First Report of Trichosporon ovoides Isolated from the Home of a Summer-Type Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Patient

Trichosporon species have been known to cause summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis (SHP). During the isolation of yeasts from an SHP patient's house, we recovered a strain belonging to the genus Trichosporon. Morphologically, the isolate produced rectangular arthroconidia when grown on corn meal agar. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments identified the isolate as T. ovoides. A slide agglutination test using specific factor sera demonstrated that the serotype of the strain was type II. Previously, T. asahii, a serotype II species, was considered to be the major antigen of SHP, but it is possible that T. ovoides may also be responsible for SHP. This is the first report of T. ovoides isolated from an SHP patient's home environment.     

Tied hands: synchronism between beak development and feeding-related morphological changes in ommastrephid squid paralarvae

Ommastrephid squid produce some of the smallest cephalopod hatchlings, whose feeding behavior has not been observed. The present study aimed at indirectly filling this knowledge gap by describing ontogenetic changes in beak morphology and morphometry and integrating these results with published datasets on Illex argentinus arm crown morphology and gut contents. Individuals [0.7–15 mm mantle length (ML)] were measured, weighed, and had their buccal mass extracted. Jaw measurements were correlated with ML to determine whether jaw development occurred linearly with ML. For a 10 mm increment in ML, weight increased 430-fold. The jaws of hatchlings were rudimentary, but in larger paralarvae the rostrum protrudes and the jaw features (teeth, slit, groove) disappear. Increases in ML were predicted by beak robustness indices and rostrum protrusion, with growth discontinuities pointing to faster growth in individuals ≤ 2 mm ML. Morphological changes in the beak and arm crown are in synchrony with a transitional event in the feeding ecology of paralarvae: the onset of active predation on crustaceans and masticating their exoskeletons for ingestion. Integration of the results with published data has led to the proposal of a hypothesis of four size-differentiated developmental stages in the feeding ecology of I. argentinus rhynchoteuthions.

     

Soil temperatures and inoculation techniques affect emergence and reisolation of sclerotinia Sclerotiorum from soybean

Emergence of Amsoy soybean (Glycine max) seed inoculated withSclerotinia sclerotiorum was significantly reduced below noninoculated seed at soil temperatures of 25, 30 and 35 °C, but not at 20 °C.S. sclerotiorum was readily·reisolated from wound-inoculated stems of seedlings and nearly mature plants above the point of inoculation below to the crown area, but not from roots. The fungus was recovered from stems but not roots of seedlings grown in sterile soil for 15 days before infestation of the soil surface with a suspension of mycelium and sclerotia and assayed at 15 days after soil infestation. When compared to healthy, seed infected withS. sclerotiorum were characterized by appearing flattened.Supported in part by the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station; Regional Project S-72; and U.S. Agency for International Development, grant csd-1922.     

Influence of Seed‐borne Cochliobolus sativus (Anamorph Bipolaris sorokiniana) on Crown Rot and Root Rot of Barley and Wheat

The effect of seed‐borne pathogens of wheat and barley on crown and root rot diseases of seven barley cultivars (Jimah‐6, Jimah‐51, Jimah‐54, Jimah‐58, Omani, Beecher and Duraqi) and three wheat cultivars (Cooley, Maissani and Shawarir) was investigated. Bipolaris sorokiniana and Alternaria alternata were detected in seeds of at least eight cultivars, but Fusarium species in seeds of only two barley cultivars (Jimah‐54 and Jimah‐58). Crown rot and root rot symptoms developed on barley and wheat cultivars following germination of infected seeds in sterilized growing media. Bipolaris sorokiniana was the only pathogen consistently isolated from crowns and roots of the emerging seedlings. In addition, crown rot and root rot diseases of non‐inoculated barley cultivars correlated significantly with B. sorokiniana inoculum in seeds (P = 0.0019), but not with Fusarium or Alternaria (P > 0.05). These results indicate the role of seed‐borne inoculum of B. sorokiniana in development of crown rot and root rot diseases. Pathogenicity tests of B. sorokiniana isolates confirmed its role in inducing crown rot and root rot, with two wheat cultivars being more resistant to crown and root rots than most barley cultivars (P < 0.05). Barley cultivars also exhibited significant differences in resistance to crown rot (P < 0.05). In addition, black point disease symptoms were observed on seeds of three barley cultivars and were found to significantly affect seed germination and growth of some of these cultivars. This study confirms the role of seed‐borne inoculum of B. sorokiniana in crown and root rots of wheat and barley and is the first report in Oman of the association of B. sorokiniana with black point disease of barley.     

Soil temperatures and inoculation techniques affect emergence and reisolation of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum from soybean

Emergence of Amsoy soybean (Glycine max) seed inoculated withSclerotinia sclerotiorum was significantly reduced below noninoculated seed at soil temperatures of 25°, 30°, and 35 °C, but not at 20 °C.S. sclerotiorum was readily reisolated from wound-inoculated stems of seedlings and nearly mature plants above the point of inoculation and below to the crown area, but not from roots. The fungus was recovered from stems but not roots of 15-day seedlings grown in sterile soil before infestation of the soil surface with a suspension of mycelium and sclerotia and assayed at 15 days after soil infestation. When compared to healthy, seeds, infected seeds withS. sclerotiorum were characterized by appearing flattened.Supported in part by the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station; Regional Project S-72; and U.S. Agency for International Development, grant csd-1922.     

Impacts of management and antecedent site condition on restoration outcomes in a sand prairie

Landscape context and site history, including antecedent site conditions, may constrain restoration potential despite the efforts of restoration practitioners. However, few experimental studies have investigated the relative importance of antecedent site conditions and the intensity of on‐site management in driving restoration outcomes. We established small‐scale prairie restoration experiments within the Lost Mound Unit of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Illinois, U.S.A. We investigated the effectiveness of two restoration treatments, herbicide application and seeding of native plants, on removal of invasive crown‐vetch (Securigera varia) and recovery of sand prairie plant communities. We replicated treatment plots across 15 locations with three levels of antecedent condition and fire treatment (burned, undegraded; burned, degraded; and unburned, degraded) to determine whether antecedent condition constrained the effectiveness of on‐site restoration. Two years after initial herbicide application crown‐vetch cover was significantly reduced relative to untreated controls. This effect was more pronounced in plots treated twice with herbicide. However, removal of crown‐vetch facilitated invasion by Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Addition of native prairie seed had little effect on restoration outcomes, regardless of herbicide application. Native community recovery was greater in plots restored in less degraded locations. Herbicide application tended to increase native species cover, but importantly, this effect was significant only in the least degraded locations. Intensive restoration management conducted in degraded landscapes can result in undesirable outcomes such as secondary species invasion. Reestablishment of native species following restoration is more likely where the surrounding remnant communities are intact.     

Capparis dongvanensis sp. nov. (Capparaceae) from Vietnam

Capparis dongvanensis (Capparaceae) is described as a new species and illustrated from Ha Giang Province of Vietnam. It is morphologically similar to C. lanceolaris and C. fengii, but differs in the number of flowers on peduncles, length of spine and petiole, apex of the leaf, type of inflorescence, petal color, cylindrical ovary without any beak, fruit shape and number of seeds per fruit. Diagnostic morphological characters along with pollen and seed SEM images of C. dongvanensis and allied species are provided. Its ecology, habitat and conservation status are also described.     

NATURAL SELECTION ON BEAK AND BODY SIZE IN THE SONG SPARROW

We documented temporal patterns of natural selection on beak and body traits in a song sparrow population. We looked for evidence of selection in association with reproduction and overwinter survival in order to identify the conditions under which size in beak and body traits is adaptive. We also attempted to identify the specific traits most closely associated with fitness under these conditions. Selection was observed in association with both survival and reproduction. Patterns of selection differed between the sexes. Selection on males was weak and stabilizing in association with overwinter survival. Selection on females was strong, was both stabilizing and directional, and was associated with both survival and reproduction. In females, traits that enhanced juvenile survival also reduced reproductive success; i.e., there was a trade-off between survival and reproduction. Patterns of selection in the song sparrow parallel those reported for the Galápagos finch, Geospiza fortis. However, in song sparrows, selection occurred mainly on tarsus length and beak length, and not on beak depth or width as in G. fortis. This difference may occur because most North American sparrows partition food resources by habitat, while most Galápagos ground finches partition food by seed size.     

Genome‐wide detection of CNVs associated with beak deformity in chickens using high‐density 600K SNP arrays

Beak deformity (crossed beaks) is found in several indigenous chicken breeds including Beijing‐You studied here. Birds with deformed beaks have reduced feed intake and poor production performance. Recently, copy number variation (CNV) has been examined in many species and is recognized as a source of genetic variation, especially for disease phenotypes. In this study, to unravel the genetic mechanisms underlying beak deformity, we performed genome‐wide CNV detection using Affymetrix chicken high‐density 600K data on 48 deformed‐beak and 48 normal birds using penncnv . As a result, two and eight CNV regions (CNVRs) covering 0.32 and 2.45 Mb respectively on autosomes were identified in deformed‐beak and normal birds respectively. Further RT‐qPCR studies validated nine of the 10 CNVRs. The ratios of six CNVRs were significantly different between deformed‐beak and normal birds (P < 0.01). Within these six regions, three and 21 known genes were identified in deformed‐beak and normal birds respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these genes were enriched in six GO terms and one KEGG pathway. Five candidate genes in the CNVRs were further validated using RT‐qPCR. The expression of LRIG2 (leucine rich repeats and immunoglobulin like domains 2) was lower in birds with deformed beaks (P < 0.01). Therefore, the LRIG2 gene could be considered a key factor in view of its known functions and its potential roles in beak deformity. Overall, our results will be helpful for future investigations of the genomic structural variations underlying beak deformity in chickens.     

THE FROND OF HETERANGIUM

Frond members belonging to the monostelic seed fern genus Heterangium have been found in Pennsylvanian age coal balls collected in the Illinois Basin. Petioles bear small pinnae below a dichotomy which produced a bipartite frond. Pinnules of the Sphenopteris obtusiloba type are borne on secondary pinnae. The anatomy of each pinna order and the pinnules is described.     

The inheritance of a urease-null trait in soybeans

Summary Four soybean seed urease nulls (lacking both the activity and antigen of the embryo-specific urease) were intermated and the F₁ and F₂ seed examined for urease activity. Both generations were without urease activity, and the nulls were therefore considered noncomplementing. In crosses of each null line to cultivars homozygous for the allelic, codominantly inherited urease slow or fast isozyme, the F₁ seed expressed the embryo-specific urease isozyme of the urease-expressing parent. A 3 1 segregation for presence and absence of urease was observed in progeny from F₁ and heterozygous F₂ plants. The F₂ and F₃ from fastXnull combinations revealed that urease-positive seed were all phenotypically urease fast, while the same seed from slowXnull combinations showed a segregation of one seed containing a fast urease, either exclusively or in a heterozygous state with the slow isozyme, for every 69 phenotypic slows. Data pooled from F₂ plants which segregate for both the presence (Sun) and absence (Sun) of urease and for the fast (Eu1-b) or slow (Eu1-a) urease allele indicate that the null lesion (Sun) is linked to Eu1 by approximately one map unit. The evidence is consistent with two models: (1) sun is an allele at the embryo-specific urease isozyme locus (Eu1) and that a high degree of exchange (and/or conversion) within the locus results in a 1% recombination frequency between the null trait and urease allozyme; (2) sun is at a distinct locus which is separated by one map unit from the embryo-specific urease isozyme locus (Eu1) upon which it acts in the cis position. Polyadenylated embryo RNA from one of the null lines, PI 229324, exhibited no urease template activity in vitro. Thus, the lack of urease antigen is due to lack of accumulation of translatable urease mRNA. The availability of soybeans lacking seed urease should be extremely useful to breeders as a trait for linkage studies and to geneticists as a transformation marker.Portions of this work were funded by the Illinois and Missouri Agricultural Experiment Stations, the SOHIO-University of Illinois Center of Excellence in Crop Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering and by grants PCM-8219652 from the National Science Foundation and USDA/SEA-CRCR-1-1374 from the USDA Competitive Grants Office     

Does bird predation influence the spot-number variation in Maniola jurtina (Lepidoptera)?

For six years samples of the satyrine butterfly Maniolajurtina L. were collected on small islands in southern Sweden and scored for beak marks, i.e. damage on wings presumably resulting from attacks by birds; in the present study area mainly Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio L. An overall mean of 8% (5–1496 in different years) of the females and 1396 (10–2296) of the males had beak marks. Both sexes of M. jurtina show variation in spot-number on the hindwings and there is some evidence that in some years the frequencies of different spot-number phenotypes with beak marks differ significantly from randomness. Although it is not known how beak mark frequencies are related to predation pressure (reflecting rates of predation or escapes?) it is suggested that, due to behavioural differences of spot-number phenotypes, birds act as a selective factor influencing the spot-number variation. The results are discussed in relation to a recent model proposed by Brakefield attempting to account for variation in spot-number in M. jurtina.     

Mosaicism in a new Eocene pufferfish highlights rapid morphological innovation near the origin of crown tetraodontiforms

Tetraodontiformes (pufferfishes and kin) is a taxonomically and structurally diverse, widely‐distributed clade of acanthomorphs, whose members often serve as models for genomics and, increasingly, macroevolutionary studies. Morphologically disparate Palaeogene fossils suggest considerable early experimentation, but these flattened specimens often preserve limited information. We present a three‐dimensionally preserved beaked tetraodontiform from the early Eocene (c. 53 Ma) London Clay Formation, UK. Approximately coeval with the oldest crown tetraodontiforms, ?Ctenoplectus williamsi gen. et sp. nov. presents an unprecedented combination of characters, pairing a fused beak‐like dentition with prominent dorsal‐fin spines that insert atop transversely‐expanded pterygiophores roofing the skull. Bayesian total‐evidence tip‐dating analysis indicates that ?Ctenoplectus represents the sister lineage of Triodontidae and highlights considerable levels of homoplasy in early tetraodontiform evolution. According to our dataset, rates of morphological character evolution were elevated at the origin of crown Tetraodontiformes, especially within gymnodonts, but declined after the principal body plans were established. Such ‘early burst’ patterns are regarded as a hallmark of adaptive radiations, but are typically associated with diversification at smaller spatiotemporal scales. However, denser sampling of Neogene and Recent taxa is needed to confirm this pattern.     

TRIGONOCARPUS LEEANUS,A NEW SPECIES FROM THE MIDDLE PENNSYLVANIAN OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

A new species of Trigonocarpus Brongniart is described from the level of the Herrin (No. 6) Coal (Carbondale Formation, Kewanee Group) at Carterville, Illinois. The seed is three dimensionally preserved by authigenic cementation and exhibits a well preserved nucellar cast, integument and micropylar region. The specimen represents the largest pteridosperm compression-impression seed collected in North America and measures 10 cm from the apex of the micropyle to the chalazal end, and at least 5 cm in breadth. Trigonocarpus leeanus sp. n. is compared to the remaining forty-three taxa within the genus, and specifically with Trigonocarpus grandis Lesquereux, the one species with dimensions approaching it. An emended diagnosis, with designation of a lectotype, is presented for Trigonocarpus grandis. Correlation of the features displayed by Trigonocarpus leeanus sp. n. and the petrified taxa within Pachytesta Brongniart is attempted.     

Reproductive challenges of a rare grass,Calamagrostis porteri subsp. insperata (Swallen) C. Greene: implications for habitat restoration

Background: Habitat management for reproductively challenged rare species is a problem when there is insufficient knowledge of their autecology. This study investigated reproductive failure in the rare grass Calamagrostis porteri ssp. insperata (Swallen) C. Greene (Reed bentgrass). Does the management recommendation of high light stimulate clonal growth, flowering, and seed production? Location: Shawnee National Forest, IL, USA, and in a greenhouse and an experimental garden at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA. Methods: Clones obtained from the three known Illinois populations were grown in a glasshouse under experimental light and soil moisture treatments. After 3 years, plants from the high light treatment were planted outside in an experimental garden where the light treatments were maintained for two more years. In the field, vegetative and flowering tiller density, canopy cover, and associated biotic and abiotic variables including abundance of co‐occurring plant species were monitored for 5 years. The overhead tree canopy was cleared over a portion of one population. Results: In the glasshouse, plants increased in size under high light and moist soil, and there were size differences among populations. Sixty‐six per cent (20 of 30) of the genets flowered when planted outdoors under full sunlight but did not produce seed. In the field, flowering only occurred in Calamagrostis growing in the cleared area, but no seed were produced. The plants in the flowering population were smaller than plants in the other two populations. The herbaceous community associated with Calamagrostis in the open diverged from the communities remaining under the shade. Conclusions: This study highlights the difficulty of managing reproductively challenged rare species. Calamagrostis populations can be managed to enhance clonal growth, but establishment of new populations would require translocation of vegetative material as it is highly unlikely that seed can be obtained.     

A small,narrow-beaked albatross from the Pliocene of New Zealand demonstrates a higher past diversity in the feeding ecology of the Diomedeidae

We describe a nearly complete, three-dimensionally preserved skull of a new albatross species from the late Pliocene (3.0–3.4 million years ago) Tangahoe Formation of New Zealand. Aldiomedes angustirostris, n. gen. et sp. has only about 90% of the length of the skull of the smallest extant albatross and is the geologically youngest record of a small-sized albatross known to date. The new species is characterized by a mediolaterally compressed beak, which is not found in any living albatross. The small size and some cranial features of A. angustirostris indicate that, in spite of its comparatively young geological age, the new species was not part of crown group Diomedeidae. We hypothesize that A. angustirostris was more piscivorous than extant albatrosses, which predominantly feed on squid. The reasons for the extinction of smaller-sized albatrosses are elusive but may be related to changes in seabird fauna during the Pliocene epoch, which witnessed the radiation of various non-procellariiform seabird groups.     

Variation in the mating system of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis): evidence for partial assortative mating

Five allozyme polymorphisms were used to analyze the mating system in a Sitka spruce seed orchard in Saanichton, British Columbia. Allelic frequencies differed between the pollen and maternal pools at three of the five loci, with alleles rare in the maternal pool being even rarer in the effective pollen pool. Minor differences in pollen allelic frequencies were observed in the upper vs. lower crown. The multilocus outcrossing rate of the upper crown (t_m = 0.909) exceeded that of the lower crown (t_m = 0.764). Single-locus estimates of the outcrossing rate were significantly heterogeneous, with the lowest estimate of outcrossing, t = 0.773, observed for PGM-2 locus. Analyses of the mating system for the three maternal PGM-2 genotypes revealed heterogeneous pollen allelic frequencies and heterogeneous outcrossing rates, possibly due to assortative mating at this locus.     

The predatory behaviour of common kestrels facing various types of prey

Nine rehabilitated adult common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) were tested for predatory behaviour. Tests were carried out individually on four different prey: two invertebrates (grasshopper and earthworm) and two vertebrates (lizard and laboratory mouse). The birds were offered prey randomly once daily, not necessarily on subsequent days. The latency to attack was similar. In contrast to predation tests with vertebrates, kestrels preying on invertebrates landed mostly (P<0.01 for earthworm and P<0.05 for grasshopper) a few centimetres from the prey itself, grasping it after a few steps. Earthworms were gripped almost invariably with the beak, but other prey with the toes. The birds struck the prey with their beak at highly variable rates (P<0.001): vertebrates mostly with the beak, while earthworms were never struck. The latency to ingest prey varied greatly (P<0.001) between prey. Captivity had only limited importance; it did not affect the behaviour sequence on any prey, but just induced kestrels in captivity for long time to attack mice with shorter latency and to strike them more with the beak. It is then demonstrated that the common kestrel has a strong behavioural plasticity even within the predatory sequence, which is then not stereotyped, and is able to modify its behaviour patterns in relation to different prey.An erratum to this article can be found at