperature requirements of other strains were similar; the least thermophilic were both Slovakian strains of the genus Hapalosiphon. Growth was not limited below 80 W m^?2, except for H. fontinalis strain Hindák 2008/3, which prefers lower irradiance. Hapalosiphon delicatulus strain Hindák 2007/20, isolated from a bark tree on the tropical island of Cebu was rather mesophilic than thermophilic and shade-preferring. The CCA revealed that the ecologically similar strains originated from the same or nearby localities. There were no significant correlations between temperature optima in culture and in nature. Bulgarian and Tunisian strains preferred higher irradiances.