EFFECTS OF SHADING BY ADULTS ON THE GROWTH OF BLADE-STAGE MACROCYSTIS PYRZFERA (PHAEOPHYTA) DURING AND AFTER THE 1982–1984 EL NIÑO1

The effect of shading by an adult canopy on blade-stage Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. A. Agardh was estimated by comparing the average growth rate of individuals under a canopy to that of individuals in a canopy gap. This comparison was made in 1983 during a strong El Niño and again in 1986 after the El Niño. Estimated nutrient concentrations in 1983 were two orders of magnitude below those in 1986, whereas ambient light levels were over 3 times higher. The kelp canopy caused similar proportional light reductions (20–30%) during both years. Blades grew 18% slower under the canopy than in the clearing in 1983 and about 77% slower under the canopy in 1986. Blade-stage individuals grew at the same rates in clearings in 1983 and 1986. Regardless of shading, the average growth rate of blade-stage kelp under the ambient, low-nutrient conditions of 1983 was higher than that later observed for multifronded juveniles during the same El Niño. The growth of blade-stage kelp was more like that of larger juveniles growing under high-nutrient conditions. The difference may be due to greater concentrations of nutrients very near the sea floor where single blades are growing compared to concentrations higher in the water column where larger kelp have most of their tissues.     

Reaktionen und Adaptationen wechselwarmer Tiere nach einer Änderung der Anpassungstemperatur und der zeitliche Verlauf

Zusammenfassung 1. Die Reaktionen und Adaptationen nach einer Änderung der Adaptationstemperatur haben wir abzugrenzen versucht und ihren zeitlichen Verlauf geschildert. Eigene Untersuchungen wurden als Beispiele eingefügt.2. Bei Silberorfen (Idus idus) hält der Abfall der Frequenz der Kiemendeckelbewegungen für eine längere Zeit an, wenn man die Vorbehandlungstemperatur senkt.3. Bei des Schwertträgers (Xiphophorus helleri) ist bei mehreren Versuchstemperaturen der zeitliche Verlauf einer Umadaptation am Beispiel der Kiemendeckelbewegungen verfolgt worden. Dieser Prozeß ist selbst temperaturabhängig und läuft für die verschiedenen Bereiche der Versuchstemperatur unterschiedlich schnell ab.4. Die Meßwerte für die Hitzeresistenz von Goldorfen (Idus idus) hängen von der Geschwindigkeit der Temperaturerhöhung ab.5. Das Phänomen eines hardening im Sinne vonAlexandrov (1964) konnte bei den FischenIdus idus, Anguilla vulgaris, Xiphophorus helleri und bei dem CiliatenZoothamnium hiketes nicht einwandfrei von einer Resistenzadaptation abgegrenzt werden.6. Nach einem Wechsel der Adaptationstemperatur wurden die schnell verlaufenden Änderungen der Kälteresistenz des Cilienepithels auf den Fühlerspitzen der SchneckePlanorbis corneus (auch an isolierten Fühlern) gemessen.7. Ferner wurden bei vonXiphophorus helleri die Änderungen der Kälteresistenz hinisichtlich des Stillstandes der Kiemendeckel sowie Änderungen der Hitzeletalindizes untersucht.

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Reactions and adaptations of poikilotherm animals after a change of adaptation temperature and the time course

The reactions and adaptations after changes in adaptation temperature are recorded, and the process of their development (time course) is described. In the fishIdus idus the frequency of operculum movements decreases continuously over a long period if the temperature to which it has been adapted is suddenly lowered. In females ofXiphophorus helleri the process leading to adaptation under new conditions is followed by watching the operculum movements at several experimental temperatures. This process is itself dependent on the experimental temperature and has different results for the various ranges of experimental temperatures. The values of heat resistance inIdus idus are dependent on the speed of the raise in temperature. The phenomenon of hardening (in the sense ofAlexandrov 1964) could not be separated with certainty from a resistance adaptation in the fishesIdus idus, Anguilla vulgaris, Xiphophorus helleri and the ciliateZoothamnium hiketes. After changing the adaptation temperature, the rapid changes of the cold resistance in the ciliar epithelium on the antennal ends of the snailPlanorbis corneus (also on isolated antennae) were measured. In addition, changes in the cold resistance ofXiphophorus helleri females in regard to the standstill of the operculum as well as changes in the index of heat lethality were measured.

     

Development of an image pre‐processor for operational hyperspectral laryngeal cancer detection

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a technology with high potential in the field of non‐invasive detection of cancer. However, in complex imaging situations like HSI of the larynx with a rigid endoscope, various image interferences can disable a proper classification of cancerous tissue. We identified three main problems: i) misregistration of single images in a HS cube due to patient heartbeat ii) image noise and iii) specular reflections (SR). Consequently, an image pre‐processor is developed in the current paper to overcome these image interferences. It encompasses i) image registration ii) noise removal by minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation and iii) a novel SR detection method. The results reveal that the pre‐processor improves classification performance, while the newly developed SR detection method outperforms global thresholding technique hitherto used by 46%. The novel pre‐processor will be used for future studies towards the development of an operational scheme for HS‐based larynx cancer detection.

RGB image of the larynx derived from the hyperspectral cube and corresponding specular reflections ( a ) manually segmented and ( b ) detected by a novel specular reflection detection method.     

Agar plate-based screening methods for the identification of polyester hydrolysis by Pseudomonas species

Hydrolases acting on polyesters like cutin, polycaprolactone or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are of interest for several biotechnological applications like waste treatment, biocatalysis and sustainable polymer modifications. Recent studies suggest that a large variety of such enzymes are still to be identified and explored in a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas. For activity-based screening, methods have been established using agar plates which contain nanoparticles of polycaprolactone or PET prepared by solvent precipitation and evaporation. In this protocol article, we describe a straightforward agar plate-based method using emulsifiable artificial polyesters as substrates, namely Impranil^® DLN and liquid polycaprolactone diol (PLD). Thereby, the currently quite narrow set of screening substrates is expanded. We also suggest optional pre-screening with short-chain and middle-chain-length triglycerides as substrates to identify enzymes with lipolytic activity to be further tested for polyesterase activity. We applied these assays to experimentally demonstrate polyesterase activity in bacteria from the P. pertucinogena lineage originating from contaminated soils and diverse marine habitats.     

Heart specific expression of mouse BMP-10 a novel member of the TGF-β superfamily

Here we report the cloning and expression of murine BMP-10, a novel member of the TGF-β superfamily. In the mouse embryo, BMP-10 expression begins at 9.0 d.p.c. and is restricted to the developing heart. Initially, BMP-10 expression localizes to the trabeculated part of the common ventricular chamber and to the bulbus cordis region. After 12.5 d.p.c., additional BMP-10 expression is seen in the atrial wall. The data presented here suggest that BMP-10 plays an important role in trabeculation of the embryonic heart.     

Species’ traits influence ground beetle responses to farm and landscape level agricultural intensification in Europe

Agricultural intensification may result in important shifts in insect community composition and function, but this remains poorly explored. Studying how groups of species with shared traits respond to local and landscape scale land-use management can reveal mechanisms behind such observed impacts. We tested if ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) divided into trait groups based on body sizes, wing morphologies and dietary preferences respond differently to farming practise (organic and conventional), farming intensity (measured as yield) and landscape complexity (measured as the proportion of arable land within a 1,000 m radius) across Europe. We used data from 143 farms in five regions in northern and central Europe. Organic farms did not differ in abundance or richness of any trait group compared to conventional farms. As farm scale intensity (yield) increased, overall abundance of beetles decreased, but abundances of small and medium sized beetles, as well as that of wingless beetles, were unaffected. Overall species richness was not affected by yield, whereas consideration of traits revealed that phytophagous and omnivorous beetles were less species rich on farms with high yields. Increasing the proportion of arable land in the landscape increased overall beetle abundance. This was driven by an increase in omnivorous beetles. The total species richness was not affected by an increase in the proportion arable land, although the richness of wingless beetles was found to increase. Potential effects on ecosystem functioning need to be taken into account when designing schemes to maintain agricultural biodiversity, because species with different ecological traits respond differently to local management and landscape changes.     

Bacterial Community Composition in Brazilian Anthrosols and Adjacent Soils Characterized Using Culturing and Molecular Identification

Microbial community composition was examined in two soil types, Anthrosols and adjacent soils, sampled from three locations in the Brazilian Amazon. The Anthrosols, also known as Amazonian dark earths, are highly fertile soils that are a legacy of pre-Columbian settlement. Both Anthrosols and adjacent soils are derived from the same parent material and subject to the same environmental conditions, including rainfall and temperature; however, the Anthrosols contain high levels of charcoal-like black carbon from which they derive their dark color. The Anthrosols typically have higher cation exchange capacity, higher pH, and higher phosphorus and calcium contents. We used culture media prepared from soil extracts to isolate bacteria unique to the two soil types and then sequenced their 16S rRNA genes to determine their phylogenetic placement. Higher numbers of culturable bacteria, by over two orders of magnitude at the deepest sampling depths, were counted in the Anthrosols. Sequences of bacteria isolated on soil extract media yielded five possible new bacterial families. Also, a higher number of families in the bacteria were represented by isolates from the deeper soil depths in the Anthrosols. Higher bacterial populations and a greater diversity of isolates were found in all of the Anthrosols, to a depth of up to 1 m, compared to adjacent soils located within 50–500 m of their associated Anthrosols. Compared to standard culture media, soil extract media revealed diverse soil microbial populations adapted to the unique biochemistry and physiological ecology of these Anthrosols. The author J. Peterson is already deceased.