Calycine colleters of seven species of Apocynaceae (Apocynoideae) from Brazil

The structure and organization of calycine colleters belonging to four genera of Apocynaceae are described. Calycine colleters were found in all species. All colleters had the same histological composition, but morphological differences were observed in four species. Most colleters were of the standard type, and possible deviations resulted in three morphological types: bifurcated, laminar, and sessile. Mechanisms of cell separation, proliferation, and elongation may explain the origin of the new types. As a consequence of morphological changes, the secretory surface was expanded in the bifurcated, laminar, and sessile glands. Most colleters were in a post-secretory phase, but a hydrophilic secretion was observed in Mandevilla pycnantha and Mesechites mansoana . A larger secretory surface, together with the extension of the secretory phase in adult flowers, were major shifts in the calycine colleters of Apocynaceae, and are possibly correlated with the functional and ecological aspects of these organs. Three patterns of distribution of calycine colleters were observed: alternate, opposite, or indefinitely distributed. The alternate pattern was not homogeneous, and three subtypes were recognized: four-, five-, and ten-grouped colleters. The number of calycine colleters was variable between taxa and even within the same species.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 152 , 387–398.     

Quality of life after cardiac surgery

The aim of this study was to determine a health-related quality of life two or more years after a cardiac surgery using the MOS-36 item short-form health survey questionnaire. 330 members of "Croatian society of patients who underwent cardiac surgery" were asked and 196 responders, 122 men and 74 women, were included in survey, all of them more than two years after surgery and older than fifty years of age. The answers were collected by phone. Women gained better results for Physical Functioning (p < 0.003) and men estimated better scores for psychical health (p < 0.001). Our patients gained some different results in respect to the Croatian sample of healthy people of the same age. They declared better General Health (p < 0.001), less Bodily Pain (p < 0.001), but inferior Role-Emotion (p < 0.001) and Social Functioning (p < 0.001). The estimations of QOL improving were comparable with the results of numerous shorter follow-ups.     

Influence of climatic conditions on the distribution, abundance and activity of Agriotes lineatus L. adults in sex pheromone traps in Croatia

The aims of this work were: (i) to determine the distribution and abundance of Agriotes lineatus, (ii) correlate the abundance with the prevailing climatic conditions to establish how temperature and rainfall are influencing the dominance, and (iii) to determine the activity characteristics of the adults. Investigations were conducted in 17 fields grouped in four regions characterized by different climatic conditions. Using sex pheromone traps the most important Agriotes species (A. lineatus L., A. sputator L., A. obscurus L., A. brevis Cand. and A. ustulatus Schall.) were collected. The monitoring period for A. brevis, A. sputator, A. lineatus and A. obscurus was from the 18th to the 32nd, and for A. ustulatus from the 23rd to the 32nd week of the year. A total of 61,247 individuals Agriotes were captured, of which 24,916 individuals were A. lineatus. Abundance and dominance of A. lineatus were significantly higher in the region of Zagreb compared to other regions. Moving east, rainfall decreased and temperatures increased and associated with that the abundance and dominance indices were lower. It was determined that the abundance of A. lineatus was negatively correlated with average air temperature (r?=??0.5201; p?<?0.0001). Compared to earlier data from the region of Zagreb the dominance index decreased. This might be a result of climate change as established average yearly temperature in these regions increased for 1.04 °C compared to the average data for the period 1961–1990. Other potentially damaging Agriotes species (A. brevis and A. ustulatus) were also present in high abundances in some micro-regions.     

Effects of multi-year droughts on fish assemblages of seasonally drying Mediterranean streams

1. This study analysed changes occurring in Mediterranean stream fish assemblages over a sequence of dry years followed by a generally wet period (1991–98). Variations in assemblage attributes were quantified at the basin and stream reach scales, and related to variables reflecting the occurrence of unusually dry or wet conditions. 2. Assemblage variability increased along with the resolution of analysis, with little changes in species richness, composition and rank abundances, but significant variation in individual species abundances. Fluctuations in relative abundances were significantly affected by variables reflecting the severity of summer droughts and the occurrence of rainy springs. These patterns were evident at the basin scale, while variability at individual stream reaches tended to be higher and less related to rainfall patterns. 3. At least three response guilds to rainfall variation could be identified: two of the four abundant and widespread species (chub and loach) declined following dry years, whereas the two other core species (nase and eel) declined after rainy spring; one scarce native species (stickleback) increased in dry years. 4. Except at the two most upstream reaches, the assemblages tended to recover quickly to previous configuration after the changes occurring during the sequence of dry years. 5. Temporal variability of local assemblages was concordant among reaches but did not follow any consistent spatial pattern. Instead, spatial patterns in assemblage attributes changed over time in response to environmental variability, with a tendency for a disruption of upstream–downstream gradients following dry years. 6. Results supported the view that present‐day droughts cause relatively small and transient changes to Mediterranean stream fish assemblages. However, longer and more severe droughts expected under altered future climates, may result in declines or local extinctions of the most sensitive species and their potential replacement by more resistant species. Changing drought regimes thus need to be duly considered in the development of conservation strategies for Mediterranean stream fish.     

Phylogenetic analysis of Micrathena and Chaetacis spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) reveals multiple origins of extreme sexual size dimorphism and long abdominal spines

The phylogenetic relationships amongst the New World spiny orb‐weaving spiders Micrathena and Chaetacis were assessed through parsimony and Bayesian analyses of morphological characters. A total of 146 characters was scored for ten outgroup taxa and 37 Micrathena and four Chaetacis species. The results indicate that Chaetacis nests within Micrathena and we propose Chaetacis as a junior synonym of Micrathena. Twelve subgeneric species groups of Micrathena are recognized and diagnosed. Species with extremely long spines evolved at least eight times in the genus and we suggest that this may be related to antipredator defences. Micrathena is primitively sexually monomorphic and extreme sexual size dimorphism has arisen at least six times in the genus. Most of these events are because of enlargement of the female in relation to the ancestral size, although in two cases sexual dimorphism was attained through male reduction, adding more data to the ‘giant females’ vs. ‘dwarf males’ controversy. The genus is probably of South American origin and has repeatedly invaded Central and North America. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 166 , 14–53.     

Gradients in stream fish assemblages across a Mediterranean landscape: contributions of environmental factors and spatial structure

1. Despite wide recognition that fish assemblages are influenced by factors operating over a range of spatial scales, little effort has been devoted to quantifying large‐scale variation and the multiscale dependencies of assemblage patterns and processes. This is particularly true for Mediterranean streams, where seasonally predictable drying‐up may lead to a strong association between assemblage attributes and large‐scale factors affecting the distribution of population sources and extinction likelihood. 2. The contribution of large‐scale factors to stream fish assemblage variation was quantified across a Mediterranean landscape, in south‐west Portugal. Fish abundance and species composition were estimated at 166 sites across third‐ to sixth‐order streams, in March–July 1998. Variance partitioning by redundancy analyses was used to analyse assemblage variation against three sets of predictor variables: environmental (catchment position, and geomorphic and hydrological factors), large‐scale spatial trends and neighbourhood effects. 3. Environmental variables and spatial trends accounted for 34.6% of the assemblage variation across the entire region, and for 36.6 and 57.8% within the two largest catchments (Mira and Seixe). Neighbourhood effects were analysed at the catchment scale, increasing the explained variation to 56.1% (Mira) and 70.7% (Seixe). 4. A prevailing environmental gradient was reflected in an increase in the abundance of all species and size‐classes in relation to catchment position, with more fish present in larger streams and in downstream reaches. Variables describing geomorphic and hydrological settings were less important in explaining assemblage variation. 5. Spatial trends always accounted for the smallest fraction of assemblage variation, and they were probably associated with historical barriers to fish dispersal. The strong neighbourhood effects may be related to spatially autocorrelated habitat conditions, but they are also a likely consequence of fish emigration/extinction and colonisation processes. 6. These results emphasise that a substantial proportion of fish assemblage variation in Mediterranean streams may be explained by large‐scale factors, irrespective of microhabitats and local biotic interactions. It is suggested that this pattern results to a large extent from the seasonal drying‐up, with the summer shortage of surface water limiting fish occurrence in headwaters, and consequently the key core areas for fish concentrating in larger streams and tributaries adjacent to large streams because of neighbourhood effects.     

Reproductive barriers between two sympatric beetle species specialized on different host plants

Knowledge on interspecific pre‐ and post‐zygotic isolation mechanisms provides insights into speciation patterns. Using crosses (F₁ and backcrosses) of two closely related flea beetles species, Altica fragariae and A. viridicyanea, specialized on different hosts in sympatry, we measured: (a) the type of reproductive isolation and (b) the inheritance mode of preference and host‐specific performance, using a joint‐scaling test. Each species preferred almost exclusively its host plant, creating strong prezygotic isolation between them, and suggesting that speciation may occur at least partly in sympatry. Reproductive isolation was intrinsic between females of A. fragariae and either A. viridicyanea or F₁ males, whereas the other crosses showed ecologically dependent reproductive isolation, suggesting ecological speciation. The genetic basis of preference and performance was at least partially independent, and several loci coded for preference, which limits the possibility of sympatric speciation. Hence, both ecological and intrinsic factors may contribute to speciation between these species.     

Effect of complex formation by taxifolin and naringenin with Cu(i) ions on the distribution of the components of complexes in the octanol–water system

The interaction of two structurally close flavanones: taxifolin and naringenin with copper(I) ions and its effect on the distribution of flavonoids and the corresponding ions in a biphasic system octanol–water have been studied. It has been shown that these polyphenols form complexes with copper ions of different stoichiometric ratio depending on the pH of medium (5.4, 7.4, and 9.0). The interaction of the flavonoids with copper ions leads to an increase in the fraction of polyphenols in the water phase at all pH values examined. The fraction of metal ions in octanol in the presence of both taxifolin and naringenin is maximal in the range of neutral pH values. The parameters obtained in the study, such as the partition coefficient and the coefficient of distribution in a biphasic system octanol–water (logP and logD) form the physicochemical basis necessary for the estimation of the bioavailability of flavonoids and the corresponding metal ions upon their combined consumption.