Effects of Tissue Collection Methods on Morphometrics and Survival of Captive Neonatal Northern Bobwhite

ABSTRACT We assessed effects of tissue collection methods (i.e., patagial microbiopsy and down feathers) and chick age at sampling on morphometrics and 21-day survival of 600 captive neonatal northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). We observed minimal effects on morphometrics and no difference in survival among patagial microbiopsy (x̄ = 0.96 ± 0.03), down feathers (x̄ = 0.92 ± 0.04), and control (x̄ = 0.86 ± 0.05) methods. DNA analysis from patagial microbiopsy, down feather, and egg tooth samples showed greater concentrations of DNA from patagial microbiopsy (x̄ = 10.28 ± 1.74 μg/ml) than either down feather (x̄ = 4.10 ± 1.74 μg/ml) or egg teeth (x̄ = 2.35 ± 1.74 μg/ml).     

The development of an Early Ordovician hard ground community in response to rapid sea-floor calcite precipitation

The Kanosh Shale (Upper Arenig, Lower Ordovician) of west-central Utah. USA. contains abundant carbonate hardgrounds and one of the earliest diverse hardground communities. The hardgrounds were formed through a combination of processes including the development of early digenetic nodules in clay sediments which were exhumed and concentrated as lags by storms. These cobble deposits. together with plentiful biogenic metrical. were cemented by inorganically precipitated calcite on the sea floor. forming intraformational conglomerate hardgrounds. Echinoderms may have -played a critical role in the development of hardground faunas since their disarticulated calcite ossicles were rapidly cemented by syntaxial overgrowths. forming additional cobbles and hardgrounds. The echinoderms thus may have taphonomically facilitated the development of some of the hard substrates they required. A significant portion of the hardground cements may have been derived from the early dissolution of aragonitic mollusk shells. Kanosh hardground species include the earliest bryozoans recorded on hardgrounds and large numbers of stemmed echinoderms. primarily rhipidocystid cocrinoids. Bryozoans and echinoderms covered nearly equal areas of the hardground surfaces. and there was a distinct polarization between species which preferred the upper. exposed portions of the hardgrounds and others which were most common on undercut. overhang surfaces. The Kanosh Shale hardground fossils combine elements of Late Cambrian assemblages and Middle Ordovician faunas, thus confirming predicted trends in hardground community evolution. especially the replacement of cocrinoids by bryozoans and. to a lesser extent, by other stemmed echinoderms, especially crinoids. The Kanosh community marks the transition from the Cambrian Fauna to The Paleozoic Fauna in The hardground ecosystem. *Carbonate hardgrounds, aragonite dissolution, calcite cement, Echinodermara, Trepostomata, Nicholsonclla. Dianulites. Porifpra. taphonomic facilitation, Utah. Pogonip Group, Kanosh Shale. Ordovician.     

Lignin degradeation by white rot fungi

Abstract. The wood-degrading white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium , has been the subject of intensive research in recent years and, based upon isolation of the extracellular enzyme ligninase, major advances have now been made toward elucidating the mechanism by which this fungus degrades lignin. From these developments, a model emerges which could explain the process by which wood-degrading fungi in general, attack lignin.     

An overview of malaria transmission from the perspective of Amazon Anopheles vectors

In the Americas, areas with a high risk of malaria transmission are mainly located in the Amazon Forest, which extends across nine countries. One keystone step to understanding the Plasmodium life cycle in Anopheles species from the Amazon Region is to obtain experimentally infected mosquito vectors. Several attempts to colonise Ano- pheles species have been conducted, but with only short-lived success or no success at all. In this review, we review the literature on malaria transmission from the perspective of its Amazon vectors. Currently, it is possible to develop experimental Plasmodium vivax infection of the colonised and field-captured vectors in laboratories located close to Amazonian endemic areas. We are also reviewing studies related to the immune response to P. vivax infection of Anopheles aquasalis, a coastal mosquito species. Finally, we discuss the importance of the modulation of Plasmodium infection by the vector microbiota and also consider the anopheline genomes. The establishment of experimental mosquito infections with Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium yoelii and Plasmodium berghei parasites that could provide interesting models for studying malaria in the Amazonian scenario is important. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of the parasites in New World vectors is crucial in order to better determine the interaction process and vectorial competence.     

Biocontrol evaluation of extracts and a major component,clusianone, from Clusia fluminensis Planch. & Triana against Aedes aegypti

Studies evaluated the effects of hexanic extracts from the fruits and flowers ofClusia fluminensis and the main component of the flower extract, a purified benzophenone (clusianone), against Aedes aegypti. The treatment of larvae with the crude fruit or flower extracts from C. fluminensis did not affect the survival ofAe. aegypti (50 mg/L), however, the flower extracts significantly delayed development of Ae. aegypti. In contrast, the clusianone (50 mg/L) isolate from the flower extract, representing 54.85% of this sample composition, showed a highly significant inhibition of survival, killing 93.3% of the larvae and completely blocking development of Ae. aegypti. The results showed, for the first time, high activity of clusianone against Ae. aegypti that both killed and inhibited mosquito development. Therefore, clusianone has potential for development as a biopesticide for controlling insect vectors of tropical diseases. Future work will elucidate the mode of action of clusianone isolated from C. fluminensis.     

Diaphragm adaptations in patients with COPD

Inspiratory muscle weakness in patients with COPD is of major clinical relevance. For instance, maximum inspiratory pressure generation is an independent determinant of survival in severe COPD. Traditionally, inspiratory muscle weakness has been ascribed to hyperinflation-induced diaphragm shortening. However, more recently, invasive evaluation of diaphragm contractile function, structure, and biochemistry demonstrated that cellular and molecular alterations occur, of which several can be considered pathologic of nature. Whereas the fiber type shift towards oxidative type I fibers in COPD diaphragm is regarded beneficial, rendering the overloaded diaphragm more resistant to fatigue, the reduction of diaphragm fiber force generation in vitro likely contributes to diaphragm weakness. The reduced diaphragm force generation at single fiber level is associated with loss of myosin content in these fibers. Moreover, the diaphragm in COPD is exposed to oxidative stress and sarcomeric injury. This review postulates that the oxidative stress and sarcomeric injury activate proteolytic machinery, leading to contractile protein wasting and, consequently, loss of force generating capacity of diaphragm fibers in patients with COPD. Interestingly, several of these presumed pathologic alterations are already present early in the course of the disease (GOLD I/II), although these patients appear not limited in their daily life activities. Treatment of diaphragm dysfunction in COPD is complex since its etiology is unclear, but recent findings indicate the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway as a prime target to attenuate diaphragm wasting in COPD.     

The Effect of Red and Far-red Light on Subsequent Enzyme Activity in Arena Coleoptiles

The effect of red light (660 nm), far-red light (730 nm) and dark treatment on the subsequent enzyme activity in homogenates of Avena coleoptiles was investigated. The activities of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), lactic dehydro-genase (LDH) and glucose-6-P dehydrogenase (GDH) were investigated. The activity of SDH was greatest in material receiving continuous darkness. LDH and GDH activity was stimulated by both light treatments compared with the dark values. Little or no difference in enzyme activity was found using either a single 15 min flash of light or continuous light for 24 h. Admixtures of extracts from dark treated and light treated material in a 1:1 ratio gave unexpected levels of enzyme activity. In all cases such admixtures gave much less than the anticipated enzyme activity.     

The importance of bacterivorous protists in the decomposition of stream leaf litter

1. Allochthonous organic matter, in the form of senesced leaves, is a major source of carbon supporting detrital food webs. While studies have documented the role of bacteria and fungi in the decomposition of leaf litter, little information is available regarding the role of protists in the decomposition process. 2. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of stream‐dwelling bacterivorous protists leads to an increased rate of leaf decomposition through grazing pressure on bacteria. We isolated live protists from decomposing leaves collected in a stream in Northern Virginia, U.S.A. (Goose Creek) and established laboratory cultures of common bacterivorous protists. 3. Recently senesced leaves from the field were used in laboratory microcosm experiments to determine if the rate of litter decomposition differed between four treatments: bacteria only, bacteria + flagellates, bacteria + flagellates + ciliates, autoclaved stream water (control). We determined the dry weight of leaf remaining, bacterial abundance, flagellate abundance and ciliate abundance for each replicate on days 0, 7, 14, 30, 60 and 120. 4. The rate of leaf decomposition was significantly higher in treatments with protists than without and bacterial abundance declined in protist treatments compared with bacteria only treatment. Weight loss in the presence of flagellates was three to four times higher when protists were present compared with treatments with bacteria alone. These results provide experimental evidence that protists could play a significant role in the detrital processes of streams.