Occurrence of anastomoses of the intrahepatic bile ducts

Eighty-four human livers were investigated with regard to the existence of vascular communications within their biliary tracts. Even with the help of a most subtle technique we could not detect any junctions between the bile ducts, so that there is no evidence of primary anastomoses between the main lobes, between the segments, or inside the segments. In case of chronic biliary obstruction only the major ducts, e.g., up to the fourth generation, are amplified. There is an inflammatory reaction around the smaller vessels, followed by fibrosis and shrinking of the connective tissue. That is why the formation of secondary anastomoses cannot happen under pathological conditions.     

Predation of potential insect pests in oil palm plantations,rubber tree plantations,and fruit orchards

In human‐modified landscapes, important ecological functions such as predation are negatively affected by anthropogenic activities, including the use of pesticides and habitat degradation. Predation of insect pests is an indicator of healthy ecosystem functioning, which provides important ecosystem services, especially for agricultural systems. In this study, we compare predation attempts from arthropods, mammals, and birds on artificial caterpillars in the understory, between three tropical agricultural land‐use types: oil palm plantations, rubber tree plantations, and fruit orchards. We collected a range of local and landscape‐scale data including undergrowth vegetation structure; elevation; proximity to forest; and canopy cover in order to understand how environmental variables can affect predation. In all three land‐use types, our results showed that arthropods and mammals were important predators of artificial caterpillars and there was little predation by birds. We did not find any effect of the environmental variables on predation. There was an interactive effect between land‐use type and predator type. Predation by mammals was considerably higher in fruit orchards and rubber tree than in oil palm plantations, likely due to their ability to support higher abundances of insectivorous mammals. In order to maintain or enhance natural pest control in these common tropical agricultural land‐use types, management practices that benefit insectivorous animals should be introduced, such as the reduction of pesticides, improvement of understory vegetation, and local and landscape heterogeneity.     

Fungal siderophore biosynthesis is partially localized in peroxisomes

Siderophores play a central role in iron metabolism and virulence of most fungi. Both Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus nidulans excrete the siderophore triacetylfusarinine C (TAFC) for iron acquisition. In A. fumigatus, green fluorescence protein‐tagging revealed peroxisomal localization of the TAFC biosynthetic enzymes SidI (mevalonyl‐CoA ligase), SidH (mevalonyl‐CoA hydratase) and SidF (anhydromevalonyl‐CoA transferase), while elimination of the peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS) impaired both, peroxisomal SidH‐targeting and TAFC biosynthesis. The analysis of A. nidulans mutants deficient in peroxisomal biogenesis, ATP import or protein import revealed that cytosolic mislocalization of one or two but, interestingly, not all three enzymes impairs TAFC production during iron starvation. The PTS motifs are conserved in fungal orthologues of SidF, SidH and SidI. In agreement with the evolutionary conservation of the partial peroxisomal compartmentalization of fungal siderophore biosynthesis, the SidI orthologue of coprogen‐type siderophore‐producing Neurospora crassa was confirmed to be peroxisomal. Taken together, this study identified and characterized a novel, evolutionary conserved metabolic function of peroxisomes.     

Reliability of map accuracy assessments: A reply to Roff et al. (2016)

Roff et al. (Ecological Management and Restoration, 17 , 2016, 000) provide a discussion of the criteria expected for the best approach to validation of mapping programs and uses Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17 , 2016, 40) to highlight issues involved. While we support the general principles outlined, we note that the review does not apply the same standards to Sivertsen et al. (Greater Hunter Native Vegetation Mapping Geodatabase Guide (Version 4.0). Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Sydney, Australia, 2011), the original document critiqued by Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17 , 2016, 40). The Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17 , 2016, 40) validation was based on a larger sample size, greater sampling within mapping units and greater representation of landscapes than Sivertsen et al. (Greater Hunter Native Vegetation Mapping Geodatabase Guide (Version 4.0). Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Sydney, Australia, 2011). Survey and validation sites being placed along public roads and lands are common to both the general Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17 , 2016, 40) validation methodologies. Thus, the criticisms of Roff et al. (Ecological Management and Restoration, 17 , 2016, 000) of the Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17 , 2016, 40) approach apply equally, if not more, to Sivertsen et al. (Greater Hunter Native Vegetation Mapping Geodatabase Guide (Version 4.0). Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Sydney, Australia, 2011). We outline in the article how the Roff et al. (Ecological Management and Restoration, 17 , 2016, 000) critique was selective and in some cases incorrect in its analysis of issues presented in Hunter (Ecological Management & Restoration 17 , 2016, 40) and did not apply the same criteria to their own work. We conclude by discussing future directions for validating and mapping vegetation communities.     

Patterns of Root Colonization in Epacridaceous Plants Collected from Different Sites

Root colonization was studied in ten species of the Epacridaceaeat three sites in Victoria by morphological and cross-inoculationexperiments. The sites and genera chosen were Cranbourne [Epacrisimpressa Labill. andLeucopogon ericoides(Smith) R. Br.] andRye [L. parviflorus(Andrews) Lindley] on the Mornington Peninsula,and the Grampians[Astroloma conostephioides(Sond.) Benth.,A.humifusum(Cav.) R. Br.,A pinifolium(R. Br.) Benth,Brachylomadaphnoides(Smith) Benth.,E. impressa, E. impressavar.grandifloraBenth.andStyphelia adscendensR. Br.] in western Victoria. For morphologicalstudies, samples of roots from each species at each site werecleared and stained and examined microscopically. For cross-inoculationstudies, cuttings from each site were struck in potting mediuminoculated with soil from the same and other sites. The ericoidmycorrhizae in the roots of plants found at or grown in Cranbourneand Rye soils were similar. Both were significantly differentfrom the internal hyphae found in the roots of plants foundat or grown in Grampians soils, which were three times largerin diameter and formed dense coils which filled the host celland invaded adjacent epidermal cells. This suggests that morethan one fungus is involved in the relationships, that the MorningtonPeninsula sites had a different fungus from the Grampians siteand that host specificity is low. Vesicular structures werealso found commonly on plants at the Grampians site, in contrastwith other sites. Epacridaceae; root; fungus; mycorrhiza; morphology; inoculation