The soybean aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) protein superfamily

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are members of NAD(P)(+)-dependent protein superfamily that catalyze the oxidation of a wide range of endogenous and exogenous highly reactive aliphatic and aromatic aldehyde molecules to their corresponding non toxic carboxylic acids. Research evidence has shown that ALDHs represent a promising class of genes to improve growth development, seed storage and environmental stress adaptation in higher plants. The recently completed genome sequences of several plant species have resulted in the identification of a large number of ALDH genes, most of which still need to be functionally characterized. In this paper, we identify members of the ALDH gene superfamily in soybean genome, and provide a unified nomenclature for the entire soybean ALDH gene families. The soybean genome contains 18 unique ALDH sequences encoding members of five ALDH families involved in a wide range of metabolic and molecular detoxification pathways. In addition, we describe the biochemical requirements and cellular metabolic pathways of selected members of ALDHs in soybean responses to environmental stress conditions.     

Experimentally comparing the attractiveness of domestic lights to insects: Do LEDs attract fewer insects than conventional light types?

LED lighting is predicted to constitute 70% of the outdoor and residential lighting markets by 2020. While the use of LEDs promotes energy and cost savings relative to traditional lighting technologies, little is known about the effects these broad‐spectrum “white” lights will have on wildlife, human health, animal welfare, and disease transmission. We conducted field experiments to compare the relative attractiveness of four commercially available “domestic” lights, one traditional (tungsten filament) and three modern (compact fluorescent, “cool‐white” LED and “warm‐white” LED), to aerial insects, particularly Diptera. We found that LEDs attracted significantly fewer insects than other light sources, but found no significant difference in attraction between the “cool‐” and “warm‐white” LEDs. Fewer flies were attracted to LEDs than alternate light sources, including fewer Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Use of LEDs has the potential to mitigate disturbances to wildlife and occurrences of insect‐borne diseases relative to competing lighting technologies. However, we discuss the risks associated with broad‐spectrum lighting and net increases in lighting resulting from reduced costs of LED technology.     

Integrative taxonomy and preliminary assessment of species limits in the Liolaemus walkeri complex (Squamata,Liolaemidae) with descriptions of?three?new species from Peru

Species delimitation studies based on integrative taxonomic approaches have received considerable attention in the last few years, and have provided the strongest hypotheses of species boundaries. We used three lines of evidence (molecular, morphological, and niche envelopes) to test for species boundaries in Peruvian populations of the Liolaemus walkeri complex. Our results show that different lines of evidence and analyses are congruent in different combinations, for unambiguous delimitation of three lineages that were “hidden” within known species, and now deserve species status. Our phylogenetic analysis shows that L. walkeri, L. tacnae and the three new species are strongly separated from other species assigned to the alticolor-bibronii group. Few conventional morphological characters distinguish the new species from closely related taxa and this highlights the need to integrate other sources of data to erect strong hypothesis of species limits. A taxonomic key for known Peruvian species of the subgenus Lioalemus is provided.     

非洲和中国直立人某些颅骨特征的比较--中国与非洲人类头骨特征对比之一

针对学术界有关非洲与亚洲直立人关系的争论,本文对一些用来支持非洲早期直立人从直立人中分离出来而归入匠人的主要形态学证据进行了检验,用于研究的标本包括迄今在东非发现的年代最早的直立人KNM－ER 3733、KNM－ER 3883和KNM－WT15000头骨化石,这些石是被提倡非洲与亚洲的直立人分离两个种的学者归入匠人的主要标本,对这些非注早期直立人与中国直立人18项头骨特征对比显示：一些被认为是局限于亚洲直立人的独有特征在上述非洲直立人头骨都有出现,存在于非洲直立人与中国直立人之间的颅骨特征上的差别主要体现在特征的表现程度与方式的不同,作者认为根据本文对比的颅骨特征,非洲直立人与中国直立人在颅骨形态上非常相似,他们之间的形态差异反映了直立人具有较宽的形态变范围,认为亚洲直立人具有特化的衍生性状的观点在本文不能得到支持。     

Isoenzymatic analysis of some freshwater Anabaena strains from Southern Italy

Seven freshwater Anabaena sp. strains have been examined for esterase, malate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and aldolase isozyme patterns. The morphological differences among them did not allow a sure understanding of their relationships, whereas a phylogenetic analysis of the esterase and malate dehydrogenase patterns led to a single fully resolved tree. A phenetic analysis on the same data set resulted in the same pattern of relationships. Successive cultures of the same strains did not show identical band phenotypes, but nevertheless the phenetic and phylogenetic relationships among the various strains did not change.     

Use of Tetrazolium Salts for Electron Transport Studies in Meningopneumonitis III. Separation and Examination of Large and Small Particles

Purified suspensions of meningopneumonitis can be separated on potassium tartrate gradient into populations which are 80 to 90% large particles and those which are 90% small particles. Examination of the tetrazole reduction of both particle types indicates that the small particle has associated with it all of the enzymatic activity of the preparation; it also has associated with it most of the infectivity as well.     

No gains for bigger brains: Functional and neuroanatomical consequences of relative brain size in a parasitic wasp

Heritable genetic variation in relative brain size can underlie the relationship between brain performance and the relative size of the brain. We used bidirectional artificial selection to study the consequences of genetic variation in relative brain size on brain morphology, cognition and longevity in Nasonia vitripennis parasitoid wasps. Our results show a robust change in relative brain size after 26 generations of selection and six generations of relaxation. Total average neuropil volume of the brain was 16% larger in wasps selected for relatively large brains than in wasps selected for relatively small brains, whereas the body length of the large‐brained wasps was smaller. Furthermore, the relative volume of the antennal lobes was larger in wasps with relatively large brains. Relative brain size did not influence olfactory memory retention, whereas wasps that were selected for larger relative brain size had a shorter longevity, which was even further reduced after a learning experience. These effects of genetic variation on neuropil composition and memory retention are different from previously described effects of phenotypic plasticity in absolute brain size. In conclusion, having relatively large brains may be costly for N. vitripennis, whereas no cognitive benefits were recorded.