Effects of age,territoriality and breeding on survival of Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata

Survival typically contributes most to population trends in long‐lived birds and its accurate estimation is therefore vital for population management and conservation. We evaluated the effects of age, territoriality and reproduction on survival in Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata through multistate capture‐mark‐recapture analyses on a long‐term dataset. Monitoring was carried out in southeast France (1990–2008) and involved the surveying of territorial Eagles, the marking of fledged chicks, and the recording of resightings and recoveries of marked non‐territorial and territorial birds. Survival improved with age, but territoriality was not retained in the best model; yearly survival was estimated at 0.479 for fledglings (to 1 year of age), 0.570 for 1‐ and 2‐year‐olds, and 0.870 for 3‐year‐old and older individuals. The second best model supported a further increase in survival from 3‐year‐olds (0.821) to older individuals (0.880). In the third best supported model, territoriality enhanced survival, but only in 2‐year‐olds (0.632 vs. 0.562 for non‐territorial). We found no correlation between the previous breeding stage and future survival, consistent with the long lifespan of the study species. Nevertheless, 4‐year‐old and older successful breeders were more likely to breed the following year than failed adult breeders (0.869 vs. 0.582), suggesting that the cost of reproduction is small in comparison with the variation in quality among individuals or their territories.     

A new Late Jurassic turtle from Spain: phylogenetic implications,taphonomy and palaeoecology

Abstract: The Jurassic was an important period in the evolution of Testudinata and encompasses the origin of many clades, and this is especially true of Jurassic turtles from Western Europe. A new genus and species of Late Jurassic turtle, Hispaniachelys prebetica gen. et sp. nov. from the upper Oxfordian of the Prebetic (Southern Spain), is described on the basis of postcranial material. The specimen is the only known tetrapod from the Mesozoic of the Prebetic and the oldest turtle from southern Europe. A mosaic of characters indicates this is a new genus: it displays basal features including dorsal epiplastral processes/reduced cleithra, no medial contact of the extragulars and a long first thoracic rib, alongside derived characters including an absence of mesoplastra and the vertebral 3/4 sulcus crossing neural 5. The phylogenetic position of the new taxon is hard to resolve, and it might be either a paracryptodire or a basal testudine, but it is distinct from Plesiochelys. A complex taphonomic history is shown by a range of overlying grazing traces and bioerosion on the carapace. The carapace was subsequently overturned and buried ventrally up, terminating grazing activity, and was then bored by sponges before final burial. Scanning electron microscopy reveals phosphatic microspheroids associated with bacterial decay in the vascular cavities of the cancellous bone, suggesting the carapace may have acted as a closed microenvironment in which decay‐derived authigenic minerals formed.     

More than multiple introductions: Multiple taxa contribute to the genesis of the invasive California’s wild artichoke thistle

The history of some invasive species is so complex that their origins can be difficult to determine. One example of such invasive species is the California invasive known as “wild artichoke thistle” (Cynara cardunculus var. sylvestris), found in natural and disturbed ecosystems. Wild artichoke thistle is a Mediterranean native and the progenitor of two domesticated horticultural taxa, artichoke and cardoon. Different hypotheses regarding the origins of California plants have included introductions by 19th century Italian immigrants and the de-domestication (evolutionary reversion to wild-type morphology) of feral (escaped, free-living) cultivars. Using microsatellite markers, we compared the genetic constitutions of 12 artichoke thistle populations in California with possible progenitor populations: 17 Spanish and Italian wild populations and eight different artichoke and cardoon cultivars. Each California population was compared with its putative progenitors using STRUCTURE analysis. Our results suggest that California's artichoke thistle populations are polyphyletic. Surprisingly, two-thirds of California's populations closely matched populations from the Iberian Peninsula. Three populations matched domesticated artichoke. One population appears to have wild and cultivar hybrid ancestry. Alleles specific to Italian populations were found at low frequencies in some California plants, suggesting that Italian wild plants may have been in California, but have left a trivial genetic legacy. Given that the de-domesticated plants in this study appear to be as invasive as the wild taxon, we conclude with a discussion of the role that ferality and de-domestication may have in plant invasions.     

TRAINING, VALIDATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A PANEL TO EVALUATE THE TEXTURE OF DRY BEANS (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.)

The inclusion of dry beans in diets has clear health benefits. However, consumers in developed countries mainly choose beans for their sensory qualities, especially for their texture. This article describes the constitution, training and validation of a panel of judges to evaluate the texture of dry beans. The judges were trained in the perception of different textures, analyzed a wide range of beans and selected seed-coat roughness, seed-coat perceptibility and creaminess/mealiness of the cotyledon as the main attributes to be scored. After training, the panel was capable of discriminating between different varieties of beans and even between beans of the same variety grown at different locations. The analysis of the behavior of the panel in a standard tasting session 2 years after its formation showed that periodic inclusion of samples from the extremes of the scales for the attributes during tasting sessions was sufficient to keep the panel trained.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This article could serve as a guide for the training of sensory panels to evaluate the texture of dry beans. It describes the selection of the attributes on which the analysis is based, references for the extreme values of the attributes and how to train the panel. It also provides a practical example of the analysis of the behavior of the panel some time after training.     

Unexpected transformation of black hole quenchers in electrophoretic purification of the fluorescein-containing TaqMan probes

The fluorescence quenchers BHQ1 and BHQ2 can be modified by trace amounts of ammonium persulfate, used for initiating gel polymerization, in electrophoretic purification of TaqMan probes using a denaturing polyacrylamide gel. The case study of BHQ1 quencher has demonstrated that a Boyland–Sims reaction proceeds in the presence of ammonium persulfate to give the corresponding sulfate. The absorption maximum of the resulting quencher shifts to the short-wavelength region relative to the absorption maximum of the initial BHQ1. The TaqMan probe containing such a quencher is less efficient as compared with the probe carrying an unmodified BHQ1. The presence of fluorescein in TaqMan probe plays decisive role in this transformation: the quencher modification proceeds at a considerably lower rate when the fluorescein is absent or replaced with a rhodamine dye (for example, R6G). It is assumed that the observed reaction can take place in two ways—both in darkness and in the reaction of the quencher in an excited state due to energy transfer from the fluorophore irradiated by light.     

Universal oligonucleotide microarray for sub-typing of Influenza A virus

A universal microchip was developed for genotyping Influenza A viruses. It contains two sets of oligonucleotide probes allowing viruses to be classified by the subtypes of hemagglutinin (H1-H13, H15, H16) and neuraminidase (N1-N9). Additional sets of probes are used to detect H1N1 swine influenza viruses. Selection of probes was done in two steps. Initially, amino acid sequences specific to each subtype were identified, and then the most specific and representative oligonucleotide probes were selected. Overall, between 19 and 24 probes were used to identify each subtype of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Genotyping included preparation of fluorescently labeled PCR amplicons of influenza virus cDNA and their hybridization to microarrays of specific oligonucleotide probes. Out of 40 samples tested, 36 unambiguously identified HA and NA subtypes of Influenza A virus.     

COMPARISON OF TWO SIMPLE METHODS FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF DETECTION THRESHOLDS FOR BASIC, UMAMI AND METALLIC TASTES

Two simple methods were followed to determine detection thresholds for the taste of substances in aqueous solution. The methods applied were: a modification of the ascending method of limits and a method based on the use of scales. Detection thresholds were calculated for the four basic tastes (sweet, salty, acid, and bitterness), umami and metallic. Reference substances for each taste were sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid, caffeine, monosodium glutamate and iron (II) sulfate heptahydrate and the results of the two methods were compared. We found that the threshold values calculated by method ASTM-679 was within the range of concentrations identified with the scales method.     

Effect of structural factors on the stability of duplexes formed by oligonucleotide conjugates with minor groove binders

The effect of structural factors on the stability of duplexes formed by DNA minor groove binders conjugated with oligonucleotide mono- or diphosphoramidates of the general formula Oligo-MGB_m (where Oligo is an oligonucleotide; m = 1 or 2; MGB is -L(Py)₂R, -L(Py)₄R, -L(Im)₄R, or -L(Py)₄NH(CH₂)₃CO(Py)₄R; Py is a 4-aminopyrrole-2-carboxylic acid residue; L is a -aminobutyric acid or an -aminocaproic acid residue, R = OEt, NH(CH₂)₆NEt₂, or NH(CH₂)₆N⁺Me₃) was studied by the method of thermal denaturation. The mode of binder interaction with the minor groove depends on the conjugate structure; it may be of the parallel head to head type for bisphosphoramidates and of the antiparallel head to tail type for monophosphoramidates of a hairpin structure. The effects of the duplexes with parallel orientation (bisphosphoramidates, MGB is L(Py)₄R, m = 2) and those of the hairpin structure with the antiparallel orientation (monophosphoramidates, MGB is L(Py)₄(CH₂)₃CO(Py)₄R, m = 1) on T _m values were close. The influence of the linker (L) and substituent (R) structures upon T _m was more pronounced for monophosphoramidate (MGB is L(Py)_nR, m = 1) than for bisphosphoramidate (MGB is L(Py)_nR, m = 2). No more than two oligopyrrolecarboxamide residues (either in parallel or antiparallel orientations) can be incorporated into the duplex minor groove. Moreover, it was shown by the example of monophosphoramidates (Oligo-L(Py)₄R and Oligo-L(Py)₄NH(CH₂)₃CO(Py)₄R) that the addition of a second ligand capable of incorporation into the minor groove increased T _m of the corresponding duplex in comparison with the duplex formed by the starting monophosphoramidate. At the same time, the introduction of a ligand incapable of incorporating decreased the T _m value. The mode of interaction of the conjugated binder with the oligonucleotide duplex is determined by its structure. For example, dipyrrolecarboxamide containing an ethoxy group at the binder C-end stabilizes the duplex due to stacking interaction with the terminal A · T pair, whereas tetrapyrrolecarboxamides stabilize the duplex by incorporation into the minor groove.__________Translated from Bioorganicheskaya Khimiya, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2005, pp. 159–166.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Ryabinin, Butorin, Elen, Denisov, Pyshnyi, Sinyakov.